Reality Sets in for PGA Tour Players

Golf Digest covers the golfing economy from the perspective of one of its two major columnists - Tim Rosaforte.  He talks about how the PGA Tour must work to figure out how to come out of this economic mess looking good.  Feel free to read their ideas on your own, but some of the anecdotes in the pieces were what caught me.

Under an otherwise clear sky, on the edge of an azure Pacific Ocean, there were enough signs of those storm clouds forming. Ben Curtis, the 2003 British Open champion, is without his NFL clothing deal. Players who always have had the standard "ball, shoe and glove" contracts were shut out, prompting one player manager to say solemnly, "There are no bones being thrown anymore."

One player had his agent tell him that a corporation wanted the logo removed from his shirt. They'd still pay him, but like Chrysler a few weeks ago at the Bob Hope Classic, this one particular company didn't want its shareholders to know it was "investing" in golf.

Phil Mickelson doesn't seem to realize that the Tour has lost a bunch of title and minor sponsors, and that other players are without sponsorship deals.

"I'm not an economist," Mickelson said in a Tuesday news conference, wearing logos from KPMG and Callaway. "But this year, knowing our contracts are already in place, we haven't necessarily felt the effects. We haven't seen or felt the hardships on tour, per se."

At the same time, Paul Goydos has become my new hero with this quote:

"If it doesn't get better, it doesn't matter," he said. "If it goes south, the company to buy is Smith and Wesson. Their sales will go through the roof. If the Dow goes to 3,000 what difference will it make? Do you think the PGA Tour will matter?  No."