Tim Finchem Two-Step

Overlooked in the excitement about Tiger Woods hosting a PGA Tour event in Washington on the Fourth of July weekend was the fact that tour commissioner Tim Finchem apparently neglected to talk to the rest of the players about the proposed limited-field event.

Rich Beem, who won the Kemper Open in 1999, told Doug Fergus of The Associated Press that he was “insulted” that Tiger’s AT&T National would be an invitational tournament that could be limited to 105 to 120 entrants. “It’s the most totally wrong thing I’ve heard in a long time that’s sticking it to the players,” Beem said.

Brad Faxon said he was “shocked” when he heard Finchem suggest that the tournament would have a smaller field similar to events hosted by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. “We’ve got players looking for spots and we’re replacing a tournament (Booz Allen Classic) that has a full field,” Faxon said. “With the amount of tournaments we have that are invitationals it doesn’t make sense to do more.”

My buddy Mike was unimpressed by the whining players. "Tell them to get better," he said.

Finchem danced around the subject at the announcement news conference saying details had not been worked out but he suggested he favored a smaller field because the stifling summer heat in Washington would no doubt lead to slow play. Faxon and Beem, members of the Tour Player Advisory Council, said they intend to raise the issue with the Tour Policy Board.

Stay tuned. It will be interesting to see if Finchem, who wants to keep his number one star happy, sticks it to the rest of his players.


Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Mike Hill.