The future of the PGA Tour? It's not Tiger

With the Masters approaching and my annual Fantasy Masters game kicking off next week (a fantasy game between friends designed to mimic a college team tournament), I have been thinking a lot about who the front-runners are for the green jacket.

After your obvious picks like Tiger Woods (who knows what we'll see from him), Phil Mickelson (who should turn it around just in time), and the resurgent Ernie Els (who is coming off back-to-back wins), I think there are a couple of lesser known (to the casual fan, at least) players who might use Augusta National to start leaving their inevitable and indelible mark on the game next weekend. But we'll get to that later...

The international contingent of the Tour has been exceptionally strong this year, and I do not see the Masters being any different. The future of the game, for better or for worse, expands far beyond the United States.

Tiger Woods is a major star and essentially carries the Tour as has done so for the last 13 years or so; his latest break from the game gives rise to the question, "How would the Tour survive without Tiger?" After all, he a perishable good - it can't last forever.

Scoop Jackson of ESPN actually wrote a column this week comparing the PGA's future predicament to that of the NBA when Michael Jordan retired. Of course, basketball was lucky after superstars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James took the stage. But part of what makes Kobe and LeBron so good for the NBA is not that talent, which is undoubtedly considerable in both case; it is the NBA's willingness to market the players as the best players. David Stern and his team pull no punches marketing-wise when it comes to displaying the best players in the sport. A revolving door of big names and familiar faces drives the NBA, and while I am not a huge fan of the league myself, I respect the approach because it seems to work well with the organization's target demographic.

The PGA Tour should do the same. The difference in the case of golf is it is more difficult to market individuals from other parts of the world in the United States. However, there is already enough evidence of golf's international presence that the Tour must factor this in. If the PGA Tour was wise, I would definitely suggest implementing long-range plans for enhancing the images (states-side) of two young international players, who happen to also be two great picks for next week's Masters tournament:

Rory McIlroy

At only 20 years old, I cannot remember a more obvious young talent since Tiger Woods. While he may not quite yet have the same killer instinct of Woods, I think he's more naturally talented - yes, I just said that and believe it, too. He has the entire package the best part is the amount of career he has left. Investing in this young man will be paying back for MANY years to come.

Camilo Villegas
Camilo Villegas has got it all - a great game with a plethora of shots in the bag. He pulls in women (well, for obvious reasons - come on guys) which is a crucial growth point for the game as well as opens up a fairly new market to the PGA Tour - Latin America. By the time Villegas is done with his professional career, I believe he will be far and away the most accomplished South American to ever play.

Of course, either of these men winning next weekend would go a long way to improving the their marketability - something the PGA Tour should definitely keep an eye on.