Should the pro tours have more mixed events?

Each week, we ask our panel of writers, PGA members and golf industry experts to weigh in with their views on the hot topics of the day.

Patty Tavatanakit and Jake Knapp won the Grant Thornton Invitational on Sunday in what was once again a very entertaining event. Many have called for more mixed events in professional golf, an expanded field for the Grant Thornton and also a mixed format for the Olympic golf competition. How do you see it?

Jim Deeks, Fairways Magazine (@jimdeeks): I’d welcome an elevation of status for the Grant Thornton, but not more co-ed events for fear of diluting the uniqueness of the product.  The Grant Thornton is a great event and should be better promoted by both Tours.  I wouldn’t be overly excited for co-ed golf as an Olympic event.

Michael Schurman, Master Professional / Hall of Fame Member, PGA of Canada: First, what a nice performance by Conners and Henderson. They made a Double on Sat and still finished 4th. I have preached more mixed events forever. The PGA TOUR has ridden Tiger into the sunset with no plan to capitalize on his presence. The LPGA play a more universal schedule but not nearly enough. Part of the long-ago Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf was seeing other courses around the world. In the 1930s, Walter Hagen, Joe Kirkwood, and Gene Sarazen travelled all over the world, playing exhibitions. Both of these ventures helped grow the game. It would appear as though protectionism is once again rearing its pathetic head, and that might curtail growth in America. Also, the ROI for sponsors has to be reaching its potential, certainly corporate sponsors as we know them. Eventually, Greg Norman will prove to be right with a world tour consisting of 15 or 20 events held in many countries with mega purses. The most practical evolution is for mixed events and mixed team events held all over the world.

TJ Rule, Golf Away Tours (@GolfAwayTJ): I love the mixed events and wish they had more.  It makes a ton of sense for the Olympics in particular, and perhaps the Presidents Cup, but that’s a much bigger conversation.  I did watch some of the event on the weekend, it was great to see Corey and Brooke in contention.  Hopefully this is a springboard to a bounce back year for both of them.

Hal Quinn, Freelance Writer, Vancouver: At least we know where Michael stands on this one. But for all the Tour events, and even more so the sillier ones, taking the time to spend the weekend watching requires two things: inclement weather and an empty job jar. They rarely happen in concert. The mixed events are novel, but does anyone care who the best mixed doubles tennis players, the best mixed racket ballers, the best mixed curlers, the best mixed golfers are? Family members and sponsors, maybe.

Peter Mumford, Fairways Magazine (@FairwaysMag): Too many people want to just copy and paste. The Grant Thornton event works because it’s unique. While a larger field wouldn’t hurt, creating more events of a similar format would just dilute the special nature of this one. Adding a mixed team competition for the Olympics seems like a no-brainer though. Afterall, it’s the Olympics, and only comes around every four years.

According to reports, the Skins Game will make a comeback in 2025 to populate an already overcrowded calendar of Silly Season events including The Match and The Showdown. They join other non-Tour competitions such as TGL, Tiger and Rory’s indoor simulator league. There’s obviously a lot of money around looking for a piece of the pro golf pie, not the least of which are the exorbitant sums doled out to Tour players. Have we reached a tipping point yet and if not, how is this sustainable?

Deeks: The actual golf played is almost incidental to the events themselves.  It’s all marketing, marketing, marketing. And as long as there are companies who see better sales/reputation from being involved in golf, there will be silly season events.  It’s ironic that the public doesn’t really care about these events and is ambivalent to the money the players win.  But on a quiet Saturday in November, with most courses closed in the North, people will watch, and their eyeballs answer the sustainability question.

Schurman: I actually enjoy some of the ‘silly’ events, particularly team Better Ball, Scramble and Alternate shots. I’m slowly losing my enthusiasm for certain regular PGA TOUR events and tend to watch the majors and another 5 or 6 depending on the course and time of year. There have always been parasites hoping their idea will tap into Golf $$$, but few make it. One thing I don’t like is ‘silly’ events during the season; they require a snowstorm and a fireplace with a glass of wine. Sports has always been full of greed. When several corporate entities become successful, a larger fish swoops in and combines them into one bigger shark. Currently, the small sharks have appeared, but just around the coral, other bigger sharks are biding their time circling in the deep water until they suddenly dart out and buy all the men’s tours and all the ladies’ tours and combine them into one massive tournament organization around the world. They will own their own TV station, perhaps buy their own TPC-like courses and make millions out of selling team franchises. They will also own every player’s rights and pay them a salary, then sell those rights to investors, just like owners of sports like the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, etc. We won’t see the bottom of the money pit in our lifetime.

Rule: Good question, and I wonder the same thing, when does the tap run dry?  Companies are already backing out of sponsoring tournaments, and are generally being a bit tighter with their marketing dollars, so this can’t continue, can it?  Especially with their being such a split in the men’s golf world, where you can’t even get all the top players in the world in the same event.  But I guess you ride the wave as long as the money is coming in.  Someone has to lose some big money in these types of ventures eventually.

Quinn: The original Skins was must-see TV — there was hardly any Tour events on TV, and Augusta National coverage started on the 16th hole — and it was great. Guys like Nicklaus and Palmer were sweating over putts for bigger paydays than they’d ever had! But now, the game in all its variations is already too much with us. Adding these events puts it even further over the top. They will not be must-stream TV, although the technology of the simulator game will be interesting to watch…once.

Mumford: I guess ratings don’t matter anymore as long as there’s someone prepared to write the cheque. My feeling is that pro golf is in a financial bubble, getting bigger every year, but also closer to bursting. Warning signs are already there with sponsor withdrawals and declining ratings. If it’s like real estate or the stock market, the suckers jump in at or near the top. Could that be the Saudis tossing another $1.5 billion with a B into the PGA Tour or Crypto.com sponsoring an event that saw its Best Before date more than 20 years ago? Stay tuned.

You have one Christmas wish for a player on any professional golf tour in 2025. What is it? 

Deeks: At least one other major for Brooke Henderson.

Schurman: Believe it or not, I wish for a ‘rich’ to get richer. I’d like to see Rory win the Masters. If I could impose on you for two wishes, I’d like to see Scottie win the Grand Slam.

Rule: Rory winning all four majors.  He’s just been biding his time and will bunch up the victories in 2025.  Topping it off with a home victory at Portrush in July.  That’s not too much to ask, is it?

Quinn: A pal’s son played the Q School gauntlet this fall, but close is for horseshoes, right? A. J. Ewart has status on the 2025 PGA Americas Tour. Like all the guys trying to get to the Show, A.J. can really play. My wish would be a couple of wins, elevation to the Korn Ferry, and then here we go. Would wish for a dose of sanity at the PGA Tour/LIV level, but that would be asking for far too much.

Mumford: It looks like Rory is well covered in this fantasy, so I’ll pick another player looking to complete his personal Grand Slam. That’s Jordan Spieth, who can wrap up his with a PGA Championship win at Quail Hollow in May.