European Ryder Cup team member Sepp Straka doesn’t like the smaller fields in the PGA Tour’s Signature Events, saying they’re less competitive than regular tournaments.
This week, he’s back at a full-field event as the defending champion at the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run.
The PGA Tour created eight Signature Events with bigger prize money but fewer players after LIV Golf arrived on the scene.
Straka’s Take on Smaller Fields:
These events aim to have top players always present, and five of them don’t even have cuts. The huge prize money is meant to keep players from joining LIV Golf. However, these 70-player fields have received mixed reactions due to their size and timing—especially around major tournaments like the US Open.
Straka thinks these smaller events are less exciting. “I personally don’t like the small events,” he said. “I just think it’s less competitive.”
He believes that having around 140 players makes for a tougher environment because you need to be ready from day one . He also feels that larger tournaments should feature more players.
Fans might feel that Straka has a point about competition being more intense in bigger fields.
According to Straka, most players in larger field events are hungrier for success since they usually aren’t part of these new elite events.
“These tournaments [full-field events] are massive because a lot of guys aren’t getting into those small-field, big events,” he added. “So for most of us on the PGA Tour, these tournaments are huge.”
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has mentioned they’ll review the schedule and future of Signature Events but they seem set for now.
Tiger Woods recently got a lifetime exemption into these Signature Events to boost interest among fans and top-tier golfers alike.
For 2024, eight Signature Events include The Sentry, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship, Memorial Tournament, and Travelers Championship.
Some fans think scheduling could be better as it affects Major weeks somewhat while others like Straka continue voicing concerns—let’s see if Monahan listens and makes changes!
What do you think? Should there be changes or is everything fine as it is?
