Harrington lashes proposed PGA Tour changes as “terrible”
Padraig Harrington has lashed proposals that will make the PGA Tour more of a closed shop as “terrible” for the game.
The Dubliner, who has his work cut out to win the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix after opening with a one-under 70, is vehemently against changes proposed by the Player Advisory Council.
"Just terrible, it really is,” Harrington told Golf Channel. "I can't think how bad it is. In the end of the day, the people who are inside are voting to keep the things tighter and more closed.
“I can’t think about how bad it is. Sure, yeah, why don't we just have 12 people in the event, if I'm included, and everybody else can go home."
The proposals, which will be voted on by the PGA Tour’s Policy Board on November 18, include reducing Monday qualifiers from four to two for 132-player fields, capping fields at 144 when there is one course in use, reducing one-course full-field events prior to daylight saving time to 120 players and reducing full-field events after daylight saving time up until the Masters to 132.
"I know there’s a little bit of pressure to finish on time when fields go to 156 at certain times of the season or 144, but players will deal with it,” Harrington said.
“They will handle that. They prepare for that. They know at the start of the year [they] might miss out on a few tournament [rounds] because of light.
“Slow play is like driving in rush hour traffic. It’s just too many people on the golf course, and the tee times are too tight, so yes, this is a way of solving one of the big issues… but you want to give everybody the opportunity.
“If this was like the Premier League, or the Championship, and there was a really, really good second tour, maybe the European Tour can be that. Maybe it works out. But to me, it definitely looks like the people on the inside are keeping it tighter.
“Not having a Monday qualifier, c’mon, that’s one of the most exciting things on the tour. The cut line is also one of the most exciting things on the tour but I know ‘no-cut’ fields suit the sponsors. They want the leading names guaranteed to be there on the weekend.”
Harrington pointed out that one of the strengths of LIV Golf, and the PGA Tour Champions, is that having no cut means most of the star names are guaranteed to be in contention on the final day.
“LIV have that advantage, the tour are struggling with that, and this is why they're trying to get the better players into the same events, so that they can be dependable.”
He added: “You know, tightening up fields is good for the TV and it’s good for dependability. But honestly, I really don't think the system was broken.
“Maybe if I was in that top 60 [group of elite players], I'd be going, ‘Hey, this is great’, but it seems that if you're on the outside, it’s not a very good move.”
As for his bid to win the season-long title on the PGA Tour Champions, fourth-ranked Harrington knows he must win at Phoenix Country Club if he’s to deny the other contenders — points leader Ernie Els, Steven Alker (2nd), Stephen Ames (3rd), YE Yang (fifth) and Richard Green (6th) — and win the season-long title for the first time.
His one-under 70 left him tied for 11th and projected to fall to sixth in the standings.
But with three rounds to go, he still has time to catch Stewart Cink, who shot a seven-under 64 to lead by three shots from KJ Choi.
Ames is tied for third with Jerry Kelly and Paul Broadhurst after a 68 with Els tied sixth after a 69 and projected to hold on to the number one spot.
Darren Clarke was tied for 18th after a 71.
