Major(s) News & Notes, December 19th, 2024
How not to market a golf CEO job! Plus, the 2024 Quad Majors Poll results are in, Matthew returns to Captain GB&I at Bel-Air, This, That and Reads.
Days to The Masters’ opening tee shot: 112
Days to the PGA Championship’s opening tee shot: 147
Days to the U.S. Open’s opening tee shot: 175
Days to The Open’s first tee shot: 211
“Everything is on the table.”
It’s the new Live Under Par! But before the full campaign is approved, a new nine-figure CEO job has become available in Ponte Vedra Beach (PGA Tour) to go with openings in Frisco (PGA of America) and Daytona Beach (LPGA).
Yet only one of these outfits went public with its search and did it in totally weird fashion.
We learned this week that the lucky recipient of a newly opened/created/something CEO position will report to a PGA Tour board featuring the guy who held the job for a few months. One who is also letting it be known he will continue to have a vote on his successor’s salary while continuing as PGA Tour “Commissioner.”
Fun!
Now, this is a newsletter about the majors and best Cup events. But it’s so hard not to have a giggle or twenty at the PGA Tour’s expense after the latest weirdness. After all, this is also an organization that wants to run grow the game and they can’t even run a basic internet campaign in a world where your neighbor is probably better doing on-camera YouTube how-to’s about getting out olive oil stains (dish detergent it turns out).
The same PGA Tour lobbies against most Rules of Golf because, you know, that written code which governs the game can be so mean, cold and unfair for asking someone to hit a shot in under 40 seconds. The same Rules that became evil and in need of eradication if one player (or corporation) whines often and loudly enough.
In sharp contrast to the state of other leading organizations, the Tour appears to be a mess of boards, committees, subcommittees, subcommittees of subcommittees, and now a new CEO search committees. This after years of almost never hearing about any governance news that might distract from the “product.” Undoubtedly, there are plenty of people on this army of committees cringing at the latest scheme revealing a CEO search in public fashion instead of through a headhunter.
But for some silly reason—maybe one last holiday gift to content creators—the Tour launched a two-pronged video attack using grown men who are not good on camera to tell us everything is peachy in PVB. The sight of leadership; blatantly reading off prompters discussing the future of the PGA Tour only reinforced an ongoing authenticity black hole.
First, there was Jay Monahan’s attempt at a hostage video where the (kind of?) maybe-demoted CEO but still Commissioner hyped the upcoming season. He had to be edited for misidentifying a tournament. Media and Twitter users noticed and many asked the same question: you couldn’t do another take? Oh right. Just because one receives a $23 million package does not guarantee basic media competence.
After the tournament name slip, Monahan seemed to be testing a desperate new slogan (“everything is on the table”). And somehow it’s still better than Live Under Par! Then, Monahan buried the lede by announcing a PGA Tour search for a new CEO. That’s when you really felt like someone was off camera pointing a pistol. Because you may recall—and for the sake of your mental health I hope this detail long left your sphere—Monahan was bequeathed a CEO title in a May press release when a new board chairman was announced.
The Monahan rollout video posted at PGATour.com and YouTube was accompanied by embargoed stories attempting to explain what the new C-Suite occupant will be doing. And because fans are dying to know details of corporate governance, they learned the captivating holiday news that Monahan is taking a seat on the Policy Board to go with his other board Tour board seat.
What a merry mitzvah for the fans! Shame they didn’t tell us where he likes to sit at the meeting table and if he likes ice in his water.
Random question: if Monahan’ll be working under the new person as the Commissioner, won’t the CEO atop the whole operation need a salary higher than Monahan’s recently reported $23 million package?
I digress.
“We’re bringing new perspectives onto our team to realize the incredible opportunities ahead for our sport,” Monahan said as he held up a copy of today’s St. Augustine Record. “We can learn so much from the world of sport and entertainment, and I’m excited to meet candidates for this important new role.”
In memo sent to players, Monahan expanded on the news: “The CEO will report directly to the PGA Tour policy board & the Tour Enterprises board of directors. In addition to my role as a director of the Tour Enterprises board, I will join the Tour policy board & serve [on] the search committee.”
What a relief.
Meanwhile, the Tour’s new Chief Marketing Officer Matt Weitz, made a couple of genuinely awful appearances on CNBC and Golf Channel. The apparent goal was to excite tiny business and golf audiences with news of a CEO search committee headed by Arthur Blank. One hitch: the CMO said all of this as his pupils appeared to move back and forth like he was reading off a teleprompter. Or he needs to see his optometrist ASAP.
The whole State TV thing has been coming and it’s as pitiful as feared. There was a time not long ago when all parties involved would never have resorted to such ungainliness. Still, the shabby rollout left grizzled cynics of the Tour aghast at the amateur hour vibes as YouTube and Twitter commenters pounced.
While we’re on the subject of stilted, awkward, chilly and talking about things no one ever needs to see again, someone gave out a lot of crypto out Tuesday night at Shadow Creek. The preferred “currency” of drug and arms dealers had never been given to golfers for winning before and may never again if the presentation is even half as dreadful as this disaster. Oh, that’s harsh. Tom Fazio’s chef d’oeuvre has never looked better. Maybe that’s because it was pitch black for most of the back nine.
This screen-capture of Bryson and his compression boot jacket captures the event’s verve.
Thankfully, we now have more satisfying stuff to ponder beginning with the results of 2024’s Quad year-end poll. Then, we’ll get to 2026 Curtis Cup news, This, That and Reads.
Oh, and after a three month tour of America, Lawrence Donegan returned to host a new McKellar Golf pod to catch up and celebrate Issue 8 of the publication. Check it out here or wherever you get your pods.
And I had a fun chat with The Fried Egg’s Andy Johnson and Brendan Porath reviewing 2024 best weeks. Keep an eye out for that one to drop soon.
Onward!
Quad Poll Results: U.S. Open, Schauffele, Korda Win
The polls closed Wednesday evening and votes have been counted. Thanks for taking the time to think about a fantastic year of majors. Hopefully the questions brought back nice memories or created newfound appreciation for the remarkable amount of clutch play was on display. The results…
Majors of the year: U.S. Open and AIG Women’s Open. An incredible final day at a beautifully-presented Pinehurst made this a runaway winner, while the Old Course delivered a fantastic Sunday shootout of the world’s best to finish the women’s major season on a high note.
Major players of the year: Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda. Schauffele holds off Scheffler’s special season with a dynamite major season that saw him win twice and contend in two more. Korda’s win and near victory at St Andrews was enough to nullify a pair of missed cuts to hold off Lydia Ko even though her Open win solidified Hall of Fame status.
Major shot of the year. We all know the toughest shot in golf is the long bunker shot and this one came on the final hole of the U.S. Open. Catch a little too much ball and the clubhouse roof watchers would be in danger. And another tip of the cap to Lydia Ko for her all-time classic approach on the Road hole. Both shots will be replayed and talked about for decades.
Best hole. The shortest hole on the rota edged out the craziest, with Royal Troon’s Postage Stamp cruising to a 42% tally and 12-point win over the Road hole. It is something to see such a tiny little shot continuing to hold its own without resorting to trickery.
Best course setup. The USGA team management of Pinehurst took 53% of the vote over the R&A’s efforts to keep Troon playable under wild conditions.
Best women’s major setup. Quad voters loved seeing the Old Course play from within it’s 99 acre footprint and minus pins perched atop smoothed-over rabbit excavation mounds. Deservedly, the USGA’s work at Lancaster led by Shannon Rouillard, also received a nice number of votes for making full use of William Flynn’s beautifully-renovated design by Jim Nagle.
Major organization of the year. Our closest race saw a Slumbers/R&A-Ridley/Masters duel down the stretch before an R&A photo finish over Augusta National. The USGA recorded a healthy number of votes to finish 10(%) back.
Media presentation of the year. This is not a fair fight no matter how you approached my American-centric question. But I’m pretty sure The Masters always gets it right to the world no matter what part of the world you’re watching from.
2025 major venues. The most anticipated will also be the last 2025 majors after Quad readers selected both R&A links courses. The women will test out glorious Royal Porthcawl while the men return to the esteemed Royal Portrush just six years after 2019’s success.
2025 event excitement. The Ryder Cup at Bethpage won with 30% of the vote while the Masters and Walker Cup at Cypress Point came next at 22%.
Best non-winning performance. I doubt Rory McIlroy is very excited to learn he won this one, which features a Brewhaha cortado after dominating the category featuring Aberg, DeChambeau and Rose.
Ryder Cup pay. A healthy 63% of you said Yes to the question of whether this will change your interest in the event. But yes for 15% of you means a stronger rooting interest. So it’s only 48% who will be turned off, while 19% said the pay issue will not change your excitement levels.
Thanks again to all who voted and to all who gave us fun stuff to vote on.
Matthew Reappointed GB&I Captain
Catriona Matthew will again lead Great Britain and Ireland in the 2026 Curtis Cup at Bel-Air. The former AIG Women’s Open champion served as Captain during September’s memorable 10½-9½ victory over the United States at Sunningdale.
The two-time Solheim Cup-winning Captain will be hoping to spearhead a fourth team triumph during the the 44th edition in Los Angeles, California, June 12-14 June 2026.
“It was a great contest against the United States of America at Sunningdale and the victory is right up there with anything I’ve achieved, including winning the Solheim Cup as a player and Captain,” said the 55-year-old Scot. “I was proud to lead such a talented side and am honoured that The R&A has asked me to continue as Captain.”
In other Curtis Cup news, Rising: Inside the Curtis Cup, debuts on R&A TV Thursday, December 19 and will air on Sky Sports Golf in the UK over the holidays. The 30-minute documentary promises a behind-the-scenes look at GB&I’s historic win.
This And That
Reads
💻 Paul Daly with a nice roundup of Babineau’s career.
⛳️ Michael Catling talks to Martin Slumbers as the R&A Chief exits.
⏎ Larry Bohannan on the resurrection of former Skins Game host Trilogy following two years of closure.
🕵️ Chris Vognar on the wealth of fresh spy dramas packing some emotional punch, including Slow Horses, Black Doves, The Agency and The Day of the Jackal.
And on that note I’m off to watch the finale of Black Doves.
Wishing all QuadrilateralElfsandSantas a wonderful Christmas,
Geoff
Merry Christmas, Geoff!
Thanks for everything you do all year round.
The Quad offers the best golf writing in the business and your focus on majors parses out much of the sordid business of men’s professional golf and I am exceedingly grateful for this port in the endless storm.
Best wishes for 2025!
Maybe it's just the season, but my interest in the goings on at PV etc. is equal to the latest ambassadorial nominee. And, couldn't you just call it Turnberry?