Rickie Fowler is asked about evolution in golf. He had 1 key wish

In males’s professional golf, for higher or worse (we’ll allow you to be the decide), there’s possibly by no means been a greater time to need. 

If it’s cash you need, there’s cash. Billions really. Upstart LIV Golf, backed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), has that. The PGA Tour, the established model, has that, now due to some rich sports activities homeowners, and extra might be on the best way, through a PIF deal introduced final June however stays in the works. And gamers have been winners. Over the three seasons of LIV, it has tried to entice gamers to affix whereas the PGA Tour has tried to steer them to remain — and, like a Rory McIlroy tee shot, the cash has gone up, up, up. 

To an extent. There’s a restrict. A participant gained’t get a trillion bucks. (We assume.) 

But there are different methods to woo. 

It’s a part of the explanation LIV execs put on shorts and LIV occasions have welcome events. It’s a part of the explanation why the Tour is experimenting with its match construction. The sides are recruiting, which suggests they’re listening. Everything’s on the desk. The suggestion field is open. 

Which brings us to Wednesday, a day forward of the Tour’s Cognizant Classic and two days forward of LIV’s occasion in Saudi Arabia — and Rickie Fowler, one in all golf’s shiniest stars. 

What would he need? 

If you bear in mind, the query had been tossed out by a GOLF.com reporter finally yr’s FedEx-St. Jude Championship — and the solutions have been various. Jon Rahm, earlier than he ultimately left for LIV, wished — extra Port-A-Potties. (His precise quote: “I do know this is going to sound very silly, however so simple as having a freaking Port-a-Potty on each gap — I do know it sounds loopy, however I can’t select when I’ve to go to the toilet. I’ve instructed the Tour this many occasions, so simple as that.) Brian Harman wished extra chilly plunges. Aaron Rai wished the Tour to give attention to its tales of the gamers. To construct the Tour model — by constructing the gamers’ manufacturers. Win-win. 

Fowler’s reply had an analogous really feel. For readability, right here is the whole trade, began by a reporter:

“There’s a lot of talk about the money from SSG [the sports owners group] to allow the PGA Tour to be innovative and do some cool new things. Do you have any big ideas you can share?”

“I mean, I’d say luckily I haven’t had to think about that too much,” Fowler stated. “I haven’t been as concerned as among the guys like Tiger [Woods] and [Patrick] Cantlay. I’m excited about the partnership as a result of I really feel like there’s some very good and influential individuals a part of that SSG group that I really feel like in the end can assist the Tour evolve and head in a doubtlessly higher path and be in a greater place for the longer term.

“As far as big ideas, not necessarily. That’s a rabbit hole we could go down …”

“Please do.”

Here, Fowler checked out his watch. He then answered. 

“No, I feel like ultimately we’re in the entertainment business, and we’ve got to figure out a better way to entertain our fans and it come across better on TV. How we do that, I don’t exactly know, but like I said, I feel like with the people that are involved, I definitely trust the guys, the players that have been involved, and I feel like the guys — especially since they’re not just golf guys, I think they have enormous respect for the game of golf, but also they come from a lot of different avenues in sports and business, and I feel like they can help us kind of give direction on where we can or need to go.”

“But how much can things really evolve? Everything that LIV has tried is been ridiculed, whether it’s the shotgun or the music or compressing the tournament into three days. Is there any room for evolution in this sport?”

“I think within reason,” Fowler stated, “however on the similar time, such as you stated, it’s additionally a really conventional sport with conventional tournaments, 72 holes, lower going into the weekend.

“I do really feel like, say if the season is sort of the place it’s at, with the January to August, is there methods to do various things in the autumn, however I additionally on the similar time I really feel like there must — we sort of should create the need for golf. Right now, you’ll be able to principally watch golf each week of the yr for probably the most half. There’s probably not an offseason.

“I really feel like with different sports activities, individuals can’t await soccer preseason to begin up, and that’s simply preseason. The video games don’t actually matter a complete lot.

“Something along those lines to create a little bit more of a demand for golf because depending on how you want to talk about it, is the product potentially diluted with how much golf is available.”

Interesting reply, proper? A request for an offseason, however with the followers in thoughts — the place in the end curiosity might develop and gamers revenue. Considering it’s Fowler, you work somebody is at the least jotting the concept down. 

Of course, there are obstacles.

The PGA Tour does run January by means of August — kind of. There are fall occasions, some lengthy established, and gamers have alternatives and cash — numerous it — is concerned. Tournaments are huge offers in cities. There’s additionally the query of whether or not each participant would really need an offseason. It was a subject GOLF’s Sean Zak mentioned in an article revealed final August. There’s a profit to repetition. 

Then once more, LIV has an offseason. Last yr, the league began on the finish of February, ended a 14-event schedule on the finish of October and didn’t begin once more till the start of this month. Of course, who is aware of what the longer term holds between LIV and the Tour. Maybe they merge — bear in mind the Tour’s PIF deal is being mentioned. Maybe they don’t. Quite a lot of issues might occur.    

And there’s possibly by no means been a greater time to need.