No Fun Allowed

For an organization that presides over the top competitive level of a sport already in decline, the PGA Tour sure seems hellbent on sucking all of the fun out of the game. Particularly, and most notably, at the upcoming Waste Management Phoenix Open in Arizona. The annual tournament, held at TPC Scottsdale, is one of the most highly anticipated, non-major tournament on the PGA Tour schedule.

Why?

Because of this:

Watch a few minutes of that. Does that look like any golf tournament you've ever seen?

Each year, a stadium is erected around the entire 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale. Year in and year out, the 162-yard par-3 produces some of the best highlights of the season. The raucous crowd erupts as soon as a player tees off and it snowballs from there. With the possible exception of Ryder Cup crowds, no tournament produces more enthusiastic spectators or greater player interaction. So why is the PGA Tour intent on putting a lid on one of the only things that makes it more accessible to young fans?

First, they banned the caddy races. If you've never seen the caddy races, allow me to enlighten you. As soon as the players had played their tee shots, the caddies would take off in a race to the green. There wasn't really a reason for it, but it added to the spectacle of the 16th hole.

But, in 2013, the PGA Tour decided they would have no more of these shenanigans and promptly put an end to the caddy races. Citing concerns over the safety of the caddies (ridiculous), they banned caddies from racing from tee to green. In doing so, they put the kibosh on one of the most entertaining, non golf-related events ever to take place on a golf course.

Now, they've banned another 16th hole activity that fans have loved in the past. As has become tradition, players like Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler have enjoyed interacting with fans by throwing goodies provided by sponsors like Oakley and Puma into the crowd as souvenirs. Once again citing concerns over fan safety, the PGA Tour has decided to put an end to it by prohibiting players from, "...throwing, kicking or otherwise propelling items into the crowd at the 16th hole," and the players are not happy about it.

(Photo Credit to Alex Miceli on Twitter)

Far be it from me to tell PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem how to do his job, I can't even get my driver to do it's job, but it seems like the PGA Tour is trying to curtail one of the best and only things they have to connect with casual golf fans. The stadium hole was built for precisely this reason. It's designed to get more fans closer to the hole and more involved with the game. Outside of real harm being done by a flying pair of sunglasses, I can't see any logical reason to ban this kind of thing, but maybe thats just me.

Keep your head down.