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Comment by sithadmin | Hacker News Reader

>Does the PGA tour think they own these players?

To a certain extent, yes. They have a brand, and they attempt to protect it. Once you qualify and participate in the tour, you agree to their rules regarding appearances in unaffiliated tournaments.

This isn't limited to professionals on the tour either. The PGA is also basically a guild that sets the standards for professional course/club managers and teaching professionals, and keeping a job as either while maintaining PGA affiliation means abiding by their requirements as well. Choosing not to maintain PGA affiliation generally means you will not be hired by reputable golf courses.

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The PGA Tour and PGA are completely separate entities. The players split it off some time long in the past. This is why the PGA Championship (still run by the PGA) is a separate event from the Tour Championship.

At the end of the day, they are independent contractors - and the PGA is trying to enfornce that they aren't

Nothing wrong with it though. They have the rights to the tournaments and there's no obligation for the PGA to allow non-members in (with the exception of what they have setup for amateurs to compete in some tournaments)

Some of the tournaments, even being a PGA member you aren't entitled to play in. You have to earn exemptions or be at the top of the money list.

As a member of a youth sport league a long time ago, I was not allowed to participate in money tournaments even though I wanted to. I see no issue with guilds/clubs having rules. And I see no issue with some of the pros jumping ship to another league.

There are valid concerns with the PGA:

- how they share money

- the fact that they own the rights to the player's images/videos/etc

Those need to be addressed.

And I don't think banning players for doing other tournaments is the way to go, but I think it is within the right as their organization has had terms and rules for their members forever.

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