I Don’t Understand The PGA Golf Tour’s New Cut Policy

I just read about the PGA Tour’s new cut policy for professional golf tournaments (at least it appears for all Corporate Logo Events). And I must admit I am confused. I mean were the pro golfers in danger of losing the fan base? Were the networks about to pull all sponsorship money? Or were the pro golfers just whining too much. Read on and you can decide for yourself.

For years as I have understood it, the cut policy worked like this. After 36 holes, the low 70 golfers and ties played the last two rounds of golf on Saturday and Sunday. Those above that got to go home and prepare for next week’s golf tournament. Now if you read my post a few weeks ago about what even the mediocre pro golfers are making, it doesn’t seem like anyone was hurting too much. At least not in my humble opinion.
But now look at what the PGA has done. Now the Tour will look to see if more than 78 players make the cut, they won’t cut it down after two days. There will now be a 54 hole cut after the third round of golf. I can’t find any logical reason why they made this policy change.
Oh and get this. Those golfers who make the 36 hole cut but not the 54 hole cut….. They will still get paid the minimum amount; the same amount for those that play all four rounds. I think in most tournaments these days this is roughly around $10,000.
So you do the math. A pro golfer can be even below mediocre, miss the cut after 54 holes 35 times a year and still make around $ 350,000. Unbelieveable. I knew that I should have taken up golf as a kid.
Again, I think this just proves my point that all the money that is going into golf isn’t all good for the game. The bigger purses and rule changes are very likely to lower the quality of competition over the years.
One final note. I used to use golf as an example compared against the problems of long term contracts in other sports. In golf, it used to be if you don’t perform you don’t get paid or at least not enough to make it. Unlike a pro football quarterback who signs a $50 million dollar contract and tanks in year three of that contract.
But I don’t think that I can say that anymore. I remain greatly concerned about this issue. Let me hear your feedback.