LIV Golf

[sunshine]

Yeah they’ve pulled it out of the bag this week. Looks like a decent field. I’m guessing a few weeks ago they only had a few has beens, and then PIF stepped in and threw more money at it to save it from being embarrassing to the Saudi sportswashing project

 

[AussieKB]

If DJ and the like are being paid mega millions as appearance money, will they even bother too much about how they play in the event. They clearly don't need to compete for the prize money as its small change, even given their personal greed, and there is little "professional glory and status" attached to these events given the field (unlike the majors etc.).
Would be quite funny (and quite possible in my view) that DJ and co are nowhere near the leaderboard.........hopefully

Is that like Tiger who commanded 1 million US dollars for appearance money for many years, to play in Australia New Zealand Asia and the Middle East as well ?

 

[PJ87]

Is that like Tiger who commanded 1 million US dollars for appearance money for many years, to play in Australia New Zealand Asia and the Middle East as well ?

It's fine. Everything the PGA tour has done that was questionable is fine and the DP world tour aswell, so long as the money doesn't come in from the Saudis

Oh wait....

 

[AussieKB]

It's fine. Everything the PGA tour has done that was questionable is fine and the DP world tour aswell, so long as the money doesn't come in from the Saudis

Oh wait....

And of course Rory would never play in the Middle East.......and accept their money.

 

[rksquire]

As Rory said - there are Real Tournaments going on this week at the Memorial and next Week at the Canadian Open where the fields are strong

https://twitter.com/x/status/1532028128264069120

Fields are strong but the rewards are less. This is exactly the reason why temptation will be hard to resist for many - guaranteed riches without competing against the best.

Rory, much as I love him, is really struggling with his narrative and position on this. It's not 'dead in the water'. DJ has flip flopped. McIlroys not jumping up & down about the field, yet it contains his mentor, mates and Ryder Cup stalwarts - his defence of his PGA Tour (where was that loyalty for the ET when it needed him?) is flimsy and putting him in a difficult personal situation. If he wasn't defending champion I doubt very much if he'd be at Canada next week.

 

[Barking_Mad]

I used to enjoy watching the best players playing on the European tour, but they all left for the PGA Tour..................for money.

Thanks for proving my point. ??

 

[rksquire]

Average world ranking of the players named so far : 304

Top 10 - 0
Top 20 - 2
Top 50 - 4
Top 100 - 16

That's interesting - 4 Players inside the Top 50. Without a ball being hit, LIV is already surpassing an established tour - a tour that the PGA Tour managed to destroy due to the promise of riches in the USA. The ET tour this week has managed to attract ONE player inside the Top 50. I know Jack's competition is up against it, but let's be honest the field for 80% of ET events is shocking.

 

[Mel Smooth]

That's interesting - 4 Players inside the Top 50. Without a ball being hit, LIV is already surpassing an established tour - a tour that the PGA Tour managed to destroy due to the promise of riches in the USA. The ET tour this week has managed to attract ONE player inside the Top 50. I know Jack's competition is up against it, but let's be honest the field for 80% of ET events is shocking.

There are only a few events on the ET that hold much interest for the majority, it's essentially a feeder tour for the PGA Tour these days.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

There are only a few events on the ET that hold much interest for the majority, it's essentially a feeder tour for the PGA Tour these days.

It always had been.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Nothing at all to do with the accumulation of wealth and everything to do with Rory not supporting the European Tour, which of course, was my original point.

Rory has supported the ET many times including hosting the Irish Open a number of times - this time he is choosing to support charities

And your original point was talking about just looking for money as opposed to “supporting a tour”

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Fields are strong but the rewards are less. This is exactly the reason why temptation will be hard to resist for many - guaranteed riches without competing against the best.

Rory, much as I love him, is really struggling with his narrative and position on this. It's not 'dead in the water'. DJ has flip flopped. McIlroys not jumping up & down about the field, yet it contains his mentor, mates and Ryder Cup stalwarts - his defence of his PGA Tour (where was that loyalty for the ET when it needed him?) is flimsy and putting him in a difficult personal situation. If he wasn't defending champion I doubt very much if he'd be at Canada next week.

If you’re only looking at rewards in terms of money then yes the Centurion event will offer that

But it doesn’t offer potential entry into the US Open , The Open , WGC events , give someone a tour exemption card etc - all which for a lot of golfers may well be a higher reward

I don’t think Rory is struggling at all - he has been very consistent in his beliefs about the tour and not intending of entertaining it at all.

 

[rksquire]

If you’re only looking at rewards in terms of money then yes the Centurion event will offer that

But it doesn’t offer potential entry into the US Open , The Open , WGC events , give someone a tour exemption card etc - all which for a lot of golfers may well be a higher reward

I don’t think Rory is struggling at all - he has been very consistent in his beliefs about the tour and not intending of entertaining it at all.

I don’t disagree at all, I always think he is honest in the moment. He was honest when he was ‘not entertaining at all’ about the Olympics; about the Ryder Cup; both of which he now fully endorses. He is of course also in a position of privilege, authority and leadership on the PGA Tour so to be saying anything differently currently would be ‘politically’ damaging.

 

[Mel Smooth]

It always had been.

I'd disagree tbh, I remember as a kid going to watch the Car Care Plan International at Moortown in the mid 80's, I remember seeing Faldo, Howard Clark, Lyle, Torrance, Woosnam, Mark James could have been there, a lot of the big names in European golf, who are still household names today - a few major winners amongst them

There's not a chance in hell players of that calibre would be entering that event if it were still running, they'd be over in the States playing in whatever comp was running on the same weekend.

 

[Backsticks]

I'd disagree tbh, I remember as a kid going to watch the Car Care Plan International at Moortown in the mid 80's, I remember seeing Faldo, Howard Clark, Lyle, Torrance, Woosnam, Mark James could have been there, a lot of the big names in European golf, who are still household names today - a few major winners amongst them

There's not a chance in hell players of that calibre would be entering that event if it were still running, they'd be over in the States playing in whatever comp was running on the same weekend.

And so they should be. The PGA tour is the first division. The World tour the second division. Its a very clear pecking order and works fine. The US has the Cornferry or whatever its called this year as a more localised feeder for US player. Those who graduate from the DP have no need to come back unless their form drops, they lose their cards, or they like to play their own country's open. That why the LIV is a meaningless mix that doesnt fit in with that first tier, second tier system. Lower rank players no longer really cutting it on the top division, those killing time until the seniors tour, and those who arent really interested in competition or achievement in itself, but simply earning maximum cash. Which is fine. To some its very much a job, so you turn up and hit the ball for the highest bidder. Others still want to achieve something and play against the best, so they will stay on the PGA tour.

 

[Mel Smooth]

And so they should be. The PGA tour is the first division. The World tour the second division. Its a very clear pecking order and works fine. The US has the Cornferry or whatever its called this year as a more localised feeder for US player. Those who graduate from the DP have no need to come back unless their form drops, they lose their cards, or they like to play their own country's open. That why the LIV is a meaningless mix that doesnt fit in with that first tier, second tier system. Lower rank players no longer really cutting it on the top division, those killing time until the seniors tour, and those who arent really interested in competition or achievement in itself, but simply earning maximum cash. Which is fine. To some its very much a job, so you turn up and hit the ball for the highest bidder. Others still want to achieve something and play against the best, so they will stay on the PGA tour.

The reason the best players play on the PGA Tour is because of the money, not the prestige - granted that doesn't apply to some of the majors. If the LIV tour are prepared to offer enough money, for ong enough, they will draw plenty of those players over from the PGA Tour, just like the PGA Tour has done to what was the European Tour.

 

[sweaty sock]

Not sure there's much to argue about any more, we're going to get a front row seat. It'll all be played out in the next couple of years then we'll know whats important to the worlds best players.

 

[evemccc]

And so they should be. The PGA tour is the first division. The World tour the second division. Its a very clear pecking order and works fine. The US has the Cornferry or whatever its called this year as a more localised feeder for US player. Those who graduate from the DP have no need to come back unless their form drops, they lose their cards, or they like to play their own country's open. That why the LIV is a meaningless mix that doesnt fit in with that first tier, second tier system. Lower rank players no longer really cutting it on the top division, those killing time until the seniors tour, and those who arent really interested in competition or achievement in itself, but simply earning maximum cash. Which is fine. To some its very much a job, so you turn up and hit the ball for the highest bidder. Others still want to achieve something and play against the best, so they will stay on the PGA tour.

The only ‘prestige’ in golf is in the Majors….certainly no pre-teen is on the putting green dreaming of one day winning the Waste Management…. ?

Its clearly money that’s the motivating factor for pro golfers. Didn’t Phil and Tiger want appearance fees for the Ryder Cup years ago?

If money wasn’t the primary motivator outside of the Majors, then historically important events like the Italian Open, French Open etc would get better turnouts

 

[Golfnut1957]

Rory has supported the ET many times including hosting the Irish Open a number of times - this time he is choosing to support charities

And your original point was talking about just looking for money as opposed to “supporting a tour”

No. I said this.......

"I used to enjoy watching the best players playing on the European tour, but they all left for the PGA Tour..................for money".

No mention of Rory there. If you could point me in the direction of where I specifically mention Rory and money I'd appreciate it.

 

[4LEX]

Another issue with the Saudi's is how eager the women were to gobble up prize money for the Aramco events when it was only a few years ago women were even allowed to drive there! Very little said about human rights, equality or sportwashing by the ladies. All they cared about was getting more money for themselves.

The bottom line here is everyone is a hypocrite and money talks. The field for the LIV event is better than expected but they've clearly thrown money at everyone to avoid total disaster. For those that are in, it's a great chance to bank even more with a small field. I won't watch it but it'll be interesting to see the fall out for those that tee it up. If it's a feeble 3 month ban then every single player will play in it next year, if theres long term bans it'll be amazing to see the legal battles and potentially a total split....

 

[AussieKB]

The only ‘prestige’ in golf is in the Majors….certainly no pre-teen is on the putting green dreaming of one day winning the Waste Management…. ?

Its clearly money that’s the motivating factor for pro golfers. Didn’t Phil and Tiger want appearance fees for the Ryder Cup years ago?

If money wasn’t the primary motivator outside of the Majors, then historically important events like the Italian Open, French Open etc would get better turnouts

Seve was the first player to want appearance money, and did not play one Ryder Cup because none was given, over time the reason was changed to say he was injured, now the players are allocated funds to be donated to their chosen charity, think that started in the 90's and Seve also supported the ET against a lot of pressure from the PGA Tour.