Did the PGA goof?
Two years ago it was the USGA that received universal criticism for the unplayable conditions at Shinnecock, especially hole no. 7 green. Yesterday, several of the players and most of the media — including the commentators on The Golf Channel and ESPN (see, for example, Mercer Baggs’s insightful editorial today on TGC and this article by SI’s Gary Van Sickle) — openly questioned and criticized the PGA for its decision to keep the tee times late on Sunday, conveniently at a time when CBS would get some near prime time coverage at 7 p.m., even though thunderstorms had been forecast for later in the day. The PGA official who answered questions at the press conference yesterday to justify PGA’s decision looked shell-shocked from the blistering questions he faced.
I’m not sure all the criticism is justified, but I’m not a big fan of trying to run the TV golf coverage past 6 p.m. and the dinner times of thousands of fans. PGA took a gamble with the weather in playing late, and now it’s stuck with Monday morning (10 am) final coverage when most fans are at work. I wonder who loses more?
UPDATE: More strong criticism of the PGA’s decision not to move up the tee times on Sunday, this time from Bob Harig on espn.com and Dave Anderson of The New York Times.
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