The 2023 season of the PGA Tour kicked off with a huge rise in purses and bonuses. But all those benefits came with strings attached to them. New regulations and requirements have players competing like never before. But many have voiced their concerns about this, and the latest among them is the reigning US Open champion, Matthew Fitzpatrick. The Englishman candidly suggested that the Tour was being “ridiculous.”
Fitzpatrick left his mark on the golf world last year when he grabbed his first major win at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Since then, he’s made quite a name for himself and is now even the 7th player involved in the TGL.
Matthew Fitzpatrick calls out the PGA Tour
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The eight-time European Tour winner has steadily risen to the top of the game in recent years. Fitzpatrick was ranked eighth on the PGA Tour’s PIP list for 2022. While this resulted in a large bonus, it also resulted in a problem. The Englishman is now expected to play in 20 Tour events in America. Although that doesn’t sound too harsh, to compete in the Ryder Cup, he also has to fulfill commitments in Europe.
👀 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick believes players are required to play "too much golf" on the PGA Tour…
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— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) February 2, 2023
This has led to a heavy schedule for the 2022 US Open winner. As per a recent Golf Magic report, he assured the public that his playing in “certain” events wasn’t a problem. “I’m not really worried about that,” he stated. “If I have to go and play events that I’ve not really played before, that’s not really an issue.”
But the major winner had one huge concern. He added that players were not keen on playing so much golf and that many wanted “to play less.” The Englishman said, “I do think there’s too much golf, regardless of what level you’re at.”
Fitzpatrick suggests quality over quantity
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The golf pro believed that people, too, “need a break” from the sport. He claimed that the public could undoubtedly sit every week and watch the players play, but that didn’t mean the players could perform consistently every week. “I think that’s why I think having less, but having, getting the best players together more is obviously the way to go,” he stated.
The Tour’s drastic measures of heavy participation came in an attempt to keep up with LIV Golf. But contrarily, LIV players have only 14 events in the year. The Tour has been able to match LIV purses, which go up to $25 million, but in doing so, they now also hold the players to a much higher standard.
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Do you think these requirements of the Tour will backfire and cause them to lose players to the other side? Let us know your take in the comments below.