Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredguy123
How do you know that every tournament uses featured groups? I have never noticed it being used, except at The Masters with the oldtimers.
And, what are the rules for featured groups? If Scheffler doesn't want to play with Schauffele, can he opt out of the featured group? I think the fairest way to arrange the pairings is by random selection. This is just my opinion.
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Featured Group Considerations: For Signature Events, which attract significant media and fan attention, the PGA Tour often adjusts pairings to create "featured groups" for broadcast purposes. This isn’t explicitly detailed, but it’s widely understood that top players—based on FedExCup ranking, OWGR, recent performance, or star power—are grouped together to maximize viewership.
The PGA Tour avoids stacking groups with players of vastly different skill levels.
Have you ever seen Tiger or Scottie or Rory playing with a Monday qualifier?
It is also economics. Featured groups have cameramen and announcers walking with them for the entire round. If the pairings were random, would you want to send cameramen and announcers to three groups to watch Rory, Scottie, and Xander? Or is it smarter to put them together? And it makes it easier for the fans on the course.