LIV Golf

[Foxholer]

The players will play anyway, the PGA can't actually prevent them from doing so, but they can take retrospective action I beleive....

Not 'retrospective' action, but consequential action!

I believe the fact they’ve signed contracts which prevent playing another tour in the USA means that the players can’t play the LIV tour.

Players can request permission to play on a conflicting Tour - as has been done by a sizeable number of players to play LIV events. The PGA Tour doesn't need to acceed to that/those request(s) - and they have declined them.
Unless injunctions are obtained, only 'consequential' action - such as sanction for breach of contract, which might result in ejection from The Tour - can be applied.

That (the first LIV event in US) will be the time when players will have to decide which tour they are going to commit to. The Centurion event is merely a warm-up!

 

[sunshine]

I believe the fact they’ve signed contracts which prevent playing another tour in the USA means that the players can’t play the LIV tour.

I guess the point is that the PGA Tour is not going to physically stop them playing. Garcia etc can turn up at Centurion, earn a shed load of Saudi money, then give the PGA Tour the finger when they get banned.

 

[sunshine]

It will be funky, faster, music playing, more banter with the players, more jeapordy (money if you like), and if it's going to be streamed to the world for free, millions are going to sit down and watch it that wouldn't normally.

You have to stop looking at it in from a traditional golfers point of view, and look at it with an open mind - and how the exisiting game can be amended to make it more interesting to a wider audience.

Have you been to many tour events? Most of the off course entertainment listed is all stuff I’ve typically seen at every event I’ve been to in the last 10 years.

What I’m hearing is :
- 3 days instead of 4 (that won’t change anything)
- Team event with a draft (artificially generated teams that nobody cares about adds nothing)
- Shotgun start obviously gets everyone on the course together, so there will be a lot of action simultaneously and it will be harder to follow live or on tv. On the plus side there is a lot of dead time for the last few holes in a traditional tournament so this could be a bonus.
- stroke play format like any other tournament.

Bottom line, I’m not really seeing anything that moves the dial, it’s just too similar to the week in week out golf already on show.

In my opinion the golf sixes , also at Centurion, was far more innovative and also had teams representing their own country, which generated more passion for the players and spectators.

 

[AussieKB]

Where is the Players Union in all this, surely they would be supporting their members earning more money ?
plus with members playing in a LIV event that opens up more spots on the PGA for their members, a win win situation.

 

[sunshine]

I wonder if the LIV golfers will have to wear the Newcastle (away) kit to demonstrate their support for the sponsors

 

[Deleted member 25172]

I wonder if the LIV golfers will have to wear the Newcastle (away) kit to demonstrate their support for the sponsors

As long as it comes in a hoodie version so it can grow the game then I’m all for it.

 

[sunshine]

As long as it comes in a hoodie version so it can grow the game then I’m all for it.

More likely a burqa than a hoodie.

You need to Google the Newcastle kit ?

 

[Deleted member 25172]

More likely a burqa than a hoodie.

You need to Google the Newcastle kit ?

I’ve unfortunately already seen it. The classic white/green Newcastle combo.

 

[Depreston]

Yeah the format seems poor

 

[Backsticks]

I am wondering how it sees making itself relevant.

It wants established names, not newbies. So at the moment seems to be limited to attracting has beens, names of the past, and some middle ranking 50-150 OWGR level golfer. So a sort of Seniors tour, and some younger non stars of the Garrigus type. The money is irrelevant to us the spectator, so us really only offering a sort of Masters tournament with all the good golfers who would make it a credible competition, not there.

Without a very significant cohort of world top 10 and top 50 joining it en masse, it is just a bit of demonstration or pro-am invitational golf.

Could they get Gary Player and Ben Crenshaw or someone as honorary starters maybe ?

 

[MarkT]

Not the biggest news or surprise but Bland definitely playing at Centurion, ban or no ban.

In other/even more news on the Saudi league Shipnuck said this: “A prominent Tour agent recently confided that he is hearing Norman is on the outs with the Saudis, which would be another wild development in this saga. If a leadership change is imminent with LIV Golf, that would be all the more reason for Mickelson to pass on the PGA Championship and take more time to assess a chaotic situation.”

So maybe Phil will be the new face of it all despite the crazy moth....

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It would not be a huge surprise if Norman was ousted. He has been very confrontational and the Saudi's may want a softer approach going forwards.

 

[need_my_wedge]

Had an email from our club today, passing on an email from the Centurion asking if anyone wants to volunteer to help out at the LIV Golf event, and/or the ARAMCO TEAM Series the week after.

 

[Swango1980]

I am wondering how it sees making itself relevant.

It wants established names, not newbies. So at the moment seems to be limited to attracting has beens, names of the past, and some middle ranking 50-150 OWGR level golfer. So a sort of Seniors tour, and some younger non stars of the Garrigus type. The money is irrelevant to us the spectator, so us really only offering a sort of Masters tournament with all the good golfers who would make it a credible competition, not there.

Without a very significant cohort of world top 10 and top 50 joining it en masse, it is just a bit of demonstration or pro-am invitational golf.

Could they get Gary Player and Ben Crenshaw or someone as honorary starters maybe ?

Although they want big names, maybe it really doesn't matter. If they have the money, they can just splash it into the pot. Whether it is has beens, journeymen, elite amateurs or even rubbish golfers like us, they win thousands, if not millions if they win the event. No different to something like "Who Want's to be a Millionaire" I suppose, in that winners get showered with money and it becomes a bit of a game, rather than purely elite competitive sport. After it has run a while, either it will die out due to boredom, or the money will run out. Or, better and better golfers might start to think "I fancy a piece of that". I don't know, if players like Hunter Mahan, Jeff Overton, Martin Kaymer (just thinking of has beens, not that they have actually confirmed) start winning millions, someone like Rickie Fowler or Danny Willet could be tempted, fancying their chances. And, if they start doing well, players like Matthew Fitzpatrick or Patrick Reed may fancy a go. And, then the likes of Bryson DeChambeau / Brooks Koepka could fancy a go, and so on.

In other words, I'd expect many of the top players to remain loyal with the PGA, at least for now. However, I can see a lot of players who would be considered middle of the pack to be tempted. If that drags them away from PGA, that could leave an uncompetitive gab between the best players on the PGA and the ones in behind them. As time goes on, more and more from the PGA would be tempted across, until not even the most loyal PGA servant could be persuaded to avoid the alternative.

It seems to have potential to shake up golf. If it does, clearly it would be all about the money, as there is no other reason why elite golfers would want to compete away from the PGA (i.e. missing out on prestigious golf events against their fellow best players, and missing out on good world ranking points).

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Although they want big names, maybe it really doesn't matter. If they have the money, they can just splash it into the pot. Whether it is has beens, journeymen, elite amateurs or even rubbish golfers like us, they win thousands, if not millions if they win the event. No different to something like "Who Want's to be a Millionaire" I suppose, in that winners get showered with money and it becomes a bit of a game, rather than purely elite competitive sport. After it has run a while, either it will die out due to boredom, or the money will run out. Or, better and better golfers might start to think "I fancy a piece of that". I don't know, if players like Hunter Mahan, Jeff Overton, Martin Kaymer (just thinking of has beens, not that they have actually confirmed) start winning millions, someone like Rickie Fowler or Danny Willet could be tempted, fancying their chances. And, if they start doing well, players like Matthew Fitzpatrick or Patrick Reed may fancy a go. And, then the likes of Bryson DeChambeau / Brooks Koepka could fancy a go, and so on.

In other words, I'd expect many of the top players to remain loyal with the PGA, at least for now. However, I can see a lot of players who would be considered middle of the pack to be tempted. If that drags them away from PGA, that could leave an uncompetitive gab between the best players on the PGA and the ones in behind them. As time goes on, more and more from the PGA would be tempted across, until not even the most loyal PGA servant could be persuaded to avoid the alternative.

It seems to have potential to shake up golf. If it does, clearly it would be all about the money, as there is no other reason why elite golfers would want to compete away from the PGA (i.e. missing out on prestigious golf events against their fellow best players, and missing out on good world ranking points).

Is money not the driving force outside of the big majors anyway? Is it not more prestigious to win a national open on the European Tour than the John Deere Classic in wherever? Players go to the PGA tour now because of the riches involved, not because winning a tournament in Arkansas means anything.

 

[fundy]

Is money not the driving force outside of the big majors anyway? Is it not more prestigious to win a national open on the European Tour than the John Deere Classic in wherever? Players go to the PGA tour now because of the riches involved, not because winning a tournament in Arkansas means anything.

Think theres a nuance to this theory imo. They go to the US tour also for the higher ranking points available which bolsters their world ranking and gets them entry to the biggest tournaments (Majors and WGCs), which in turn makes it even easier to earn ranking points and thus more money . Much harder to get higher up the rankings without playing a lot on the US tour (currently 34th ranked Pieters the highest I think without PGA tour rights?)

 

[AussieKB]

Most golfers are in it for the money, when you get to the elite status then it's about the majors, so let's just be honest about this.

 

[Swango1980]

Is money not the driving force outside of the big majors anyway? Is it not more prestigious to win a national open on the European Tour than the John Deere Classic in wherever? Players go to the PGA tour now because of the riches involved, not because winning a tournament in Arkansas means anything.

That is my point. As others pointed out, it is why most, if not all, of the best players in the world play on the PGA Tour. However, they won't immediately move across the the Saudi run events simply because of the money, because they risk out on their long term financial security (the PGA is already very lucrative, especially to the best and most consistent players), missing out on the prestigious events and, importantly for them, world ranking points.

However, if some of the lower ranked golfers start to trickle across, because it really does make financial sense for them, it would probably create some momentum in dragging more and more top golfers across. So, money will be the only real factor in attracting players to it. As more and more do, the PGA events will seem less and less prestigious due to weakened fields, whilst LIV becomes more and more prestigious due to stronger fields. This could be the excuse the best players make if they finally hop across, although ultimately the money is the driving force. And, it usually is in all walks of life.

 

[AussieKB]

Money talks losers walk

 

[BubbaP]

I am wondering how it sees making itself relevant.

It wants established names, not newbies. So at the moment seems to be limited to attracting has beens, names of the past, and some middle ranking 50-150 OWGR level golfer. .....

If accurate, seems there have been attempts
https://www.golfmonthly.com/news/alex-fitzpatrick-turns-down-dollar2m-to-join-saudi-league