Is the PGA Tour Really a World Game?

    I read an article from the Golf Channel and they talked about former champions reviving the Irish Open. Well, as my editor would say, the tease of the headline drew me in to a golf subject I thought was being covered wasn’t. I’m thinking that some golf heavy weights are playing the Irish Open to revitalize the involvement of American’s playing for an extended time overseas and what the headline really meant is...  Major Championship winners like European’s like Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke are playing this week and are scoring well. Did you notice that I did not mention any American’s at the top of the leader board? Well most American’s leave the plane running after completing the Open Championship quicker than you can say Great Brittian. My take is tennis has some warm-ups before Wimbledon and the French Open as well as the US Open in September. In golf, the PGA Tour actually has their own tournament (The John Deere Classic) that runs concurrent with the British Open. Why is that? Shouldn’t the PGA let the entire world’s stage focus on the British Open? How about 2-3 events where the PGA Tour shuts down and lets the birthplace of golf shine on the world’s stage?  How about the PGA Tour take some time off during the summer and play 2-4 events in Europe each year during the month of July? Perhaps it is time for golf to have one of the majors overseas and now I am calling for a fifth major which is not new talk but could be new when you consider that there are places that could really grow the game of golf. China, Japan, Australia or Indonesia that have been researched by those in the golf know could host a Major Championship. This year there are four events being held in Australia or Asia and it is happening during what most Americans would call it the no man's land of the NFL season.  The points that are accumulated on the world phase of the tour could count for more points than regular events and sponsors could bonus stars that perform and finish with excellent results in these events. Over here, there has been some sponsor consolidation on the American side of the tour and since the recession started in 2008 at times the hill seems to be tilted toward sponsor driven exodus quicker than new sponsors coming in. I am sure there are more Asian sponsors that would love to sponsor an event and the purses would be huge with more wanting to see PGA stars than there would be dates available. We have exported American jobs for generations with no payback for you and me. Perhaps our stars could bring some YUAN, pounds or some other currency back our way.