How The Premier Golf League's Team Component Works And Who Might Be The Founding 12 Player-Owners

Outside of the major championships, “Cup” events are undoubtedly golf’s most exciting. Whether the Walker, Solheim, Ryder or Presidents Cup, they never seem to fail to prove entertaining even when not very close (which is often). The kids today are loving the PGA Junior League, team sports are cooler than individual pursuits and even tennis is looking back to a re-imagined team concept to liven up their non-major season.

With those factors in mind, and needing a massive financial hook to lure top players who feel underpaid, the Premier Golf League poses an existential threat to professional golf in many ways. The proposed team element may just be its greatest strength in making the case for re-imagining a stagnant professional game.

As I reported exclusively here, major dollar figures have been floated for franchise valuation down the road ($350 million to $750 million by year seven). So as the group continues to make their case behind the scenes in hopes of starting this tour in 2022, here is some background beyond the plans for 54-hole individual stroke play events.

—Modeled after Formula One’s concurrent individual and team formats, a season-long points race leads to an individual bonus payout and determines team seeding at the final event

—Featuring 3 days of match play, all 12 teams of 4 players each vie for a $50 million purse. (This is on top of the 17 prior events playing for $10 million each week, plus appearance fees each week based on a ranking system. However, I still do not see the initial season lasting more than ten events if it hopes to lure most of the names below, but we’ll see.)

—Two scores from the four teams would count each day during the season. Those points build the team’s place in standings, and eventually leads to seedings where the top four will receive a vital playoff first round bye.

—The team element hopes to deliver a “cohesive season narrative” according to the documents I saw, aiming to engender “greater passion, rivalry and spirit between the players” along with greater fan allegiance and tribal engagement.”

—Get ready buggy drivers and assistants! “Team Managers will represent their teams on and off the course and determining which of the team’s two players each day count toward the world championship performance.”

—The changes in lineups each day, along with the season-ending mini-Ryder Cup format where managers will be making tough-love decisions, makes for the “richest possible media content and entertainment value both on and off the course in terms of news, politics, gossip, strategy tactics and selections (fantasy sport brought to life).” This just in: McIlroy team manager Paul McGinley has moved from EZGO to Club Car in a new three year deal after a weak battery cost him a chance to make a last minute lineup change, etc...

—While not stated in documents, one would presume these dramatics would eventually extend to the proposed feeder tour possibilities, including managers and owners potentially sending someone down or elevating a player clearly ready for the Premier Golf League.

—The emphasis on team maximizes value for team owners, with assorted licensing and merchandising options. Team names to be determined, team colors will be encouraged and are likely to weave in team owner sponsors. Among the names owners are permitted to use: Marshals, Lancers, Wolfhounds, Regulators, Stingers, Reapers and even some familiar names like Patriots, Warriors, Chargers, Vikings and Blackhawks.

—In each round of the playoffs, there will be two rounds of singles and one of foursomes. The plan is for single elimination, creating a round one, a quarterfinals, semi-final’s and finals. That’s potentially a huge amount of golf for the teams starting with round one. Documents suggest “greensomes” may replace foursomes where both players hit drives, a lesser form of alternate shot but a more fan-friendly one.

And now for the $350 million question, who might be the twelve players targeted as a player-owner offered the chance to purchase a team maximum of 75% (documents use the word purchase, but I was not privy to what this would actually entail for players. Presumably there will not be a high price since they hope to lure players away from major Tours. Or perhaps players will be able to join forces with a rich friend?).

Nearly 18 months ago, the list of prospective player owners included some whose games have severely fluctuated since then (Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Francesco Molinari, etc…), making the decision to offer players these roles possibly the most challenging aspect for the league founders.

Based on the initial list I saw and the description of players to be selected as based on “global profile, personality, marketability and playing potential and/or record,” here would be the most likely candidates. Oh, and don’t rule out an elder statesman, great talker or overall personality like Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington or Ian Poulter to enter the equation. (Els said last week he “loved” the idea.)

Anyway, here’s my best guest at their league’s ideal founding set of player-owners:

Rickie Fowler
Dustin Johnson
Brooks Koepka
Hideki Matsuyama
Rory McIlroy
Phil Mickelson
Jon Rahm
Justin Rose
Adam Scott
Henrik Stenson
Justin Thomas
Tiger Woods

While this is all bound to change and more names will enter if the above decline the option, these “elites” face a complicated decision that must factor in the stage of the career, the thinking of others and the desire to take on a responsibility beyond managing their game.

All but Fowler and Stenson are playing this week at Riviera.