“They Would Make an Example of Us”

Players on developmental tours dream of a no entry fee event where they can win $25,000. If the event were held on a par-3 course at night, in front of a crowd, players would have a unique opportunity. These are the exact details of an event numerous members of the Americas Tour were scheduled to play this week. 

That was until the PGA Tour told them they couldn’t compete. 

On Thursday, the Grass League put on its inaugural event at Grass Clippings, a par-3 course in Scottsdale, Arizona. The league features 11 eight-person teams split into four two-person teams. Players in the league include LPGA players Lauren Coghlin and Alison Lee, YouTubers from GoodGood, former tennis pro Mardy Fish, Major League pitcher Mark Mulder, and a mix of amateurs. Players can earn $25,000 or more per event, and since each team has an owner, there isn’t an entry fee. This event will be streamed on Peacock. 

The teams won’t include any PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, or Americas Tour members despite numerous players from those tours accepting spots on teams.

According to multiple players I spoke with, franchise owners told players they needed to apply for a media release from the PGA Tour, and all of the releases were denied. The Tour told the players that they couldn’t play a televised event in North America. Numerous other players I spoke with didn’t even bother to apply, although they had been approached by a team, knowing their media release would be denied. 

As the conversations with the PGA Tour progressed, players told me, potential participants were threatened with fines and suspensions, and told that they could lose their spot in the final stage of Q-school if they played in the Grass League. One player told me, “It was pretty well known that if we played, they would make an example out of us.” 

The Tour initially did not deny the releases of a few Champions Tour players who wanted to join the league, but last week, the Tour seemingly changed their mind and informed those players they weren’t allowed to play either. 

It left numerous players very frustrated. While the multiple players I spoke with understood that PGA Tour members were being denied, they were equally angry about Americas Tour members being denied. “I’m running out of money—we all are,” one player told me. “And I can’t play in a par-3 event where I could win $25,000.” He went on to explain that almost no Americas Tour players are profitable in a full season and need to find a way to supplement their income. 

One current PGA Tour member said, “It’s insane that they are denying Americas Tour players." He added that the Americas Tour isn’t on TV, and besides a few players, almost no one is turning a profit. The PGA Tour member ended the conversation by saying, “We are independent contractors when they see fit, and we are employees when they see fit.” 

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