2025 PGA TOUR Schedule Released

[Dutch1008]

6 hours ago, svlido said:

Sponsors hate rotating venues so they have to do a little dance.

 

Ahh, this must be why the US Open, PGA Championship, and Open Champion always struggle to find those sponsorship dollars huh? 🤣

 

These are global companies, they are not nearly as focused on their corporate HQ as you think. How long did Cadillac sponsor an event in South Florida? Why is BMW happy to have their event bounce around? Their main US plant is in SC and there are plenty of great venues there. Why did Wells Fargo sponsor a tournament in NC for years when their HQ is in SF? Another area with plenty of fantastic venues. 

 

Further, I understand the infrastructure argument. But the infrastructure around a major city is always going to be better than small community 100 miles outside the MSA. Course infrastructure and city infrastructure are different variables. Both need to work, however, in an optimal world, you wouldn't rent a room in Charlotte, drive 100 miles to Pinehurst, spend the day drinking beer only to drive 100 miles back to your hotel. That's not exactly efficient and certainly not a good idea.  

Edited August 27, 2024 by Dutch1008

[Dutch1008]

5 hours ago, Titleist99 said:

In addition, some sponsors are keen on their charitable dollars going to certain communities and causes.......Like St. Jude, etc....

 

St. Jude is a national brand that accepts patients from all over. You could hold an event at Chambers Bay and still allocate the charitable dollars to St. Jude.  

[Dutch1008]

4 hours ago, svlido said:

They also like to invest in areas they have an interest in.  People don't consider that the PGA Tour is competing against other sports for sponsor dollars.  FedEx could just as easily invest in the Grizzlies if the PGA Tour didn't want to put a tournament in Memphis.

 

FedEx already does sponsor the Grizzles...

 

https://fedexforum.com/business-opportunities/sponsorships

 

They also sponsor the NFL and the Champions League. Somehow Memphis lacks a team or an event related to those two powerhouses. 

 

FedEx invests in golf because it's a highly valued demographic. Having an event in Memphis is just a small piece of the puzzle. 

[svlido]

3 hours ago, Dutch1008 said:

 

Ahh, this must be why the US Open, PGA Championship, and Open Champion always struggle to find those sponsorship dollars huh? 🤣

 

These are global companies, they are not nearly as focused on their corporate HQ as you think. How long did Cadillac sponsor an event in South Florida? Why is BMW happy to have their event bounce around? Their main US plant is in SC and there are plenty of great venues there. Why did Wells Fargo sponsor a tournament in NC for years when their HQ is in SF? Another area with plenty of fantastic venues. 

 

Further, I understand the infrastructure argument. But the infrastructure around a major city is always going to be better than small community 100 miles outside the MSA. Course infrastructure and city infrastructure are different variables. Both need to work, however, in an optimal world, you wouldn't rent a room in Charlotte, drive 100 miles to Pinehurst, spend the day drinking beer only to drive 100 miles back to your hotel. That's not exactly efficient and certainly not a good idea.  

 

The infrastructure is site specific, but for the most part something outside of a major city is best.  I was at the USO at Pinehurst and it was a dream compared to majors I've been to at Medinah and Olympia Fields.  Parking at those two was a nightmare.  Whistling is a great venue as far as infrastructure is concerned because it's 45 minutes from Milwaukee with a ton or space to park and easy access to and from I43.  Erin Hills is half the distance from Milwaukee and the USO there was a pain because it took 2 hours to go 8 miles to get to I41.  I didn't go to LACC but know that area really well and can imagine it wasn't all that great of a fan experience.

 

Wells Fargo had their east coast division headquartered in Charlotte which they closed about the time they announced they wouldn't be title sponsoring Quail Hollow.  Truist is Charlotte based and picked that one up for 7 years.

 

BMW does title sponsor a playoff event which is on a rotation, but as a global brand they also sponsor a KFT event just down the road from their flagship plant in Greer.

 

I worked for a company that title sponsored an event for 12 years.  One of the main objectives was team and relationship building for us, so having an event that we would have had to travel 1,500-2,000 employees to wouldn't have made sense.  Brand recognition is just one part of the puzzle.

 

I will agree that sponsors for majors is probably a bad example because their sponsors will be in it for mostly brand awareness campaigns throughout the entire year like Rolex does.

[Dutch1008]

54 minutes ago, svlido said:

The infrastructure is site specific, but for the most part something outside of a major city is best.  I was at the USO at Pinehurst and it was a dream compared to majors I've been to at Medinah and Olympia Fields.  Parking at those two was a nightmare.  Whistling is a great venue as far as infrastructure is concerned because it's 45 minutes from Milwaukee with a ton or space to park and easy access to and from I43.  Erin Hills is half the distance from Milwaukee and the USO there was a pain because it took 2 hours to go 8 miles to get to I41.  I didn't go to LACC but know that area really well and can imagine it wasn't all that great of a fan experience.

 

Wells Fargo had their east coast division headquartered in Charlotte which they closed about the time they announced they wouldn't be title sponsoring Quail Hollow.  Truist is Charlotte based and picked that one up for 7 years.

 

BMW does title sponsor a playoff event which is on a rotation, but as a global brand they also sponsor a KFT event just down the road from their flagship plant in Greer.

 

I worked for a company that title sponsored an event for 12 years.  One of the main objectives was team and relationship building for us, so having an event that we would have had to travel 1,500-2,000 employees to wouldn't have made sense.  Brand recognition is just one part of the puzzle.

 

I will agree that sponsors for majors is probably a bad example because their sponsors will be in it for mostly brand awareness campaigns throughout the entire year like Rolex does.

 

Thoughtful reply. Site specific infrastructure is very important but w/o the regional infrastructure, it's a no go. Its why we'll never see a major at Bandon Dunes. But again, this goes back to the original statement that the tour is trying to "maximize on-site revenue". If that were truly the case, everything would look like the Waste Management. Majors would only be held in the mega cities. Tour events would only be held in NFL sized cities.   

 

I agree that there are benefits for having a local sponsor, I just don't think it's a primary driver of the decision making process. FedEx isn't spending hundreds of millions to do a little team building at a golf event. If the tour pushed back on FedEx and said they only want to hold a playoff event in Memphis once every 5 years, I don't think FedEx would consider that a deal breaker. 

 

In general, I just want the variety. I thought the BMW at Castle Pines was a huge success. A course that hasn't been on TV in nearly 20 years. A state that hasn't hosted a major professional tournament in 10 year, and my favorite part, a factor (altitude) that the players are not accustomed to dealing with. I'd likely get bored if they went back every year. But once every 5? That sounds great. Would it really be that hard to find 3-5 courses for each of the St Jude, BMW, and Tour Championship? I don't think it would be.  

[bcjim]

With the size of the checks they're cutting, Fedex has a lot of sway and they could no doubt veto any change of venue were they so inclined. 

 

CP is nice but it was probably a considerable expense for the tour. Just getting all the people and stuff out there (and back to Atlanta).  And dealing with the layout,  terrain, etc that they aren't familiar with.   They go to Southwind, or any regular stop,  it's plug and play.  All the stuff goes the same place it goes every year. The booths, the shot link towers, etc, etc. 

 

[billyspan]

On 8/27/2024 at 12:13 PM, Dutch1008 said:

 

Ahh, this must be why the US Open, PGA Championship, and Open Champion always struggle to find those sponsorship dollars huh? 🤣

 

These are global companies, they are not nearly as focused on their corporate HQ as you think. How long did Cadillac sponsor an event in South Florida? Why is BMW happy to have their event bounce around? Their main US plant is in SC and there are plenty of great venues there. Why did Wells Fargo sponsor a tournament in NC for years when their HQ is in SF? Another area with plenty of fantastic venues. 

 

Further, I understand the infrastructure argument. But the infrastructure around a major city is always going to be better than small community 100 miles outside the MSA. Course infrastructure and city infrastructure are different variables. Both need to work, however, in an optimal world, you wouldn't rent a room in Charlotte, drive 100 miles to Pinehurst, spend the day drinking beer only to drive 100 miles back to your hotel. That's not exactly efficient and certainly not a good idea.  

I see your point.  However, I do not think you can compare the Major Championships to any PGA or Euro Tour events when it comes to sponsorship.  Looks like most PGA Tour events have a local sponsor.  Bringing the big clients out to the Pro-Am and during the week is a big deal.  Of course there are a few "global" brands that can move around a bit like Genesis (Hyundai) - events in South Korea, Los Angeles (NA HQ in Irvine) and the Scottish Open (EU HQ in Germany).

 

The TOUR Championship, while not have a title sponsor, is stuck in Atlanta because the main sponsors are Coca-Cola and Southern Company.  That tournament isn't going anywhere!

[Dutch1008]

11 hours ago, bcjim said:

With the size of the checks they're cutting, Fedex has a lot of sway and they could no doubt veto any change of venue were they so inclined. 

 

CP is nice but it was probably a considerable expense for the tour. Just getting all the people and stuff out there (and back to Atlanta).  And dealing with the layout,  terrain, etc that they aren't familiar with.   They go to Southwind, or any regular stop,  it's plug and play.  All the stuff goes the same place it goes every year. The booths, the shot link towers, etc, etc. 

 

By that logic, why doesn't the tour simply hold every single event at TPC courses? If you're simply looking to save a few bucks, why not vertically integrate and control the whole system? No more paying Pebble $2M to host. No sharing concession revenue. No spending money on setup or infrastructure that you don't own. Internalize costs so that you're effectively paying yourself, convert expenses to cap ex investments. Enhance the reputation of the courses you own by hosting professional events and just like Sawgrass, jack up the greens fees. 

 

You can grow profits by delighting customers and attracting more people to your game or you can break out the PE playbook and maximize profits via cost cutting. Which path do you as a fan hope they choose?     

[Dutch1008]

4 hours ago, billyspan said:

I see your point.  However, I do not think you can compare the Major Championships to any PGA or Euro Tour events when it comes to sponsorship.  Looks like most PGA Tour events have a local sponsor.  Bringing the big clients out to the Pro-Am and during the week is a big deal.  Of course there are a few "global" brands that can move around a bit like Genesis (Hyundai) - events in South Korea, Los Angeles (NA HQ in Irvine) and the Scottish Open (EU HQ in Germany).

 

The TOUR Championship, while not have a title sponsor, is stuck in Atlanta because the main sponsors are Coca-Cola and Southern Company.  That tournament isn't going anywhere!

 

I know Eastlake isn't going anywhere but a boy can dream. And I'm not looking to rotate every event on the calendar. Just the playoffs. 

[jimb6golf]

So much for the Tour returning to TPC Boston as they promised.  A rotation in the playoffs was originally mentioned but has fallen into the abyss. Unfortunate as it was a fun tournament that many of the pros enjoyed at a beautiful time of year and very enjoyable to go to as well. Ladies are playing there this week ,but doesn't seem like a full field event.

[grm24]

12 minutes ago, jimb6golf said:

So much for the Tour returning to TPC Boston as they promised.  A rotation in the playoffs was originally mentioned but has fallen into the abyss. Unfortunate as it was a fun tournament that many of the pros enjoyed at a beautiful time of year and very enjoyable to go to as well. Ladies are playing there this week ,but doesn't seem like a full field event.

Full field. 144 players.

[jmcm87]

Ecstatic to see the Philly Cricket slot. So I can relive me and my buddy bottling our US Am Four Ball attempt. 

[TroyB123]

What's the story with the Farmers?  I thought I heard they were out as sponsors after last year, and Torey Pines was uncertain if they were going to be hosting a tournament at all going forward?

[Dutch1008]

45 minutes ago, TroyB123 said:

What's the story with the Farmers?  I thought I heard they were out as sponsors after last year, and Torey Pines was uncertain if they were going to be hosting a tournament at all going forward?

 

Farmers is contracted through 2026. I'm sure they'll be able to find someone to take it over. If I were running Amex, I'd rather host at Torrey than Palm Springs. 

[grm24]

2 hours ago, Dutch1008 said:

Farmers is contracted through 2026. I'm sure they'll be able to find someone to take it over.

They will. As they have for all other presenting sponsors.

[Dutch1008]

20 hours ago, grm24 said:

They will. As they have for all other presenting sponsors.

 

True. If there is one thing that you can't criticize Jay for it's his ability to sell new corporate sponsors on the value proposition. 

[billyspan]

Are Colonial and the Canadian Open getting squeezed out of the top players due to the short turnaround (3 events in between) from the PGA Championship to the U.S. Open?  Most will play the Memorial Tournament as it is a signature event.  

 

It is a shame...Colonial is one of the best courses on tour and the Canadian Open has a rich history, a long-time big sponsor (RBC) and could be one of the premier events.

[billyspan]

Just now, billyspan said:

Are Colonial and the Canadian Open getting squeezed out of the top players due to the short turnaround (3 events in between) from the PGA Championship to the U.S. Open?  Most will play the Memorial Tournament as it is a signature event.  

 

It is a shame...Colonial is one of the best courses on tour and the Canadian Open has a rich history, a long-time big sponsor (RBC) and could be one of the premier events.

5 additional events and 7 FedEx Fall events feels like a lot of "fluff" in the schedule.  Perhaps a week off after the majors and extending the season would help the 2nd and 3rd tier events recruit more of the Top 25-50 players?

[Mr.Cleeks]

20 minutes ago, billyspan said:

Are Colonial and the Canadian Open getting squeezed out of the top players due to the short turnaround (3 events in between) from the PGA Championship to the U.S. Open?  Most will play the Memorial Tournament as it is a signature event.  

 

It is a shame...Colonial is one of the best courses on tour and the Canadian Open has a rich history, a long-time big sponsor (RBC) and could be one of the premier events.

I think the PGA moving to May really screwed things up for a lot of tournaments. Good thing for Colonial and Canada is they each get either Scottie or Rory annually otherwise those events would be dead.

[grm24]

6 hours ago, billyspan said:

5 additional events and 7 FedEx Fall events feels like a lot of "fluff" in the schedule.  

The PGA Tour has had official events January-November forever. Regardless of the wrap around schedule, Fex Ex Fall, etc etc. Complaining about the PGA Tour having events in the fall is simply ignoring the PGA Tour's history. PGA Tour has had 44-50 events a year since the PGA Tour came into existence in 1968.

[Titleist99]

1 hour ago, grm24 said:

The PGA Tour has had official events January-November forever. Regardless of the wrap around schedule, Fex Ex Fall, etc etc. Complaining about the PGA Tour having events in the fall is simply ignoring the PGA Tour's history. PGA Tour has had 44-50 events a year since the PGA Tour came into existence in 1968.

 

100%, and the sponsors know exactly what they're getting ahead of time.

 

The same people whining about the weaker fields are the same people whining about the sponsor's exemptions, which are meant to boost the tournament attendance.   

 

IMO

[Titleist99]

7 hours ago, Mr.Cleeks said:

I think the PGA moving to May really screwed things up for a lot of tournaments. Good thing for Colonial and Canada is they each get either Scottie or Rory annually otherwise those events would be dead.

 

That's all a PGAT tournament needs is Rory or Scottie.

 

IMO

[Mr.Cleeks]

13 minutes ago, Titleist99 said:

 

That's all a PGAT tournament needs is Rory or Scottie.

 

IMO

Agreed. The split also hasn’t helped and Colonial has fallen off quite a bit compared to 2022/23. In 2022 they got 6 of the top 10 players in the world/9 of the top 20 player in the world, in 2023 they 9 of the top 20 players in the world.  Last year and this year they only got 5 guys from the top 20 in the world 

[Titleist99]

32 minutes ago, Mr.Cleeks said:

Agreed. The split also hasn’t helped and Colonial has fallen off quite a bit compared to 2022/23. In 2022 they got 6 of the top 10 players in the world/9 of the top 20 player in the world, in 2023 they 9 of the top 20 players in the world.  Last year and this year they only got 5 guys from the top 20 in the world 

 

It's a matter of opinion and expectations.

 

5 guys in the top 20 in the world is more than enough for me, providing they all make the cut. Having them in the field means nothing if they don't make the cut.

 

Missed the cut at the 2025 PGA Championship:

 

Speith

Straka

Thomas

Rose

Lowry

Koepka

Aberg

Matsuyama

ETC...

 

 

On the PGAT, when it comes to excitement come Sunday, there's not much difference between #10 and #50 in my opinion.

[Mr.Cleeks]

5 minutes ago, Titleist99 said:

 

It's a matter of opinion and expectations.

 

5 guys in the top 20 in the world is more than enough for me, providing they all make the cut. Having them in the field means nothing if they don't make the cut.

 

Missed the cut at the 2025 PGA Championship:

 

Speith

Straka

Thomas

Rose

Lowry

Koepka

Aberg

Matsuyama

ETC...

 

 

On the PGAT, when it comes to excitement come Sunday, there's not much difference between #10 and #50 in my opinion.

The on the ground and Th/Fri tv experience makes a difference IMO. I went to the 3M Open in 2019 and again in 2022 and it was a day/night difference. In 2019 it got 4 top 20 players in world including Brooks who was number one at the time as well as Phil, Patrick Reed, Keegan and Hideki. It still drew a decent field until LIV came along (DJ/Brooks played in 2020).  I think Colonial is an interesting venue and that makes up for the weaker field. I have 0 interest in watching events like the Amex & the JDC.

[billyspan]

3 hours ago, grm24 said:

The PGA Tour has had official events January-November forever. Regardless of the wrap around schedule, Fex Ex Fall, etc etc. Complaining about the PGA Tour having events in the fall is simply ignoring the PGA Tour's history. PGA Tour has had 44-50 events a year since the PGA Tour came into existence in 1968.

Ah...I didn't word that well.  Indeed, I like events going into October & November.  However, for years the season culminated with The Tour Championship.  All those fall events counted to qualify players for the Top 30 finale.  To me, the current Fall feels like a separate deal all together and the fields are so weak.  No reason to tune in or care much!

[Titleist99]

12 minutes ago, billyspan said:

Ah...I didn't word that well.  Indeed, I like events going into October & November.  However, for years the season culminated with The Tour Championship.  All those fall events counted to qualify players for the Top 30 finale.  To me, the current Fall feels like a separate deal all together and the fields are so weak.  No reason to tune in or care much!

You're right. The players got rid of the wraparound season so they could take extended vacation and wouldn't have to catch up in FedEx points.

[billyspan]

On 8/21/2024 at 6:08 AM, Noles said:

I went last time it was at Caves and I thought it was a great spot.  The course is fantastic and getting around the course was fairly easy.

Caves is a cool, modern course.  Big, brawny (Fazio?) and suitable for a big Tour event.  Baltimore Country Club East is quite a bit better (Tilly) with some quirk...but not long enough these days.  Baltimore has a host of very good clubs...underrated.  

[billyspan]

14 hours ago, Mr.Cleeks said:

The on the ground and Th/Fri tv experience makes a difference IMO. I went to the 3M Open in 2019 and again in 2022 and it was a day/night difference. In 2019 it got 4 top 20 players in world including Brooks who was number one at the time as well as Phil, Patrick Reed, Keegan and Hideki. It still drew a decent field until LIV came along (DJ/Brooks played in 2020).  I think Colonial is an interesting venue and that makes up for the weaker field. I have 0 interest in watching events like the Amex & the JDC.

Maybe the Signature Events offer so much money now that players would still skip a lot of events?

 

However, if the schedule were more spread out (make the Fall and Alternate events "real" events) I think we would see more top players at The John Deere, 3M, etc.  Especially top players outside of the playoffs!