The European Tour is pushing the envelope at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship this week. Well ... for golf, anyway. The Tour is experimenting with music on the driving range and first tee box just like the Ryder Cup uses for its pre-round action.
To promote the festivities, the Tour brought in a DJ to school Rickie Fowler, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson (a different D.J.) on how to properly find the beat. The results were ... something.
"We're in the entertainment business," European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley told the Associated Press. "As long as you are always conscious of the integrity and protection of the game's magic. But you are always looking to improve your product in any business that you run."
I'm in on this. I think it's a smart, fun idea that livens up the mood at these tournaments and makes them more fan friendly. The Ryder Cup rocks because of the golf, but the music certainly doesn't hurt your mood when you're on the course.
"There will be a time in five years when you'll say, 'You mean there was a time when music wasn't on the range?'" Pelley added. "I think the range represents a great opportunity that we have not explored in this game. It is a great opportunity for fans to sit and watch players and this unbelievable talent that they have."
"I liked it at the Ryder Cup," Stenson said. "We had the grandstands pumping every morning. I like warming up with music in the background for sure. I need some more practice, that's for sure. By the looks of it, so do my colleagues."
Yes, yes they do.
