The U.S. Open has raised its prize money to $20 million, now tops among the many main championships and on the identical stage because the PGA Tour’s elevated occasions.
Prize money has turn out to be a focus lately, even earlier than Saudi-funded LIV Golf arrived with its $25 million purses ($20 million for the 54-hole particular person competitions). The PGA Tour responded with $20 million purses at 10 tournaments, with $25 million for The Players Championship.
The Masters elevated its purse to $18 million this 12 months, whereas the PGA Championship bumped its prize money to $17.5 million.
The British Open has but to introduced its prize money. It was $14 million final 12 months.
“In general for us, we want this to be big,” stated Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA (United States Golf Association). “We have to find the right balance of bigness in terms of where we play it, how we televise it, how many people we let on this golf course. I think purse is part of that.” Mr. Whan stated the USGA determined in November that $20 million was going to be the precise quantity.
He additionally acknowledged the USGA has different initiatives, together with its different 14 championships (U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Amateur) and sustainability research.
He additionally stated the USGA wasn’t going to get right into a money race with the PGA Tour, which operates a full schedule all year long with native organizations in command of numerous tournaments and completely different sponsors for every.
“We understand that purses can be relative, and in order to be big we have to understand what else is going on in the world, and we do,” he stated. “We’re not in a chase to be the biggest check, but we want to make sure that the money and the opportunity here, whether they’re a tour player, college player, amateur, how they got here, that’s still part of the bigness, and we believe it is.”
Changing the topics
Collin Morikawa did not keep away from all dialog concerning the PGA Tour’s enterprise association with Saudi Arabia’s nationwide wealth fund. But he had a intelligent manner to change the dialog when the topic first got here up.
Mr. Morikawa had tweeted that he “loves finding out morning news on Twitter” when the deal was introduced. He was requested about sharing is ideas after having a couple of days to course of it.
“Yeah, I don’t know anything. So I’ll talk about my FORE Youth Project that we’re doing,” he stated. “It’s this Maggie Hathaway project. It’s amazing. It’s in a community that is for underprivileged kids, kids that don’t have an opportunity to play. There’s many great organizations coming on board with this, and it’s something that means a lot to me.”
The undertaking is a marketing campaign to increase money for the Maggie Hathaway Golf Course, constructed within the Sixties. The plan is to donate $15 million to give the general public course a serious makeover. Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, who led the restoration at LACC (Los Angeles Country Club), have supplied their design providers without spending a dime.
“I think LA has a big divide. We get to play Riviera every year, we play LACC this year. There’s a huge divide between private golf and public golf out here in Los Angeles,” Mr. Morikawa stated. “It’s not the case for everyone, but there really is. And most people are playing public, municipal golf courses, and the change of this golf course is going to be great.”
U.S. Open tv
This is the seventh time courting to 2008 at Torrey Pines the U.S. Open is on the West Coast, giving tv an opportunity to current the championship in prime time on the East Coast.
The hours have been barely expanded for this U.S. Open June 17, telecast runs till 11 p.m. EDT on NBC, whereas protection of the ultimate spherical ends at 10 p.m. EDT.
But it is greater than expanded hours.
The regular complaints of too many commercials struck a chord with Mr. Whan final 12 months, and the CEO of the USGA responded.
Mr. Whan stated the published would break free for industrial 30% lower than a 12 months in the past.
“We got together with NBC on Saturday morning and we actually cut our commercial interruptions on Sunday of last year, and really just followed that logic through,” Mr. Whan stated. “I’m proud of NBC. They’ve really cut back on some of their in-broadcast programming. So have we at a similar level. They’ve got bills to pay and so do we, so I get that.
“There will still be millions of people that don’t like the commercial interruptions because no matter how low you get it, you’ll get that feedback,” he stated. “We wanted to make sure the experience is different whether you’re here or not here, whether you’re watching it on your computer, your phone or you’re watching it on TV.”
Place of play
LACC features a drivable par 4, followed by a 284-yard par 3, and then a reachable par 5. The 11th hole is 290 yards for a par 3.
That adds to what players expect to be long rounds and plenty of waiting.
The USGA is aware. John Bodenhamer, the chief championships officer, mentioned “pinch points” around the sixth and seventh holes and at No. 11. But he said he wasn’t about to alter the characteristics of the course because of it.
“We’ll manage it appropriately,” he said. “It’s like being out on the 405. With 156 players, you can only get so many folks on the highway, and when something happens there’s nowhere for them to go, but we’ll manage it. We’re on top of it.”
