Reprinted with a sort of implied permission
The Skins Game - Give it up already
The 25th annual LG Skins Game will be held in Indian Wells November 23 – 25; tickets went on sale the week of September 3. No word yet on how ticket sales are coming along, but LG and Indian Wells Golf Resort may want to hire some temps to hustle tickets on the street because The Rat is sure this will be the weakest fan turnout yet.
The Skins Game has been a fun-filled Coachella valley tradition since 1986, an off-season event not unlike the NFL's pro bowl. The event is held this year at Indian Wells Golf Resort, and is like a professional version of a Sunday morning foursome. You don't have to be a golfer to look forward to hearing who will be on that elite list every year. Will it be Tiger Woods? Annika Sorenstam? Phil Mickelson?
This year it's Stephen Ames, Zach Johnson, Fred Couples, and Brett Wetterrich, setting up the weakest four some in Skins Game history. Upon hearing this year's lineup, many non-golfers will respond by saying, "I've heard of Freddie, but who the hack are those other guys?"
Last but not least to get selected was the long hitting yet short recognized Brett Wetterrich. Wetterrich was selected after the nine golfers in front of him on last year's mvp list, otherwise known as the PGA Tour money list, declined the invitation. If Brett would have turned it down, they would have been forced to go out of the top ten to fill the spot. The fun atmosphere of The Skins Game is part of the reason fans come out to watch, but fans would much rather see Tiger and Phil having fun than Stephen Ames and Brett Wetterich.
And by "fun," we really mean "a lack of the tournament etiquette we're used to seeing at other events," as players continuously yuck it up with the gallery and their playing partners. It's commonplace to see some playful trash-talking and pros gunning for laughs as hard as they gun for birdies. It seems that fans get more enjoyment from the golfers' one-liners than golfers' one-putts, and cheer more for great punch lines than great punch shots. Who can forget Fred Funk donning a pink skirt after being out driven by Annika Soremstam in 2004 (from the same tees)?
Over the last few years The Skins Game has been falling down the slippery slope towards failure like a drunken greens keeper losing his footing on a wet fairway. In fact, that subject this year has been beaten-up worse than the last time Skins Game defending champion Stephen Ames squared off against the Tiger Woods at the Accenture Match Play Championship. (A humbled Stephen Ames: "I got my ass pummeled.")
You don't have to read past the title of this Desert Rat blog entry to see The Rat is obviously on par with the idea that The Skins Game has lost its clout. But I'd like to take it one step further by saying enough already! Let's just end it. At the pace The Skins Game is on they'll soon be extending invitations to the top dogs on the Nationwide Tour. Also, let's not forget that the good people of Indian Wells paid $1.4 million this year for the rights to The Skins Game. Now, we all know this is pocket change in Indian wells, but will they even sell enough tickets to hit the breakeven point? The venue was certainly aware Tiger would turn down the chance to play, but The Rat is certain they didn't think they would have to go as far as the relatively unknown Brett Wetterrich to fill the spot.
The committee has exercised a number of ideas to restore interest in the event. One of which was the idea to make the event women only. This was developed around the notion that "it might be better to have the best women in the world rather than a crop of mediocre men." It was also suggested that players put up their own money to raise the purse, which some of the gamblers on tour would have probably jumped at. This idea was shut down because of gambling regulations, but if passed it would have rid the event of the lackadaisical, at-times annoying (translation: fun) atmosphere that has become part of The Skins Game culture.
By failing to do something drastic to revive interest in The Skins Game, The Rat believes the committee agrees with him--They had a good run, but it's over. This is a two-day event over a holiday weekend with a meager one million dollar purse. The only thing that has kept the game's best coming back before the last few years is the tradition factor, but this tradition is fast diminishing as no names keep popping up in the pairing.
The original Skins Game in 1983 included of golf legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Tom Watson. Maybe they should have those four come back in 2009 for what The Rat thinks will be the final Skins Game. If they can't have the best, at least they can go out with a little showmanship.
And by "fun," we really mean "a lack of the tournament etiquette we're used to seeing at other events," as players continuously yuck it up with the gallery and their playing partners. It's commonplace to see some playful trash-talking and pros gunning for laughs as hard as they gun for birdies. It seems that fans get more enjoyment from the golfers' one-liners than golfers' one-putts, and cheer more for great punch lines than great punch shots. Who can forget Fred Funk donning a pink skirt after being out driven by Annika Soremstam in 2004 (from the same tees)?
Over the last few years The Skins Game has been falling down the slippery slope towards failure like a drunken greens keeper losing his footing on a wet fairway. In fact, that subject this year has been beaten-up worse than the last time Skins Game defending champion Stephen Ames squared off against the Tiger Woods at the Accenture Match Play Championship. (A humbled Stephen Ames: "I got my ass pummeled.")
You don't have to read past the title of this Desert Rat blog entry to see The Rat is obviously on par with the idea that The Skins Game has lost its clout. But I'd like to take it one step further by saying enough already! Let's just end it. At the pace The Skins Game is on they'll soon be extending invitations to the top dogs on the Nationwide Tour. Also, let's not forget that the good people of Indian Wells paid $1.4 million this year for the rights to The Skins Game. Now, we all know this is pocket change in Indian wells, but will they even sell enough tickets to hit the breakeven point? The venue was certainly aware Tiger would turn down the chance to play, but The Rat is certain they didn't think they would have to go as far as the relatively unknown Brett Wetterrich to fill the spot.
The committee has exercised a number of ideas to restore interest in the event. One of which was the idea to make the event women only. This was developed around the notion that "it might be better to have the best women in the world rather than a crop of mediocre men." It was also suggested that players put up their own money to raise the purse, which some of the gamblers on tour would have probably jumped at. This idea was shut down because of gambling regulations, but if passed it would have rid the event of the lackadaisical, at-times annoying (translation: fun) atmosphere that has become part of The Skins Game culture.
By failing to do something drastic to revive interest in The Skins Game, The Rat believes the committee agrees with him--They had a good run, but it's over. This is a two-day event over a holiday weekend with a meager one million dollar purse. The only thing that has kept the game's best coming back before the last few years is the tradition factor, but this tradition is fast diminishing as no names keep popping up in the pairing.
The original Skins Game in 1983 included of golf legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Tom Watson. Maybe they should have those four come back in 2009 for what The Rat thinks will be the final Skins Game. If they can't have the best, at least they can go out with a little showmanship.
1 comment:
Great point about the fading (lack)luster of the Skins Game. I do like the idea of an all-women's cast. If we could, let's turn it into a real Skins game and have these beautiful ladies not only win Skins but lose clothes along the way.
I'm not suggesting anything dirty-- the ladies could end up in bikinis, and if one were to lose yet another hole, she could either opt to quit or plunge into the nearest body of water and keep playing.
Michelle Wie will be 18 in another two weeks. What better way to celebrate than by participating in the ultimate Skins foursome with Natalie Gulbis, Carin Koch, and Grace Park?
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