20 Comments

Gary, I don't know why your thots haven't surfaced here &/or more frequently but my suggestion would be for you to step on the gas... there are several worthy ideas put forth just in this current polling... the one I like most involves more match play & altho' I acknowledge TV input, aka money wrecks everything but how do you avoid it... 2ndly, it is not fair to denigrate PrezCup in comparing it to Ryder Cup which has been around forever - improvements take time & we've seen plenty as the Intl squad has become a closer knit group... just sayin' the PrezCup is finally getting competitive & will continue to improve... let's face it, the Intl squad made an error in judgement this year in Saturday teams that left players out & exhausted others leading to the poor finish on a very long day... could've been a much closer & much more exciting finish......

Expand full comment

Like the idea - one giant step to uniting golf! Nothing better than the best playing the best. The "play in " idea is similar to what's used for the Americas Cup.

Expand full comment

The Ryder Cup ain't broke, so don't try to fix it. Until the Internationals start winning, no-one is really interested in the President's Cup - there's no rivalry if the same team keep winning.

Expand full comment
author

You're right but you're only considering the US. Ratings in Asia, Australia, South Africa, possibly India and the rest would soar. A ryder cup in asia would be an issue but somehow the Olympics get past it. excellent point by you, tho. thx!

Expand full comment

If I understand your proposal, it's possible that the US would need to qualify for the Ryder Cup. The year that would occur, the Ryder Cup TV Ratings would be dismal and the sponsors would revolt. Think of a Ryder Cup in Korea vs the Europeans with the live action occurring in the middle of the night .

Expand full comment
author

Let's see, can we get these different organizations to share? probably, if they all get a piece of the action. thx for the ideas!

Expand full comment
author

damn, i was really hoping to come up with the worst idea you've ever heard. i'll try harder next time. thx, your comment made me laugh. but as i said, it seems unfair for the rest of the world to be left out of this ryder cup type of competition. the pc is a placeholder. gotta be a better way.

Expand full comment
author

we're on the same page. maybe the Ryder Cup could involve all three teams at once. i'll let somebody else figure out how to do that. thx!

Expand full comment
author

i like it. but tv hates match play because they don't have a guaranteed finish time. they dread having to fill 30 mins or more if matches end early. TV doesn't want match play.

Expand full comment
author

It would definitely be an experiment. Are you going to have mixed pairings in bestball and foursomes? are the ladies playing from the tips with the guys? that could be an issue. i don't see mixing the pairings, it'd have to be ladies v ladies in 4somes and 4ball. It might help the ratings, it might turn off some purists (using that term loosely). i am not in favor. thx for reading!

Expand full comment

I believe something new is needed that isn’t owned by pgat or pga of America. Here is my solution for more team golf replicating UEFA Champions League. https://open.substack.com/pub/bjornbookser/p/champions-league-for-golf?r=2ylj0p&utm_medium=ios

Expand full comment
author

the old answer, as usual: just play better. thx for reading!

Expand full comment
author

Thx Keith, I merely used the ratings for comparison purposes. Obv the international ladies would balance things out. I dont see mxed foursomes or mixed bestball matches working but you could have two LPGA teams vs two Int teams in each. it just feels too gimmicky, for lack of a better word, to me. the International guys are so close to beating the US, i'd hate to give up on that competition. I'd rather have a second Solheim Cup type event, US vs. Internationals, for the women. I'd def watch that. thx for taking the time to read!--vans

Expand full comment

You state that adding the LPGA International players would not fix things because the ratings were poor for the Solheim Cup by comparison to the Pres Cup. Are you trying to fix the ratings or the competition? The intensity of the competition within the Pres Cup falls far short for that of the Ryder Cup. The mix of players on the International side seems far too diverse. They lack anything in common other than a desire to beat the US team. The Euros have at least a common flag (yes, Brexit changed that) and common currency. They also allow players from the DP World Tour to compete (and theoretically LIV). The Canadians would seemingly have more in common with the US team given involvement in hockey, basketball and baseball leagues as well as proximity. I am all for adding the ladies. Too many quality S.Korean, Thai and Aussie female golfers which still bolster ratings in that part of the world.

Expand full comment

Problem is, with a merger the US will lose every year.

Expand full comment

I like adding women to the President's cup! How about 10 men and 4 women. The foursome and four ball matches would consist of 4 men's teams and 1 women's team. There would be 14 singles matches. I don't see how it would adversely affect rating. Is anyone really going to say "Oh, I won't watch because there are women playing"? And it might help ratings.

Expand full comment