Why We're (Cautiously) Optimistic About the PGA Tour's Designated Events


This week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open is the PGA Tour’s first full-field “designated event.” The designated-event series, created in response to LIV Golf’s attempts to lure the world’s top male players with guaranteed paydays, will transform the Tour’s structure in ways that are hard to predict. After discussing the Phoenix Open and its better-than-you-might-think venue, Andy and Garrett explain why they’re excited about designated events, both as a product and as a catalyst for change on the PGA Tour. In the second half of the episode, they address some of their lingering questions about the series, and Andy lays out a pitch for each event’s field size and qualification criteria.