THE FEDEX CUP FUND

The big bucks on the line for golf’s elite players.

The Shark’s Uprising

In November ’94, Greg Norman and compatriot Rupert Murdoch tabled plans for a World Golf Tour, a 10-event championship tour of the world’s top golfers to be marketed and televised by the media mogul’s Fox TV. Weeks of “peace talks” ensued, with PGA Tour commissioner Timothy W. Finchem vowing to suspend any player who participated in WGT events. Norman stepped away from the project with Finchem promising to keep him in the loop over any future plans for a global tour. Two years later, after no consultation with Norman, the PGA Tour commissioner announced plans for a world tour that manifested itself in the form of the World Golf Championships. Upon hearing of the development, Norman saw red. “I’ve had it up to here with Tim Finchem,” spat the Shark. “He hung me out to dry.”

World Domination?

The year 2012 was notable for the PGA Tour’s move into alien territories. In an effort to extend its corporate and economic boundaries and somehow keep up with the European Tour which visits most parts of the globe except the Americas, the PGA Tour debuted the PGA Tour Latinoamerica that year, its first foray into foreign territories, quickly followed by a move to control the Canadian Tour. Two years later, the PGA moved east, establishing the PGA Tour China, rebranded the PGA Tour Series China in 2018. It begs the obvious question, are we looking at the slow creep towards a Pga-run world tour? “That is a possibility, absolutely,” said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monaghan. “Is it going to happen? Only time will tell but we are not going to avoid that conversation.”