OT: LIV Golf and PGA Merge
- Thread starter Obliviax
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Matt Adams from the golf channel
“He seemed like a no brainer to go to LIV” – Fans react to rumors of Jon Rahm being in ‘advanced talks’ to join LIV Golf
News recently surfaced on the internet that Jon Rahm, the current World No. 2, has been in advanced discussion to join LIV Golf.
www.sportskeeda.com
Very good fields but not the BEST fields. Obviously those persons were wrong. LIV not only didn’t fail and instead in less than one calendar year the PGA increased purses, adopted more player friendly initiatives and ultimately agreed to a merger. I said months ago that Monohan’s “scorched earth” approach to LIV would backfire. But then again when push comes to shove it’s all about the money and not the perceived moral high ground
Et tu Brute. They stabbed McIlroy and the other faithful in the back. I would never want to be in a fox holes with those phonies. I guess 9/11 never happened.
Legacy? We're talking about guys that golf here right? People don't determine their legacy...others do. How is one less about skill? This may be your worst post ever.
Well, you are assuming the PGA could survive losing a lot of their stars until the stars suffer for not being able to play in the majors. Their viewership was down and there was starting to be pressure. At the same time, word hit the street that Rahm (one of the top two draws, with Scottie Scheffler) was signing imminently, further eroding the PGA's money/power.
Then you get to a mess: LIV sucks, nobody is watching the CW. PGA sucks, no household names or stars. The game suffers and much of the Tiger affect is lost.
You just have to assume the PGA and LIV, actually having the numbers, made the best possible decision.
If 𝚁𝚊𝚑𝚖 was going to defect the PGA had no choice. On the other hand, it is too bad that people that have no interest in the game and have a lot of money have a substantial influence over the game.
Man are you an apologist for them. Look, they ran into race issues a while ago and deep down where people don't want to talk about it I believe it still runs rampant with the southern white elitist boys club called the Masters executive committee or whatever they are called.
As far as the point about allowing or not allowing players to wear sponsored attire was to simply make a point that if they are so pristine to sponsors then they could demand their own dress code to not have sponsors. Yes, I realuze they don't make any money of that one way or the other.
I like watching the Masters don't get me wrong. I take issue when people hold them up to this holier than thou level. They collect a lot of money in sponsors albeit a few but they still have them and I am positive AT&T, IBM and maybe Mercedes not sure (maybe just the first two) spend a huge premium. more than any other tournament in terms of advertising cost. I guess there are less commercials than the PGA or U.S. Open and that makes you feel warm and fuzzy., great for you.
I have never been there as a "patron" so I guess it is some unbelievable experience that is light years ahead of say a U.S. Open because you pay 2 bucks left for a drink and don't see Coke anywhere.
To me, they come off as snotty, rich, priviledged. elitist, white southern men and that "equity" therefore extends to the tournament itself. You obviously disagree and I respect your opinion.
I think Chamblee and the PGA took the wrong tact. Instead of fighting LIV on the merits, they decided to go personal. The fact is, Saudi money is all over the USA. IMHO, they are certainly not the govt I'd like but neither is France, South Africa, China and Vietnam. Chamblee went personally HARD after LIV defectors, especially Michelson. He's be stupid to expect these guys to play footsie with him under the covers. I would expect him to be gone from the Golf Channel in the not too distant future.
I don't know how Monahan survives either but he has power. Chamblee will be sacrificed. We'll see if Monahan can recover. Monahan has the power to make nice with the players since he holds the money.
From what I am reading, Monahan has a lot of power moving forward. He can kill LIV, if he wants (assuming this gets through the feds). My guess is that LIV will get renamed and will become a separate tour. It will be interesting to see how the players get assigned to each tour. I can't imagine that the players are going to continue to make the money, without support, in LIV. Having said that, I am reading that sponsors are pouring in after the settlement was reached.
here is a pretty good take from Dan Lusk. He compares LIV as being the "Michael Scott Paper Company" and just when things were bleak, Dunder Mifflin called and purchased them.
I do wonder what LPGA players think though. Has anyone heard from them? The Saudi's are not the best when it comes to woman's rights so the LPGA women, not being very vocal, is interesting.
I do wonder what LPGA players think though. Has anyone heard from them? The Saudi's are not the best when it comes to woman's rights so the LPGA women, not being very vocal, is interesting.
so basically you think they are racist and therefore bad.
have the Saudi's purchased any major sports leagues teams yet? You would think that they would go after a NFL team, basketball team, etc...as a way to diversify their wealth fund as if they can start a complete golf league, buying into existing major league sports seems like a no brainer.
it's a good question. I know that a Russian oligarch owns or owned a big part of the NJ Nets. I think a lot more of this is going to happen. Imagine what Snyder made on the WFT after totally mismanaging it. If you've got a few billion to invest, a sports franchise seems to make a lot of sense. They've coined this phrase of money washing by using sports and are calling it "sports washing".
and, of course, we saw the NBA be very active in US minority rights issues but turned a blind eye to China's.
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Liv tournaments are only 54 holes and have gimmicks. Over time because the overall fields are weaker and the incentive to win is less (they make huge amounts of money no matter how good or bad their game is), the incentive to work hard, compete and sacrifice is less. The DJs of the world could just cruise along and do well financially even if their game deteriorated under the current Liv structure.
that is true. ultimately Saudi's are about making money. Chinese want to take over the world and put communism everywhere. big difference.
It's still skill..and haven't we seen that they are still as competitive when competing against those on the PGA tour?
Just an amazing golf tournament this weekend in the Canadian Open. Lots of top end players took the week off to prep for the US Open but lots of talent as well. A canadian drops a 72 foot putt on the fourth overtime hole against Tommy Fleetwood to win it. Its the first time a canadian won in five decades.
Great entertainment and just what the PGA needed this week. Upcoming is the USOpen at the LA Country Club. Being in LA, it will get a LOT of PR. In addition, the first major post merger (the merger major?) with all of the top names playing. Rory, Phil, Rahm, Brooks, Scottie, DJ, Speith, JT...Should be a VERY entertaining week.
Great entertainment and just what the PGA needed this week. Upcoming is the USOpen at the LA Country Club. Being in LA, it will get a LOT of PR. In addition, the first major post merger (the merger major?) with all of the top names playing. Rory, Phil, Rahm, Brooks, Scottie, DJ, Speith, JT...Should be a VERY entertaining week.
You beat me to the punch. I was going to comment that the Canadian Open golf tournament was what a real golf tournament is. It had history behind it in that a Canadian and won it in 69 years and was a riveting event because of the history and also because the player trying to win it has not been the top 20 player over the last 5 or 10 years. Nobody really cares whether someone wins the Liv New Jersey open or whatever. It is mostly moot now because Saudi money held by people with no interest in the game is now a player on the PGA tour.
Agreed. I'll never count out Rahm. But I'll have my eyes on Rory. He's had a tough week and taken a lot of crap. LIV has been vocal about Rory falling off on sundays, even though he has a pretty darn good record (4 majors and 23 PGA titles). There is a LOT of interest in seeing how he responds. Phil as well.
There is this notion that LIV won. In some ways, I agree. the players that took that money were proven correct. However, over the long run, I am not so sure. It will be interesting to see how those players interact.
It’s hard to argue with that line but I still favor Koepka. He finished second at this year’s Masters and won the PGA Championship in May. Plus he’s already won 2 US Opens. He’ll be hard to beat. After Koepka I like Scheffler and Hovland a lot.
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USOpen Tee Times out....
Rory and Brooks Koepka out at 4:54
www.pgatour.com
Rory and Brooks Koepka out at 4:54
Tee times announced for 2023 U.S. Open, Groups for Rounds 1 & 2 - PGA TOUR
Tee times have been announced for the opening two rounds of the 123rd U.S. Open, which begins Thursday at The Los Angeles Country Club (North Course).
www.pgatour.com
I don't even know what this is. It seems to me golf is struggling to find their next Tiger or Phil and has resorted to crazy stuff to get people interested. They should can the PGA commissioner. He sat on his hands, didn't evolve, didn't innovate, out of touch with his players, didn't listen and the LIV is born.
This is a royal mess. No wonder Monahan needed a break. What we have is an agreement to attempt to reach an agreement on a merger. All this accomplished so far was to put a halt to the litigation, which was setting up to be mutually assured destruction. Meanwhile, tournaments and sponsors for next year don't know what to do. These tournaments are not thrown together in a matter of a few months. The players committee has no details, the PGA tour looks rudderless, and Congress is threatening anti-trust review.
Agreed. PGA had the tour and name. LIV had the money. The two of them would have destroyed each other and came to an agreement to work together. What that means, nobody knows. I don't think they know either.
which is what they always do for soundbites and show. then nothing comes of it.
You make it sound like they are being taken over by a better run business. Give me a freakin break. They are basically being raided by a foreign country that couldn’t care less about whether the tour is a sound financial investment. It’s more about a towel head wanting to stand behind apple pie and fireworks saying “ look at what a sand dude I am”?
Very few business could with stand such a corporate attack, especially with our legal system that allows lawsuit after lawsuit.
Well, our government went to bed with the Saudi's, begging them for more oil! Why shouldn't individual golfers make $$$ from them?
Justin Thomas was ranked 71 but the cut was 70 to make the FedEx Cup (playoffs starting next week) and probably a spot in the Ryder Cup team.
So yesterday, on 18, he new he needed a birdie to make the top 70. he tees off into the trees and is in the pine straw with a tree in the way. He hits a wicked hook that one announcer, on the tour for 20 years, said that was in the top five shots he's ever seen. (he still manages to get in a club twirl)
He then hits the pin but it doesn't fall for the birdie while his grandmother looks on. He finishes at 71 and is out (however, I wonder how many players in the top 70 have been asked if they are feeling OK and may need to drop out, for a few shackles).
So yesterday, on 18, he new he needed a birdie to make the top 70. he tees off into the trees and is in the pine straw with a tree in the way. He hits a wicked hook that one announcer, on the tour for 20 years, said that was in the top five shots he's ever seen. (he still manages to get in a club twirl)
He then hits the pin but it doesn't fall for the birdie while his grandmother looks on. He finishes at 71 and is out (however, I wonder how many players in the top 70 have been asked if they are feeling OK and may need to drop out, for a few shackles).
It doesn't matter...if 3 guys drop, then it will just be 67 guys teeing off this week. It's not like other weeks where alternates fill in the gaps...finishing 71st means he's out.
Meanwhile, the winner of yesterday's LIV tournament at Greenbrier wom $4,000,000 + team share.
Jim Furyk, whose record of 58 for a round was tied by LIV's DeChambeau yesterday, was asked what he thought about it and he said "well, my counted". LOL
The Saudi's paid for good PR via LIV and they got it. They achieved their objectives and will continue to do so with their investment.
