After reading the site info., I'm concluding the following:
> The Loree Jon, and KOH events were/are simply pre-tour promotions. The contestants chosen, thereby, are a meaningless point of contention. The point is to announce the tour in a showcase-like venue.
> The KOH event, to culminate each year of play, will itself be a continual promotion of the tour and, in the future, will no doubt seed the best player of that year's tournament results whether it be by points, money, or some other measure for the year's finale event. IOW, if you're the best that season, you get a bonus. In some ways its like the PGA Tour Skins game. The best get a chance at more. And, just like the PGA Tour, the real winners are the Tour and its sponsers as (hopefully) they sign on. It cannot sustain any other way. Mr. "What's his name" is not going to write checks forever.
> The IPT rules say that the bottom 50 of the 150 players will be dropped each year and, along with the rest of us, will have a chance to qualify for the subsequent year's list. Remember, this year's initial selection of the 150 player is just that: An initial selection, it will change each year. If continued long enough, not one player presently named will be left to play. It will all have changed. They had to start somewhere, how could this initial selection possibly make everyone happy? Ultimately, participation will become and remain an earned position.
> The choice of game, equipment, its rules and reasons, all make sense to me. Brings us closer to a standardized baseline for performance and skill.
> It seems a good opportunity for the game. Only support, both by us players and commercial partners, can make this thing long term viable.
> IMHO, arguing / criticizing the the initial selections and promotional, pre-tour events seems to me to be missing the point.
> The Loree Jon, and KOH events were/are simply pre-tour promotions. The contestants chosen, thereby, are a meaningless point of contention. The point is to announce the tour in a showcase-like venue.
> The KOH event, to culminate each year of play, will itself be a continual promotion of the tour and, in the future, will no doubt seed the best player of that year's tournament results whether it be by points, money, or some other measure for the year's finale event. IOW, if you're the best that season, you get a bonus. In some ways its like the PGA Tour Skins game. The best get a chance at more. And, just like the PGA Tour, the real winners are the Tour and its sponsers as (hopefully) they sign on. It cannot sustain any other way. Mr. "What's his name" is not going to write checks forever.
> The IPT rules say that the bottom 50 of the 150 players will be dropped each year and, along with the rest of us, will have a chance to qualify for the subsequent year's list. Remember, this year's initial selection of the 150 player is just that: An initial selection, it will change each year. If continued long enough, not one player presently named will be left to play. It will all have changed. They had to start somewhere, how could this initial selection possibly make everyone happy? Ultimately, participation will become and remain an earned position.
> The choice of game, equipment, its rules and reasons, all make sense to me. Brings us closer to a standardized baseline for performance and skill.
> It seems a good opportunity for the game. Only support, both by us players and commercial partners, can make this thing long term viable.
> IMHO, arguing / criticizing the the initial selections and promotional, pre-tour events seems to me to be missing the point.