How To Save The PGA Tour Stop in Milwaukee: Move It To Minneapolis
by Ryan Ballengee on Aug 16, 2009 12:39 PM EDT
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PrintIn almost every major championship brodacast, there's some kind of fluff piece about how great the city hosting the tournament is. This week is no different with Hazeltine and Minneapolis.
Craig Sager of TNT did a piece on how Minnesotans are rabid about golf despite the short season. Really, it's about six months and then the ground goes permafrost for the next six months, the government is forced to burn oil drums in public to raise the temperature, and citizens spray aerosol cans needlessly into the air in a desperate attempt to onset global warming sooner. But, I digress.
The fans - not so much the course - have been raved about by players and media alike this weekend. The USGA clearly loves Minnesota as it has hosted each of the USGA's national championships. It will host the 2016 Ryder Cup. The fans come out in droves for professional golf.
So, why not reward them with a regular PGA Tour stop?
It seems like Milwaukee is not working out because of its date, not so much fan support. Midwesterners just love that golf. A Tour stop there - or in the Twin Cities - would be successful if given the right date and an honest chance to succeed. Instead of keeping the Buick Open in blue collar Middle America, the Tour moved it to, well, also Middle America but in West Virginia at a resort course. Not exactly a resounding endorsement for the middle class fan.
Why not give the Milwaukee stop some new life with an improved date, or improved market by moving it to Minneapolis? With more golfers per capita than any state in the Union, Minnesota will have plenty of support. And since Target owns almost everything in Minnesota, they would likely be willing to sponsor a Tour stop as well.
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wouldn’t it be a little confusing to call it a PGA Tour event in Milwaukee…that is being played in Minnesota ?
I liked Sager’s piece, but you can’t compare crowds at a major to those of regular tour stops. The courses aren’t seen very often, so the people who go are a little more excited. I’m not sure the membership at Hazeltine would be too thrilled to have their course overrun by the PGA every year.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
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