Mark Brazil Interview (4-9-20)

Parenting 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 secured trying to find a way to get sports in a big Tobin 19 I get 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 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 are 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 effects but 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 to golf be in the part of the leadership here saying hey here's our plan tentatively what were going to do moving forward and were now being joined by one of the leaders here in the triad marked razzle. The tournament director of the Wyndham championship. It was set that happened at the beginning of August pushed back a week now get a start on August 11.

According to these plant Mark what gives you optimism that in midmonth mid August were to be together at Centerville country club watching the Wyndham championship garden.

I'm not sure what give me optimism. I do think it, like you, I think it really weaves the country and probably the world made we need from our community be able to watch and support group and obviously the PGA Tour pros innovate their urgent Diane get back out there and play. But again, we gotta get a balance with regard make sure that buddy say the attendees and spectators so very hopeful that's all I can tell you right now are hopeful and, were that's not where I am right now. What are pros telling you the biggest concerns they have are well noted. The PGA Tour pros noted PGA Tour, the third to the right thing in Nevada required by the spectators. Dr. and hopefully you know we here in the next four weeks, maybe six weeks. We we are able to kind of get not not sure when we'll ever get back to normal.

But at least half of the many get this thing a try. I'm not sure.

Another 100 try to start in mid-May for at the Charles Schwab colonial down Fort Worth. I'm not sure that her happen. I don't know if that could happen or not. I would, I think that you want to let them I could be wrong but I wouldn't I could I could envision particularly you know looking at maybe like a mid June like that possibly begin right now under their plan on going mid midnight, whether it's mid-May or mid-June. Let's assume, just for the time being a 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. Note, you still have to have not not, volunteers we have to have a skeletal version of volunteers out right you you have a lot of people no obvious you have 150 600 and 420 players, their families, possibly their caddies and maybe their families, but like a lot of people, but it's still have to think about, keeping some separation, but the big one on that. My opinion is Kauai glycol of PGA Tour circus another sought link there. There there staff that comes and helps run the event competition standpoint there. There plus yelp, NBC, CBS, or golf Channel. They're always there, and activate bring a big crew. It is marked razzle with this year.

He's the tournament director of the Wyndham championship on Twitter at Wyndham TD. This would've been the week were talking about Augusta national were talking about the Masters. Considering all your years you worked in golf. What's your what's the first memory that comes to mind when you think of the Masters.

My dad took me about a little kid and they were great.

They were my first memory and district like on the first hole we were following, wife call my father like a lot.

I remember you knowing and all of a sudden there was a delay because of thunder, and I remember why Scott running next to me and said come on kid. Keep up and so I ran into the cottage up to the the clubhouse with him. My dad and brothers behind her little significant soak he actually why Scott didn't go in the parcels we kind jogged back in front yard become a proponents of the root. The people who haven't been to Augusta before. What's the thing that seeing it in person. You say all man television doesn't do this justice will think that I would say this, I think of it doesn't great job with it, but when you get there, you know, a member I took my my stepson to Augusta one day maybe four or five years ago. He looked at me and said market is this real graph perfect day you look at it you look at the property and you look at the golf everything to do such tiptop shape that that's not a bad question know it looks almost artificial with so perfect how you suspect that a looked in mid-November have a little different to do it but you know what if there's anybody that can make it look you know like early spring, those guys down it goes garden membership in the staff mainly mainly save staff down that superintendent and his crew. They can do it when they got obviously know the resources to get behind it and make it look pretty good. I didn't I've been down there for mid-November why I got had the real privilege of planning November and you know it was getting ready for a November Masters so you know you you you tell me you tell them to get ready for November Masters is really not I'm not worried about it. Oh 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 help at that.

I do think it is good 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 there I've never met him at Attica macro in April.

Masters and very hard-working clinical go to quibble different. I do think that if you think about the spring months versus the 12 month think that April and November probably are closest in temperature and and you try to play it in October September October. I don't think you really could get the you all out now to get more time to make sure that this is ryegrass and just like we have it in an April 2. I feel like a proven November are you most relatable. As far as months of the year.

Have you been able to play any more. 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 target yellow event print and it just got alike were trying to figure out obviously as a staff you know what is going to look like you're coming know we when we say we run a normal year over talk about what you look like it's talking about, you know little things but now it's really major.

And even if you hopefully in our plans are to have sponsors and spectators. Their fans and so even with that would with the pandemic. It certainly done a number know on the economy in and people's ability to device things such as like biggest about turning things like that so we we know that there's going to be what will probably have a little downturn but were going to try our best to to know like my boss said he thinks his uncle he think is most important when and I totally understand that and I agree with it. I think it's important that we put our best foot forward and we we really know deliver a home run for the fans in the Triad in North Carolina. What is Wyndham said to you about your partners with Wyndham said about the date being pushed back a week know we we got on the phone with the tour go see the chief operating officer Peter tour for three and half weeks ago and he basically asked us you know.

Would this be okay scenarios and in both Bobby and Wyndham look very awkward year for everybody to be different so you just let us know what we can do that helps you most and I was on the phone and send you a great partner with were blessed to be a part of PGA Tour and continue and we are used. We we we have some you know were pretty familiar would be in right after the PGA and right before the playoffs but the 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 are not 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 know it has all grew with what you you had me on the world sports right now know and that's a really important part of our psyche and it's a great root in a relief and also we leave America we really get indoor sport and you know I'm I'm excited about some of these leagues talk about what what what can I do to get to get that going get something on TV for so would love to watch the NBA right now I would. It was crushing to not have ACC men's tournament finish up in Greensboro and not having the first couple rounds of NCAA crushing for us, but we all, we all want to watch.

I love watching golf favorite days of watching golf would still be going on right now I've got a Masters in think like you like this is an opportunity that if were able to have fans and sponsors and we put on a big show where were we. We are now one of those we have a great field.

I think because the players are to be wanting to play allotted the been seeing a lot of play a lot coming in in the August so it's really an important event for us.

So show. The show the world that North Carolina and Greensboro can can do this and put on a big show for everybody and was disgusted before Mark obviously the ACC tournament means so much to the Triad and since it didn't turn to the Triad as regularly as it did in the past, the Wyndham, especially with the Wyndham rewards.net it turned into the crown jewel sports why not just for the tribe.

Maybe even the state of North Carolina.

Like that's a 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 such real country club and I'm set up underneath Margaritaville given the last few years and were 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 got it and say all of Manderson to be a revision down the line. Do 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 work and I know there were 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 :-( I am extremely hopeful and we are going to do whatever we can possibly do to deliver a first class of for the Triad to hear your voice. Mark, thanks for doing this. Thank you thank you but you got it. That's my frazzled from the Wyndham championship tournament director on Twitter at Wyndham TD