An Open Letter to Rory

Dear Rory, 

Do you remember the 2011 Malaysian Open? A 17-year-old shot a final round 68 to your 72 and won his second European Tour event. That young Italian was a rising star. He made the cut the previous year at the Masters and finished T13 at the Open Championship as a teenager. There was discussion that a budding rivalry between the two of you would be part of the pro golf landscape for years. 

A few years later, that teenager, Matteo Mannasero, won his fourth European title and rose to the top 30 in the world. And then golf happened. He chased distance, lost his swing and his way. Matteo nearly disappeared from the memory of golf fans and was relegated to the Alps Tour, where he tried to find his way back.

Well, I’m sure you know he won Sunday on the European Tour. It was his first win on that Tour in 3,942 days – eleven years. I wonder if he would have come back if the pro golf world that you spoke of – one with fewer players – existed now. 

You may have seen the playoff at the Puerto Rico Open, which finished after Scottie tapped in for the win at the Arnold Palmer. In case you missed it, Brice Garnett won on the fourth playoff hole, making a 15-footer for his first win in six years. Between tears in the interview after, he talked about his wife, who believed he could win again even when he didn't believe it himself. While wiping his face and thanking his longtime caddie, he talked about the relief of having a place to play for the next two years. Would a PGA Tour with smaller fields and fewer Tour cards even have a spot in the field for him in the first place? Does the Puerto Rico Open and other opposite field events even exist in two years? 

The player Garnett beat in the playoff is Erik Barnes. While holding conditional KFT status, Barnes was stocking grocery store shelves to help his family pay bills during COVID. He is playing on a medical exemption because he got injured last year. It took him 12 years to make it to the PGA Tour, and then he got hurt. Imagine what that must be like. His 2nd place finish goes a long way toward fulfilling the points needed for his medical exemption. Now, he is very close to keeping his job. I hope there is a place for guys like him in your vision of the Tour. 

Bailey Tardy shot a final round 65 to win by four on the LPGA Tour. It took her five years to get a win and she endured considerable struggles along the way. With smaller fields and fewer playing opportunities, I wonder if she would have ever made it this far. 

All of these examples happened in the last few days, and there are endless other examples. Would Jake Knapp have made his run if the PGA Tour had 80 players? Last year's Rookie of the Year, Eric Cole, toiled for years in pro golf's mini-tour world. Would he have a place in this smaller PGA Tour? Would Chris Kirk have made a comeback from his battle with depression? Hayden Springer earned the last PGA Tour card at Q-school weeks after his daughter’s death and has only made the field in four events this season. He just finished T3 in Puerto Rico. Is there a place for Hayden in a leaner Tour? 

Now, let me make a few things clear. First, I respect the hell out of the fact you speak your mind. It's refreshing and needed. I am a fan of yours and your comments don’t change that. You made the comments knowing it would produce pushback and letters like this one. Just because I strongly oppose your suggestion in this case doesn't mean I'm not a fan. You stuck your neck out for the PGA Tour and got stabbed in the back, yet continue to give your opinion. I hope you continue to do it. 

Secondly, I know that stars drive the PGA Tour. You, Scottie, Viktor, and a few other top stars, bring in the dollars, the views, the ticket sales, and most everything else. There is no argument about that. I love stories of the underdogs listed in this letter, but I don't think they can sustain the top Tours in the world. The stars do that. And once LIV came along and started poaching top players, the Tour took considerable steps to change. 

Although I hate the concept of PIP, I understand it. And while I think the TGL is just a way for the top players to get more money, I get that too. You watched your friends and competitors get paid hundreds of millions of dollars and wanted some of your own. I don't fault you for that. 

As a fan, I just don't want the Tour to move too far away from what has brought them to this point. So many of us became passionate fans of the PGA Tour for a reason. The Tour's main advantage remains what Jay expressed at LIV’s establishment: legacy and history. I would add that the PGA Tour has the best development system in professional golf. I caution you not to move too far away from that advantage. I wonder what Arnie would think of a 70-player field at his event. 

I hope you think about the stars who now play an intricate role in the Tour's future and their journey. Max Homa was five holes away from going back to Korn Ferry Q-school. Sahith Theegala went to a Korn Ferry finals event unsure if he would make the field. If one player had made a Sunday run in the final regular season event, Theegala would have returned to the first stage of Q-school. Wyndham Clark barely kept his card for a few years. There are many more examples. Would they have broken through if the PGA Tour was even more of a closed-door Tour than it is now? 

All I ask is that you think back to the Malaysian Open, and watch Matteo's final putt from last Sunday. Look at his separated hands on the grip and think about the dark places that likely guided his hands there. Think about his 11 year climb back. When the final putt fell, Matteo dropped his putter and hugged his caddie. Watch the emotion in the joyful embrace and the tears that follow. That catharsis is from 4,000 days of struggle. Some may consider stories like his small, but they play an important role in pro golf. 

I only ask that there’s a place for these players in pro golf.

Thanks. 

Ryan French

Monday Q Info 

(Lead Photo Credit: The Telegraph)