By Tom Beattie
Rickie Fowler has teased that he feels the game of golf can evolve to become a more compelling entertainment package for fans in the future amid the investment from SSG in the PGA Tour.
A tumultuous couple of years in the sport did appear to have been heading towards a truce last summer as the American circuit agreed a merger with the rebel LIV Golf tour and the DP World Tour. However, the deadline for a binding agreement passed on December 31, with hopes persisting of a deal in March, as per NBC.
Amid the uncertainty as The Masters approaches in April, a major development for the PGA Tour has been the landmark $3 billion (£2.3bn) commitment from SSG (Strategic Sports Group). The backing of the consortium, formed of investors such as Fenway Sports Group - owners of Liverpool FC and the Boston Red Sox \- will see the for-profit arm of the American tour eventually established.
Now, Fowler has given his verdict on the prospect of new riches on offer and the impact this may have. Initially, the American admitted he did not see himself as a visionary in this area, saying: "I mean, I’d say luckily I haven’t had to think about that too much, I haven’t been as involved as some of the guys like Tiger [Woods] and [Patrick] Cantlay.
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"I’m excited about the partnership because I feel like there’s some very smart and influential people part of that SSG group that I feel like ultimately can help the Tour evolve and head in a potentially better direction and be in a better position for the future," he continued.
"As far as big ideas, not necessarily. That’s a rabbit hole we could go down," he revealed as he remained coy on the subject, before explaining: "No, I feel like ultimately we’re in the entertainment business, and we’ve got to figure out a better way to entertain our fans and it come across better on TV.
"How we do that, I don’t exactly know, but like I said, I feel like with the people that are involved, I definitely trust the guys, the players that have been involved, and I feel like the guys — especially since they’re not just golf guys, I think they have enormous respect for the game of golf."
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Fowler also addressed whether he believed that golf is primed as a sport for growth and evolution, especially in light of the changes in the game's landscape in recent times. The American asserted: "I think within reason but at the same time, like you said, it’s also a very traditional sport with traditional tournaments, 72 holes, cut going into the weekend.
“I do feel like, say if the season is kind of where it’s at, with the January to August, is there ways to do different things in the fall, but I also at the same time I feel like there needs to — we kind of have to create the want for golf. Right now, you can basically watch golf every week of the year for the most part. There’s not really an offseason.
“I feel like with other sports, people can’t wait for football preseason to start up, and that’s just preseason. The games don’t really matter a whole lot. Something along those lines to create a little bit more of a demand for golf because depending on how you want to talk about it, is the product potentially diluted with how much golf is available."