The bloated purses have also worked as a disincentive for top pros to play more. In the 1980s and early 1990s, many top players averaged more than 25 tournaments a year. Throw out aberrations like Vijay Singh, who plays constantly, and not many star players approach 25 appearances.
That's why Finchem, in announcing the fall schedule, asked the top players to make an effort to play more events year-round. But players who have more money than they can ever spend don't want to do that, and who can blame them? Even players who don't win much have become fabulously wealthy. Chris DiMarco, a three-time winner, has amassed about $20 million in earnings. Jerry Kelly, a two-time champ, has won about $17 million. And that's not even counting their endorsement money. It's also another reason why the FedEx Cup has fizzled. Money, even $10 million, is less of a motivation when more than 75 players have already won at least that much in their careers.
Extravaganzas: All the tour seems to care about now are the big events, but the tour was built on a base of regular tour stops. The four majors have continued to grow in stature, but the tour doesn't control any of them. So it built the Players Championship into a semi-major, repositioning it in May, and started the World Golf Championships, which also haven't fulfilled their potential. Limited-field events filled with the top players, the WGC events were designed to maximize television coverage. Even though Tiger has dominated these events, they haven't gained traction with the viewing public. But that wasn't enough. To convince the networks to buy in on the last contract negotiations, the tour invented the FedEx Cup race.
Are you detecting a trend yet? The WGC events made the traditional tour stops, like the Memorial, seem less glamorous. The FedEx Cup events in turn minimized the WGC events.
By trying to make bigger, better and splashier television shows with Tiger, the tour has effectively undermined its core products — tournaments such as the John Deere Classic, the Buick, the Canadian Open and the Byron Nelson.
The PGA Tour has naturally divided into two kinds of tournaments, the ones Tiger plays and the ones he doesn't. The focus on big events has exacerbated the problem.
The Fall Series, meanwhile, has been left to fend for itself against almighty football. By heavily marketing the FedEx Cup and the Tour Championship, the tour has doomed the Fall Series to irrelevance. In addition, the Fall Series events don't count for FedEx Cup points, and winners don't get Masters invites. Unless the tour wants these events to go away, that should change.
The European Tour doesn't limit its season to a calendar year. Its 2009 season has already started. The PGA Tour should follow suit. The Fall Series should be the start of the next season. The money should count, FedEx Cup points should be awarded and winners should get the same perks as winners of other tournaments.
The PGA Tour appears to be shrinking. That matters to the rank-and-file players, if not to those who already have their millions. Even with changes, the Fall Series may ultimately fall. The big question is, what else on the PGA Tour would go with it?
