We're quickly ramping up the hostilities after the U.S. Open. After the announcement made two weeks ago by the PGA Tour with the Saudi Public Investment Fund which owns LIV golf, a thought has been creeping into my mind.
It's not the first time that the men's tour of golf has been shaken up. This is not the first time that people have said "nothing like this ever happened."
The PGA Tour owes it's very existence to a rebellion in the late 1960s that included some prominent critics, including Bobby Jones Walter Hagen Sam Snead. Around 15 years after that, and about 40 years before, the next big fork of the road came, and no less than Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and the other golfing stars at the time had to be treated by the lion-tamer.
Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, 1968. Professional golfers still played under the auspices of PGA of America.
A little history...
A tournament division was created in 1916. It was initially filled with teaching professionals and club pros who were able to play a little. Hagen, Tommy Armour and Gene Sarazen were soon true touring professionals, and they paved the path for the first nomads. The PGA's Tournament Wing is commonly referred to as "the circuit".
Snead Byron Nelson Ben Hogan were the great American triumvirate that led the way in the mid-century. All was good for 30 or forty years until Arnie transformed the game and introduced it to America via network television, which at the time was still a young medium.
More: A Q&A with Deane Beman, former PGA Tour commissioner on the PGA Tour - LIV Golf controversy
The PGA's draconian regulations began to irritate the proletariat by the 1960s.
In its bylaws and for reasons that are hard to comprehend today, the PGA Tournament Division withheld the winnings of a new professional during his first six-month period. A sort of internship.
Nicklaus had won 28 tournaments by the time he made his first Ryder Cup in the fall of 1969. This included seven major professional events dating back to 1962. The PGA of America still owns the Ryder Cup and runs it. A touring professional was not allowed to compete in the biennial matches during the first five years of their career.
Imagine that. It's hard to believe that the Ryder Cup wasn't even close to what it became in later generations.
It was still ugly. The 1969 rift between the PGA of America (which represents the country's club professionals) and its faction of tournament players didn't involve the geo-political controversies and international intrigue of today, but it was still ugly.
It's difficult to imagine how bad it was when the newly named American Professional Golfers split from the PGA of America.
After much legal wrangling and posturing, peace was reached. The PGA Tour name was chosen, confusing casual fans, who believe that "The PGA" as in Professional Golfers of America and the PGA Tour fall under the same official license umbrella. They're not.
This little throw-in came into play 40 years ago and helped preserve the modern PGA Tour at a time when Palmer and Nicklaus often resented competing against their own Tour in the merchandise and course-design games. This little throw-in was implemented 40 years ago, and it helped preserve the modern PGA Tour during a period when Palmer and Nicklaus were often hesitant to compete against their Tours in the merchandise or course-design game.
Deane Beman's job was specifically at risk during the 1983 rebellion. The original Tour bylaws were re-examined to remind the rebel leaders that they had approved the Tour's other outside endeavors beyond running tournaments. Beman was able to survive.
It was very close. The legal and PR battles were largely hidden, and only surfaced after the event. However, the history of professional sports shows that they have been through similar turmoil in the past.
It's obvious that this time is different. You know, each time is different.
-- Reach Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com
By: Ken Willis
Title: Since its inception, the PGA Tour has always had its share of battles and in-fighting
Sourced From: golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/06/20/pga-tour-history-battles/
Published Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2023 11:00:40 +0000
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