From GOLWEEK: Proposed 2007 PGA Tour

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Greetings ...

READ THE FULL ARTICLE FROM GOLFWEEK

Based on Golfweek magazine interviews with numerous tournament executives, players and other officials, the 2007 PGA Tour lineup may look like the preliminary schedule shown below. This is by no means definite, but it may be close to what the final product will be.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport --- My Golf Stuff

PGA Tour 2007 (Proposal)

(C) == Major changes

1. Jan. 4-7 - Mercedes Championships

2. Jan. 11-14 - Sony Open in Hawaii

3. Jan. 18-21 - Buick Invitational

4. Jan. 24-28 - Bob Hope Chrysler Classic

5. Feb. 1-4 - FBR Open

6. Feb. 8-11 - AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

7. Feb. 15-18 - Nissan Open

8. (C) Feb. 21-25 - WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship (Tucson)

* Note: La Costa was never a show-stopper site for the WGC, and the move nixes a weak, opposite-field event, the Chrysler Classic of Tucson.

9. March 1-4 - Ford Championship at Doral

10. March 8-11 - The Honda Classic

11. March 15-18 - Bay Hill Invitational

12. (C) March 22-25 - WGC-American Express Championship (Tampa)

* Note: The fall event finds an early-season home, keeping Florida Swing intact. If American Express backs out, Chrysler may step up and rebuild its diminished Tour presence.

13. March 29-April 1 - BellSouth Classic

14. April 5-8 - Masters

15. April 12-15 - MCI Heritage

16. April 19-22 - Shell Houston Open

17. April 26-29 - EDS Byron Nelson Championship

18. May 3-6 - Wachovia Championship

19. (C) May 10-13 - The Players Championship

* Note: Gives Tour's "fifth major" spot outside of Masters' shadow and avoids March rain that often drenches TPC at Sawgrass.

20. (C) May 17-20 - Valero Texas Open

* Note: Exact date uncertain, but big move from September assured. Says Valero CEO Bill Greehey: "(Finchem) says we've really earned a better slot on the schedule."

21. May 24-27 - Bank of America Colonial

22. May 31-June 3 - Memorial

* Note: Through 2010, Jack's event is guaranteed slot two weeks before U.S. Open

23. June 7-10 - Booz Allen Classic

24. June 14-17 - U.S. Open

25. June 21-24 - The International

26. June 28-July 1 - Fed Ex St. Jude Classic

27. July 5-8 – Buick Open

28. July 12-15 - John Deere Classic

29. July 19-22 - British Open Championship

30. (C) July 19-22 - U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee

* Note: The B.C. Open, which historically has been the British Open's opposite-field event, is history.

31. July 26-29 - Bell Canadian Open

32. Aug. 2-5 - WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

33. Aug. 9-12 - PGA Championship

34. Aug. 16-19 - 84 Lumber Classic

35. (C) Aug. 23-26 - Barclays Classic

* Note: This New York event drops back from mid-summer and likely kicks off "Fall Chase" – a three-week "playoff" run through major markets leading to the Tour Championship. Includes Deutsche Bank Championship (Boston) and Cialis Western Open (Chicago) that will offer huge purses, $8 million to $9 million, and a lucrative payout to the winner of a new points competition.

36. Aug. 31-Sept. 3 - Deutsche Bank Championship

37. Sept. 6-9 - Cialis Western Open

38. Sept. 13-16 - Tour Championship

CC. Sept. 27-30 - Presidents Cup/Ryder Cup
 
Greetings ...

The proposal to move 2 of the 3 WGC events to existing tour sites is actually a good idea. But it's a bad idea if it is JUST to the two sites mentioned -AND- to no other sites on a rotating basis.

Instead of a World Golf Championship series, why not a PGA Tour Showcase Series at up to four different sites each year? The Showcase events would use some of the same invitational criteria currently employed at WGC events.

ALSO ----
You could take any or all the events NOT shown in the proposed 2007 schedule, such as Greensboro, BC Open, Buick-Hartford, Southern Farm Bureau, Reno-Tahoe, Funai-Disney, Zurich-New Orleans or Las Vegas, and make them Nationwide Tour events. Each could have a purse of $750,000 to $1 million, and the winner could receive a Category-26 PGA Tour exemption (IE, "Battlefield Promotion").
 
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