Whoever replaces George O’Grady as the Chief Executive of the European Tour has a hard act to follow.
Look at the successes. He has negotiated good TV contracts, worked hard on the WGC events and pushed for more Europeans to earn spots in the Majors through the World Rankings.
He has also brought on board Volvo, BMW and Rolex, who have been great supporters of the Tour down the years.
It’s been too easy to criticise George in recent times, as he’s had to deal with some of the biggest problems in the Tour’s history.
Imagine if Florida stopped hosting events on the PGA Tour. That’s effectively what has happened in Spain. There were seven events in Spain in 2011 but just two this year. Is it George’s fault that the country has gone bankrupt?
The European Tour has had to cut its cloth accordingly and move further afield to Asia and South Africa to maintain a schedule. That’s not ideal, but the players would be moaning even more if there were no tournaments to fill the gaps.
The biggest problem is that Europe is always compared to the PGA Tour, which appears to get stronger every year. There are no lack of sponsors, big crowds, and life-changing amounts of money at stake each week.
European players seem to think it should be the same over here, but they need to get real. The reality is our stars are now full-time American players. Sponsors want guarantees of Rory McIlroy or Justin Rose to set up tournaments in mainland Europe, but George and his replacement, just can’t give those guarantees.
I’m sad to see him go but I’m pleased that he’ll have a role up until the Olympics because he made a big push for golf’s inclusion in Rio.
The decision for him to stand down is part of a new strategy at the head of the Tour. Neil Coles stepped down as Chairman and he’s been replaced by David Williams, who has a business background.
This new guy will have a major role in picking George’s successor. But there will be no magic wand because these are challenging times.
The PGA Tour is encroaching on our territory in Asia, while getting blue-chip sponsors will remain difficult.
Maybe then, George’s contribution to the European Tour will be better appreciated.
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