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© St. Petersburg Times, published March 1, 2002
MIAMI -- A proposed new tour for major championship winners is raising more than a few eyebrows.
Especially because it would draw players from the PGA Tour and likely impact the Senior PGA Tour.
Fred Couples and his agent have put together a plan called the Majors Tour. It would include major championship winners between the ages of 37 and 55 for a tour of seven to 12 events per year.
They would be played at past major championship venues such as Merion and Winged Foot.
According to Golf World, players would be guaranteed a minimum of $500,000 for the year. Purses would about $2-million.
"I don't want to play the senior tour," Couples, 42, told the Los Angeles Times. "I don't want (PGA commissioner) Tim Finchem to say, "Come to this,' "Play this,' "Do this,' because I'm one of the new guys on the block.
"I don't want to have to play 20 times to make the senior tour go."
PGA Tour members are required to get releases to play in competing events, so it is likely any interested players would have to give up their Tour membership to compete in the new venture.
Greg Norman, who had the original idea for a World Tour in 1994, was skeptical.
"The PGA Tour, I'm sure, is going to do the same thing with Fred Couples they did with me," Norman said.
"I think this idea is very good, and it's warranted. But the players all supported me until the 11th hour. So let's see what happens. I will be very curious."
PLAYING SHORT-HANDED: Greg Kraft managed to get around Doral's "Blue Monster" course without a bogey despite going several holes without his 3-wood, which came loose during the round.
"The shaft came off, so I called an official," said Kraft, who shot 66 and is one behind leader Chris DiMarco. "He took it in, had it reglued, brought it back 15 minutes later. I had it back and then used it twice on the way in.
"The first swing I was kind of worried, but you got to hit it some time. I needed it."