PGA Tour Unveils 2013-2014 Wraparound Schedule
The PGA Tour will start the new wraparound scheduling in 2013. The 2014 PGA Tour season will begin in the fall of 2013 after the FedEx Cup and the Presidents Cup are complete in October.
Six tournaments will comprise the new fall series.
-Frys.com Open Oct 10-13 St. Martin, California
-Shriners Hospitals for Children Open Oct 17-20 Las Vegas, Nevada
-CIMB Mines Classic Oct 24-27 Selangor, Malaysia
-WGC-HSBC Champions Oct 30-Nov 3 Shanghai, China
-McGladrey Classic Nov 7-10 St. Simons, Georgia
-OHL Classic Nov 14-17 Mayakoba, Mexico
All of these tournaments will offer official PGA Tour money and FedEx Cup points for the 2014 season. The only thing missing is an automatic invitation to Augusta National for the winners. The Masters is currently considering offering an invitation in the future but has not yet decided on the matter.
The OHL Classic at Mayakoba has been moved from opposite the WGC-Accenture Match Play to full FedEx Cup status to replace the Childrens Miracle Hospitals Classic from Disney World.
Disney has signaled the official end of the PGA Tour season since 1971 but could not find a sponsor willing to guarantee the $6 million purse that is required to qualify for full FedEx Cup status. Upper management at the Disney Corporation evidently feel that they can spend $6 million more profitably than invest it in a PGA Tour event.
Some serious travel will be required for anyone wishing to play in all of the events to get a leg up on the competition for the 2014 season.
Events in California and Las Vegas are followed immediately by the CIMB in Malaysia and then moving onto China for the WGC-HSBC. Perhaps the most difficult trek will be the return to Georgia for the McGladrey Classic.
The big names will certainly want to play in China. I can’t see too many of them wanting to lose a day and travel around the world to tee it up with Davis Love III at St. Simons.
The players will most likely divide the six events into smaller groupings and choose which events will fit their travel preferences.
It is sad to see the demise of the event at Disney but the new schedule will give the PGA Tour a world presence.
The Far East has become an important market for golf equipment manufacturers and Asian golf fans want to see the best golfers in the world play in their part of the world.
Fred Altvater
Favorite Quote:
So many golf courses.....So little time.
Favorite Athlete:
Hogan, Nicklaus, Woods, Mickey Mantle, Michael Jordan
Favorite Movie:
Casablanca, For the Love of the Game, Blazing Saddles