Tim Finchem to remain the PGA Tour Commissioner until 2016
The PGA Tour announced to extend Tim Finchem’s contract as a PGA Tour Commissioner till 2016.
The announcement was made after the negotiations between the players and the PGA Tour’s policy board members completed.
Finchem had to decide last year whether he would like to continue or finish his long career. He turned 66 in April.
Finchem was often heard joking about it, saying that he would now love to die as he has spent his whole life. However, he also stated that he did not say it on purpose.
He actually did not want it to end and expressed the desire to continue with the support of the players and the PGA Tour committee. He vowed that he would spend his life contributing to the game of golf.
"As long as our team here is comfortable with my leadership, then I will most likely be open to staying," he said. "But those are big ifs".
Conversely, ifs remained ifs and his contract has now been renewed. If he completes his service till 2016, his tenure will span 22 years with the PGA Tour as a Commissioner.
There have been three Tour Commissioners who have served the PGA since 1968. Finchem became the Commissioner in 1994 when Deane Beman quit after serving the Tour for 20 years.
Joe Dey was the first ever Commissioner when the PGA Tour broke away from the US Tour in 1968.
Looking at the governing periods of all three incumbents, Finchem has the most successful era, during which the PGA Tour underwent many improvements and achieved great success.
Some of the big achievements of his career are as follows: The formation of the World Gold Championships, the growth of the Presidents Cup, the FedEx Cup’s implementation, the movement of the Players Championship to May, and the amount of total purses increased
from $56 million in 1996 to $290 million in 2012.
Finchem is no doubt the best Commissioner of all and has gone through many troubles in his career, especially the recent global economic recession.
Everything was going against the PGA Tour when sponsors got their hands off the events and the networks pushed themselves back on the rights fee.
Yet, he did not panic and was seen using his leadership skills to keep the Tour running.
His contract extension will definitely help the PGA Tour excel further, and will hopefully offset recessionary effects as well.
Tags: