Maintaining meritocracy

Backers of the WM Phoenix Open make clear where their allegiances lie. Photo: Christian Petersen, Getty Images

We interrupt this week’s super-bowl-of-golf spectacle already in progress in Arizona with this public-service announcement: Will somebody please save the PGA Tour from itself before it’s too late?

Let’s back up just a second and explain before we get to the reason for the warning. The PGA Tour deserves immense credit for its on-the-fly reimagining of the 2023 schedule with the hasty creation of its lucrative “designated” events. Threatened by further poaching from rival LIV Golf and presented last year with a concept endorsed by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and a quorum of still-loyal stars, tour commissioner Jay Monahan acted quickly to build a schedule that makes his best remaining assets happy.

This week’s WM Phoenix Open is the first of five regularly scheduled events that were suddenly enhanced with $20 million purses to help bring together the PGA Tour’s brightest stars more often and ensure they don’t feel econom...