With a 47-tournament schedule for the 2022-23 season, the PGA Tour is the most competitive golf circuit in the world. Its regular season includes 44 tournaments and three FedExCup Playoffs events.
Of course: the number of tournaments in the PGA Tour annual calendar has generated a debate between professionals and fans of the legendary Scottish sport. And the question is mandatory: Is it a good thing a PGA Tour annual calendar with so many tournaments?
The decision by the PGA Tour board to have a huge number of contests has advantages and disadvantages, and depending on where you look at it, whether this ends up being beneficial or not is something that we will discuss in this article.
Advantages
More opportunities to play: A calendar with nearly 50 tournaments offers players more opportunities to enter and win prizes. It must be considered that a player competes up to 30 times a year. Therefore, a calendar with tournaments throughout the year is especially beneficial for those players looking to maintain their status on tour.
Fans’ attention: It’s obvious that a schedule full of tournaments generates more interest among fans. The ability to follow and access competitions every week positively benefits the popularity of golf. You can follow the events on television and mobile devices and directly attend the events, which offer top-level and very attractive facilities every week.
Skill development: For professionals, regular participation in tournaments helps them improve their competitive skills under different playing conditions. “The more I train, the luckier I get,” said multiple champion Arnold Palmer. And it is true. The PGA Tour members have confessed that they keep themselves at the highest level thanks to the number of tournaments they play each year, something that does not happen in the same way with the members of the LIV Golf Tour.
Disadvantages
Fatigue and injuries: Sports doctors have raised concerns about the excessive number of tournaments played annually on the PGA Tour. They say this can lead to physical and mental fatigue for players. As we all know, golf requires particular concentration and (although it may not seem like it) considerable physical effort. To recover, players need time to rest. The consequences may not be seen in the short term, but performance can be affected over time.
Presentation and condition of the golf courses: the PGA Tour indeed requires a certain standard from the host clubs of its tournaments. It has already been seen in some contests, where fans (and players) demanded better playing conditions.
Annual planning: For PGA Tour members, a schedule with many tournaments makes annual season planning more difficult, especially for tour stars. Being constantly traveling affects the professionals’ gameplay, even the best ones.
The last word belongs to those who drive on the PGA Tour. As Jay Monahan, commissioner of the PGA Tour, explained before this season began: “We listened to our fans, and the overwhelming sentiment was that they wanted more tournaments for the FedExCup regular season, further strengthening the events that traditionally feature the best players competing for head to head.”
In conclusion, it is all about an outstanding balance: the PGA Tour offers an exciting and competitive calendar, guaranteeing the quality of the competitions and the well-being of the tour members.
