What's the Best Way to Market PGA Tour Players?

Strokes Gained: Run Through A Wall will not win you a Ryder Cup. But it might actually tip to the USA’s side in the 2025 edition, which has not always (rarely?) been the case in recent decades.  

Unless you live under a rock, you know by now that Keegan Bradley completed his roster for Bethpage. He chose Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay, and Sam Burns. He did not choose himself, as was rumored and reported. It had to be an achingly difficult decision. I outlined the arc of ache in Wednesday’s Shotgun Start episode but Bradley got this captaincy in some measure because of his snub, and the way it was documented on Netflix, last time around in 2023. This reward for that snub then became the biggest blocker to him getting a spot this year. But not without him first getting a real temptation to be a legit candidate for playing captain. “I never really considered playing until after Travelers and then that was really on the table for a while,” he said on Wednesday. But that then dissipated toward the end of the summer as the back half of the roster came on strong, leading to a brutally hard call that left him “moping around” on Monday when it went final. The whole sequence is painful, but he has the incredible honor, as he put it, of still being the captain.

His choice not to also play on the team has seemed to resonate and further motivate the boys he put ahead of himself. How could it not carry this great emotional meaning to them? It is a selfless act and Keegan came off impressive in the choice, in the press conference, and some of the behind-the-scenes calls to the picks. I tend to think any major emphasis on the “run through a wall” factor is insane. That doesn’t mean much for the shots that need to be hit or putts that need to be holed. If you need motivation to play in the freaking Ryder Cup, then there are bigger problems.

And yet… it’s still something on the margins that is better to have than not. Can you get actual match play momentum from this? It seems unlikely. But the great man, Zinger, always threw out his redundant platitude (or Zingerism), “control the controllables.” Well, this is something the USA did have a chance to affect outside of the actual shots and it has done so. They will ride a wave of motivation and admiration for their captain into Bethpage.

The New Sheriff

Brian Rolapp held a PGA Tour employee meeting on Thursday. Jay Monahan, who helmed these meetings in recent months, was not present. That seems natural and appropriate, but also another official changing of the guard signal even with Jay staying around for another year or so, getting direct deposits.

One issue Rolapp put forth to the assembly was how to market non-superstars of the PGA Tour. Can you better market J.J. Spaun before he wins the U.S. Open? It’s a tough, maybe impossible, task. Some potential ideas from the Fried Egg team:

1. The Robert Garrigus Mule Derby: stars have to play the non-stars for their sponsor exemptions. You could also have a more open, legit playoff for sponsor spots.

2. Tweet more: there would be some insane takes but all press is good press. Ben Griffin raised his profile on TikTok. Wes Bryan is infinitely more recognizable as a YouTuber than mule Tour pro.

3. Mule WAGS reality show: increase women viewership/interest (this was a female colleague’s suggestion!)

4. Require them to wear hi-visibility polos and name tags.

5. The Moscow Mules come to the SoFi Dome: force the TGL in exchange for using their members to adopt and accept a mule team.

6. Invest in real coverage: Ryan French of Monday Q has cracked this nut to find great, interesting storytelling that provides context. It will never out-rate the star show, but it’s real. Call him?

7. A PR campaign and outreach to mitigate use of the term “mule” amongst the media and the commentariat (this section has probably not helped but we’re open to being corrupted in exchange for Tour rollback support).

Saturday, Again

For some, it might be MLB Opening Day or NFL Week 1, but for me, the start of college football season is always the most emotional. And I don’t mean teary or wistful or any of that BS. It just hits with a wave of joy and excitement that it’s here again in a way that other sports do not. Like Masters Thursday, the opening weekend of college football does not signal the most consequential games, but it does bring that moment with the largest wave of appreciation. I have zero affiliation to Clemson or LSU, but man, I cannot wait for Saturday night in the fake and/or real Death Valley.

The sport has obviously changed a lot in our lifetimes – TV greed-driven expansion, money flowing in all different (some good, some bad) directions, presentations of it as simply a vessel to make more bets, more shouty Saturday mornings. But all the change hasn’t really dampened the bliss and anticipation for this weekend. The actual games and the colors are the same. And the gratitude of having it there to spend time with again remains.