Monahan: “Brooksy” Taunts Out, New Inclusionary Programs In at PGA Tour

Every year at the end of the regular season, the PGA Tour Commissioner, now Jay Monahan, gives an overview of the recent past.  It’s where we get some insight as to what the focus is inside the offices of the people who run the PGA Tour. Recent accomplishments are often highlighted, and there’s always a forward-looking plan for the future. Monahan did not disappoint on either.  Here are some hightlights:

No more Brooksies:

Fans who taunt Bryson DeChambeau by yelling “Brooksy” will be ejected from the tournament grounds as part of an updated fan code of conduct that the PGA Tour is adopting.

“To me, at this point, it’s disrespectful,” Monahan said at his press conference before the Tour Championship, “and that’s the kind of behavior that we’re not going to tolerate going forward.”

In other words, your mother told you not to make fun of people, and the PGA Tour agrees.  From now on, they will give you a time out away from the golf course to rethink your attitude.

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Monahan said he has spoken to both DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka about the issue, and, as expected, he did not reveal the content of those conversations. The conversations started before COVID, the commissioner said.

“The game has never had more people coming into enjoy the game and experience it than we have had really over these last several months,” Monahan noted. “We just want to make certain that everybody can have a safe, healthy, and enjoyable experience, whether you’re inside the ropes or outside the ropes.”  He cited the number of families, never mind the time given by volunteers, that are at PGA Tour events expecting the gallery to behave properly.

And then he said something that sounds like what you may read on tickets or at entrances to PGA Tour events in the future:

“By coming to a PGA TOUR event, you’re expected to contribute to a welcoming and safe environment by refraining from and reporting any unsafe, disruptive, or harassing behavior,” he said. “Comments or gestures that undermine the inclusive and welcoming nature of the game will not be tolerated, nor will any harassment of players, caddies, volunteers, officials, staff, or other spectators.”

It may not be enough said for now, but eventually people will get the drift or get the boot.

He had many good things to say about DeChambeau.

“Bryson is a star. He has fascinated golf and sport fans around the world since our return to golf,” Monahan pointed out.  “He’s also a young man that’s growing and evolving, not just on the golf course, but off the golf course.”

Tournament Changes

The WGC/HSBC, which was formerly held in Shanghai, China, will leave the schedule for now to be replaced by the Bermuda Championship which will have regular PGA Tour status and FedEx points.

The 2021 ZOZO Championship will be played October 21-24 at Narashino Country Club in Japan.  The success of the Olympics provided a positive impetus for it to be held this season despite the pandemic.

New and Old Inclusionary Programs

On a different note, Monahan reported on the progress on inclusionary aspects of professional golf.  The PGA Tour has established an Office of Social Responsibility and Inclusion, headed by Neera Shetty, who has been on the Tour’s Inclusion Leadership Counsel.

In addition, Kenyatta Ramsey, who has been with the Tour for 12 years, is overseeing a program to identify, prepare, and help transition top African American collegiate golfers into professional golf.

An example of the program is cooperation with and support for the APGA Tour.  This year, the PGA Tour made six TPC Courses available as tournament sites for the APGA.  The PGA of America is also involved in the effort and provided use of  PGA Golf Club at Port St. Lucie and Valhalla Golf Club for APGA events. In July, Billy Horschel and Cisco Systems came together for the Billy Horschel APGA Tour Invitational which was held at TPC Sawgrass.

The PGA Tour remains committed to the First Tee, especially addressing what Monahan termed “marginalized and underserved areas of communities.”  They also hope to train golf coaches from diverse backgrounds to be mentors to various chapters.

Vice-president of Community and Inclusion, Marcia Oliver, heads up all the efforts to support racial equity and inclusion at the Tour.

Pandemic

There are no plans to re-institute all the testing protocols at PGA Tour events or to restrict fans, except where required by the locale of the tournament.  The Tour Championship is expected to have a full gallery.

“Our players are excited to have fans back here at East Lake,” Monahan said. “Since we returned to normal capacity in late May, we have appreciated their support in following our health and safety protocols to ensure their well-being and that of others.”

Financial and Operational State of the PGA Tour

Fortunately, golf has a lot of support from many sectors of the economy.  Earnings for the PGA Tour increased by 18 percent over last year to a total of $633,000,000.

“Next season official prize money will increase by approximately $35,000,000 and the FedExCup Comcast Business TOUR top-10 bonus pool combined will grow by $15,000,000 to $85,000,000,” Monahan reported.

They have solidified new domestic media rights agreements with CBS, NBC, Golf Channel and ESPN that run through 2030.

“Looking ahead, the PGA TOUR is in a position for unprecedented growth over the next 10 years,” Monahan concluded.