The PGA Tour just released its partial 2009 schedule (I’ll post a link ASAP, right now I just have a PDF). The most intriguing thing to me is that of the major tour events (ie. not the ones that compete with another event the same week), the Canadian Open has the lowest purse — $5.1 million — tied with the Buick and the Bob Hope.
The RCGA has said a lot about making the tournament “best in class,” and it would strike me that having RBC raise the purse to $5.3-$5.5 million would be a solid start.
Forget the purse for now – the Canadian Open actually got a better date, 2 weeks after the British! The purse will come in time.
do you really think another $200K is going to make the players flock to the event? Maybe we’ll get to see Vaughan Taylor or some other star? In case you haven’t noticed there’s a bit of a problem with the world’s banks right now so I think what we’ve got is more than sufficient, along with a better date.
From the press release:
July 13-19 – The Open Championship TNT/ABC Turnberry ($8,600,000)
July 13-19 – U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee GOLF Brown Deer Park $4,000,000
July 20-26 – RBC Canadian Open GOLF/CBS Glen Abbey G.C. $5,100,000
Canadian Open still follows right after The Open.
Hey RT, do you even know what you are talking about. A $200K increase in purse will suddenly bring Tiger and Phil to the event, when these guys can make that much in a one day corporate event? That demonstrates quite well why you really write before you think and that you really don’t know very much do you? Keep hitting those 300 yard drives in a simulator…….and Weeks was hitting right handed and doing quite well!. Hey Einstein, did it ever occur to you that perhaps the simulator was set a little on the ‘easy’ side? Are you that naive? And you are a reporter? A serious golf journalist that thinks a $200K increase in purse might make the event best in class? And you believe all this stuff?
Nope — I don’t think the players will flock to the event for another $400,000. And thanks for pointing out that deal about the credit crunch — I’ll see if I can find something in my morning paper about that.
And moron — I mean YI — I never said anything about Tiger or Phil. I just said that if the event is going to be “best in class,” then the purse would have to be similar to other so-called “best in class” events. I don’t mind a good debate, but you’re just so pathetically obvious every morning. Can’t you at least be clever? Didn’t think so.
@YI – Did you fail reading comprehension? Where did Robert state that adding 200K would bring in Tiger or Phil? Where did he say that adding 200K will make it best in class? Just because you are inadequate in length doesn’t mean you should start slamming other guys for hitting it far. If you don’t find this blog entertaining then why are you here?
Better purses
Better courses
Better date
Not complicated. Holding the Can Open multiple times Angus Glen has further damaged the reputation of the event. It’s like holding the US Open at the Barefoot Love course in Myrtle Beach.
Once an event gets dropped off a players rotation, it’s hard to get it back in.
The purse is fine. The courses are fine. The sponsor is great and the date stinks. The only concern I have is that the RCGA & RBC have a window right now during this economic turmoil to push for a better date. The economy will bounce back and so will sponsors (some old & new). No one likes the Can Open date, so they need to push now or all the good dates will be given to attracting new sponsors. Leverage would be committing to extend RBC’s sponsorship for an additional 2 or 3 years and step up the purse each year to a world matching number by the end of the deal. Its requires a greater investment by RBC, but the payoff has to be better than the status quo date and field.
Somehow I think Gary Bettman (and PeeWee Herman, but that is a different story) and Tim Finchem are the same person who share the same view of Canada – we are an afterthought to them.
It isn’t Finchem’s job to do the RCGA’s work and make the Canadian Open relevant.
Hey Tighthead,
I think KC’s post when right over your head.
Not so much, dick.