Mark Brazil Interview (4-9-20)

There have been critics this week of Major League Baseball plans being revealed of what they are trying to do in Arizona maybe by the end of the month of May. Dana White in the next week or so trying to hold a main event on a private island.

He's secured. Trying to find a way to get sports in amid COVID-19. Anything nowadays is going to be criticized on social media. But my opinion is sports needs to be... I think sports at its core, it inspires us.

It's something we use as an escape. Part of normal is sports. So I like the fact that these leagues are trying to establish plans, of course, with the understanding that, hey, we need to do our part in trying to flatten the curve and try to stay away from each other, at least for the time being. I like that they're establishing plans because what's not being talked about enough is the mental effect of everything that's happening.

Of course, the economic effects being talked about, the health effect. Mentally speaking, we need some things to look at at the end of the tunnel and sports is a part of that. So I like golf being a part of the leadership here saying, hey, here's our plan, tentatively what we're going to do moving forward. And we're now being joined by one of the leaders here in the Triad, Mark Brazel, the tournament director of the Wyndham Championship.

It was set to happen at the beginning of August, pushed back a week, now going to start on August 11th, according to these plans. Mark, what gives you optimism that in mid-August, we're going to be together at Sedgfield Country Club watching the Wyndham Championship? Well, Josh, I'm not sure what gives me optimism.

I just think that, you know, I'm kind of like you. I think that we as a country and probably the world, we need some outlets. We need to be able to watch some sports. And obviously, the PGA Tour pros, you know, they're just dying to get back out there and play.

But again, we've got to we've got to balance it and we've got to make sure that everybody's safe, especially the attendees and spectators. So, you know, we're very hopeful. That's all I can tell you right now. We're hopeful. And that's kind of where that's about where I am right now. What are pros telling you the biggest concerns they have are?

Well, you know, the PGA Tour pros know that the PGA Tour, they're going to do the right thing, you know, by the by the players, by the spectators, sponsors. And, you know, hopefully, you know, we here in the next, I don't know, four weeks, maybe six weeks, we we are able to kind of get not I'm not sure when we'll ever get back to normal, but at least have some sort of normalcy. Maybe maybe give this thing a try. And I'm not sure. I know they're wanting to try to start in mid-May for at the Charles Schwab Colonial down Fort Worth. I'm not sure that's going to happen. I don't know if that's going to happen or not. I would I think that's a little optimistic, but I could be wrong. But I would I could I could envision potentially, you know, looking at maybe like a mid-June or something like that, possibly. But again, right now, they're they're planning on going mid mid-May.

Whether it's mid-May or mid-June, let's assume just for the time being, the restart is without spectators. What is the biggest practical concern? Golf, the PGA Tour is looking at with, again, no fans being on the course. Well, obviously, you know, you still have to have not not a ton of volunteers, but you have to have a skeletal version of volunteers out there. Right. You you have a lot of people, you know, obviously you'll have one hundred and fifty six, one hundred or one hundred twenty players, their families, possibly their caddies and maybe their families.

There's still it's not obviously it's not like a lot of people, but it's we still have to think about, you know, kind of keeping some separation. But then the big one on that, in my opinion, is kind of like what I call the PGA Tour circus. You know, the PGA Tour shot link there. They're their staff that comes and helps run the event from a competition standpoint. They're there. Plus, you know, NBC, CBS or Golf Channel, they're always there.

And that's what they bring a big crew. It is Mark Brazel with us here. He's the tournament director of the Wyndham Championship on Twitter at Wyndham TD. This would have been the week we're talking about Augusta National.

We're talking about the Masters, considering all your years you've worked in golf. What's your what's the first memory that comes to mind when you think of the Masters? You know, my dad took me when I was a little kid and they were a they were my first memory. And this is what it was. I was like on the first hole and we were following Tom Weisskopf, who my father liked a lot.

And I remember I remember, you know, and all of a sudden there was a delay because of thunder. And I remember Weisskopf running next to me and said, come on, kid, keep up. And so I ran into the kind of up to the clubhouse with him and my dad and brothers behind me. But I'll never forget that.

So he actually Weisskopf didn't go into it because he was on the first hole. So he kind of jogged back. And so I jog. He kind of pulled me inside the roof and I jog inside with him. For people who haven't been to Augusta before, what's the thing that seeing it in person, you say, oh, man, television doesn't do this justice.

Well, yeah, I think that's I mean, I would say this, I think television does a great job with it. But when you get there, you know, I remember I took I took my I put my stepson to Augusta one day, maybe four or five years ago. And he looked at me and said, Mark, is this real grass?

I've never let go. But it looks so perfect. It was a beautiful day. And, you know, you just you look at it and you look at the property and you look at the golf course. Everything is in such tip top shape that that's that's not a bad question. You know, it looks almost artificial.

It's so perfect. How do you suspect it'll look in mid-November? It'll probably have a little different to it. But you know what? If there's anybody that can make it look, you know, like early spring, those guys down at those guys and the membership and the staff, mainly mainly, I say the staff down there can can do that. That superintendent and his crew, they can do it. I mean, they've got.

Obviously, you know, the resources to get behind it and make it look pretty good. I've been in I've been down there before in November where I had the real privilege of playing in November. And and, you know, it was obviously they weren't getting ready for a November Masters. So, you know, you tell these you tell them to get ready for a November Masters. It's going to be really good. So I'm not I'm not worried about that at all.

Yeah. And I think part of the reason they choose November, I've been reading a lot about it. It's it's not it's not as wet in the month of November. And on top of that, I do think it is going to be colder, obviously, in November than it would be in April. If that is the case, how do you think the course plays differently, Mark? Well, I've been I've been in at Augusta National in April for the Masters and there's been times where it's been plenty cold.

So it probably play well differently. I do think that if you think about the spring months versus the fall months, I kind of think that April and November probably are closest in temperature. And and, you know, if you try to play it in October, September, October, I don't think you really could get the Bermuda all out. And now they get more time to to make sure that this is ryegrass and just like we have it in April. So I kind of feel like April and November are most relatable as far as as marks of the year. Have you been able to play any or has this completely engulfed your life where you have to figure out all the little details in order to give the public the information they need about mid-August? Yeah, we've been pretty you know, it's just kind of like we're trying to figure out, obviously, as a staff, you know, what is this going to look like?

Because I mean, you know, we've when we say we're not a normal year when we're talking about what you look like, it's we're talking about, you know, little things. But now it's really major. And even if, you know, hopefully and our plans are to have sponsors and spectators there and fans.

And so but even with that, with with the pandemic, it's certainly done a number, you know, on the economy and and people's ability to to to buy things such as like tickets to a golf tournament and things like that. So we know that there's going to be we'll probably have a little downturn, but we're going to try our best to to, you know, like my boss said, he thinks this is Bobby Long tells me he thinks this is going to be the most important Wyndham championship we've ever had. And I totally understand that.

And I agree with it. I think it's important that we put our best foot forward. And, you know, we we really, you know, deliver a home run for the for the fans in the triad in North Carolina. What has Wyndham said to you about your partners with Wyndham said about the date being pushed back a week? You know, we we got on the phone with the tour, the the chief operating officer, the PGA Tour, I'd say three and a half weeks ago, and he basically asked us, you know, would this be OK? They gave us a couple different scenarios. And and both Bobby and Steve Holmes Wyndham said, look, this is going to be a very awkward year for everybody.

It's going to be different. So you just let us know what we can do that helps you the most. And I was on the phone just saying, yep, that's a great answer.

That's the perfect answer. Because, you know, the tour has been a great partner with us. Obviously, we're we're blessed to be a part of a PGA Tour and we've been a good partner to them.

This continues. And and we are used to we've we've have some you know, we're pretty familiar with being right after the PGA and right before the playoffs. That doesn't bother us. Considering what you just said there, how everybody kind of understands that this is going to be a weird year. And I think spectators and players get that as well. Why why do you think this is the most important Wyndham championship? Does it have something to do with how things shifted with the Wyndham rewards as well?

No, it has all to do with just what you were saying before you had me on. The world needs sports right now, you know, and that's a really important part of our psyche. And it's a great relief. And also, you know, we we especially in America, we really get into our sports. And, you know, I'm excited about some of these leagues talking about what what what can they do to get to get that going? Get something on TV for us. I would love to watch the NBA right now. It was crushing to not have the ACC men's tournament finish up in Greensboro and not having the first couple rounds of NCAA.

Those are crushing for us. But we all we all want to watch it. I love watching golf. This is this is one of my favorite days of watching golf, because it would still be going on right now down at Augusta if the Masters are being played. So I just feel like this is an opportunity that if we're able to have fans and sponsors and we put on a big show, we're we we are now one of those. We have a great field, I think, because the players are going to be wanting to play a lot.

They've been sitting a lot. They're going to want to play a lot coming in into August. So it's just a really it's an important event for us. So to show the show the world that North Carolina and Greensboro can can do this and put on a big show for everybody.

And we've discussed it before, Mark. Obviously, the ACC tournament means so much to the triad. And since it didn't return to the triad as regularly as it did in the past, the Wyndham, especially with the Wyndham Rewards top 10, it turned into the crown jewel sports wise, not just for the triad, but maybe even the state of North Carolina. Like that's how big this this weekend is every single year. And I think it would be it would be perfect if we have golf in the middle of August and we have it at Sedgfield Country Club. And I'm set up underneath Margaritaville, like I've been the last few years and we're talking about golf. I just appreciate you and also the leaders of the PGA Tour for giving us something to look at.

Heck, some might scoff at it and say, oh, man, there's going to be a revision down the line to it. I think it's just important that, hey, we tell people in the public these are some things that we can look forward to if we do our part. And I know there are so many questions that people ask and there's only so much that you can answer, but appreciate you spending the time with us today. Thanks so much for having me.

I am extremely hopeful and we are going to do whatever we can possibly do to deliver a first class event for the triad. It's good to hear your voice, Mark. Thanks for doing this. Thanks, Josh. Take care, buddy. You got it. That's Mark Brazel from the Wyndham Championship, the tournament director on Twitter at WyndhamPD.