The Memorial Tournament host Jack Nicklaus said he is “not in favor” of the proposed changes to the PGA Tour’s schedule and suggested too many big tournaments in close proximity is and will continue to be “a problem.”
The PGA Tour has already recognized that meaningful alterations have to be made to its schedule moving forward and has begun drip-feeding new dates, locations and sponsors for some of its events next year.
Among other changes include something akin to a Tier One and Tier Two system where the top players compete together more often in the biggest events over a shorter season, set to include between 21-26 tournaments.
Meanwhile, a kind of PGA Tour B will effectively bridge the gap between the legacy circuit and the Korn Ferry Tour for smaller names with medium-size purses.
But Nicklaus, who won 73 PGA Tour titles during his career and hosts this week’s $20 million Signature Event, believes Brian Rolapp‘s plans to more than double the number of elevated tournaments is not the correct method of improving the tour.
Brian Rolapp unveiled considerable proposed changes to the PGA Tour schedule back in March
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Asked how tough it is for big events to stand out in the current schedule, the 86-year-old aired plenty of concern over the direction of the PGA Tour’s schedule and stated he would love to speak to Rolapp and co. in order to share his thoughts.
Nicklaus said: “Well, I don’t want to comment on the Tour’s schedule because I’m not exactly in favor of what they’re doing right now. But I really haven’t had a conversation. I want to sit down with Brian and Jay and have that conversation.
“I mean, I hate to see tournaments bunched too much together with too many big tournaments too close together. That’s a problem, I think. And I think that’s going to be a problem for the Tour in the future.”
Highlighting his relationship with the non-Signature Cognizant Classic, which sits right in the middle of a huge run of early-season tournaments, Nicklaus pointed to the fact that some of the tour’s most historic events could be swallowed up and almost forgotten as a result of the plans.
The 18-time Major winner also suggested very few of the PGA Tour’s elite will want or indeed be able to play…
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