![]() ![]() In a sports landscape that increasingly depends on superstar players to drive fan interest, the PGA Tour faces a weekly dilemma of uncertainty in which their biggest draws like Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, or Jordan Spieth could have one bad round, or even one bad hole, that would prevent them from even qualifying for a tournaments’ final and most watched weekend rounds. Yet as professional golf continues to cope with gradual ratings declines and an aging fan demographic, critics argue that golf would benefit from greater certainty in the entertainment product it delivers. Purists argue that this meritocracy model is part of the charm of professional golf, and that players should only get paid when they perform. But if a pro golfer misses a tournament cut after a bad round on Thursday or due to crazy weather like we saw at the Players Championship, they go home empty handed, less the cost of their flight, hotel, meals, caddie fees, and a litany of other expenses. Consider that if Steph Curry has an off-night shooting three’s, he still gets paid by the Warriors. It is easy to see why the prospect of guaranteed prize money would turn the heads of top golfers. However, in the last year, the emergence of new global golf tours – such as Greg Norman’s recently announced LIV Golf Invitational Series – whose tournament purses are reported to eclipse the ones offered by the PGA Tour, and, crucially, will offer players appearance fees and guaranteed money, perks that have always been prohibited by the PGA Tour. The Tour attracted the best players from around the world by offering the biggest tournament prize pools, and for top golfers, there weren’t any better options. Yet while typical independent contractors like plumbers or attorneys are free to seek out the best paying jobs and highest paying clients, the PGA Tour does everything it can to restrict when and where golfers can compete and earn their living, which is not only a violation of players’ rights, but may even cross the line into illegal, anti-competitive business practices.įor decades, the PGA Tour has been the most lucrative circuit for elite touring professionals. They pay all their expenses out of their own pocket, and only get paid when they play well and make tournament cuts. Unlike most professional athletes, who are paid a regular salary and have expenses like their travel and meal costs picked up by the team they are employed by, pro golfers are essentially athlete freelancers. So why has a term typically used to describe self-employed professionals like electricians and accountants become such a hot a topic on the PGA Tour? Pars, birdies, and…independent contractors? If you’ve tuned into a golf telecast recently, you’ve likely heard the announcers talk about whether professional golfers should be considered independent contractors as often as 350-yard drives or when Tiger Woods will play his next tournament. ![]()
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