Mel Smooth
Hacker
Rapaport is finally piecing the jigsaw together….
It’s only taken them 18 months to figure out where golf was headed.
It’s only taken them 18 months to figure out where golf was headed.
LIV Golf
- Thread starter MarkT
- Start date
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Deleted member 25172
Guest
Make sure he hands 3 cards in first before he can win. Just to make sure he’s not playing of a dodgy handicap.
I see the PIF is buying Heathrow. Nobody will fly from there anymore. Except for people going to see LIV events. Gatwick will be even more impossible than it is now.
larmen
Head Pro
I kind of liked the shotgun format with all groups starting at the same time as there is always action on, but they turned me away with their constant weird scoreboard updated. Did they come with an annoying sound, can't remember. Then they went on about teams nobody cared about.
They had the opportunity to turn it into the golf equivalent on 20/20, fast action rich broadcast. But they made it gimmicky for my liking.
Swango1980
Well-known member
I personally hate shotgun start. I love courses with great finishing holes, and watching the groups negotiate them as they come down the final stretch. That goes with a shotgun start.
This would be a game changer, but I’ll believe it when I see it
It would be very significant, but more as an indicator for what might follow. In itself, if Rahmbo were the beginning and end of it, it would nudge the needle that much. But what is behind it would be interesting. If Cantlay, Schauffele, Hatton and Fleetwood really did follow, then, game is indeed changed bigly. Rory, and the diehards would be under a lot of pressure.
This would be a game changer, but I’ll believe it when I see it
Mel Smooth
Hacker
This would be a game changer, but I’ll believe it when I see it
Tom speaks to a lot of people at LIV Brian, he must be pretty confident in this as he wouldn't have posted it otherwise. There was a lot of chatter about it at the DPWT event in Abu Dhabi as well amongst the players.
There's just too much circumstantial evidence right now to not acknowledge that the PGAT has been rocked by something.
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Deleted member 29109
Guest
If he says enough things. Eventually one of them will be right.
Ask yourself, why would LiV want to be spreading that rumour today?
Rahm has been confirmed going to LiV for about 12 months hasn’t he? But the less he says, the more likely it probably is. Ah well, at least he won’t have to play in Rory’s shadow anymore.
Mel Smooth
Hacker
I don't need to ask myself anything buddy - like Brian, I'll believe it when I see it. The people that need to be asking questions of themselves are the ones like yourself, that have continually and repeatedly disparaged and dismissed LIV - while it''s presence has been completely changing professional golf right infront of your eyes.
Because today, he rose from the dead and walks (with little or no limp), amongst us again.
Because gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. Better, stronger, faster swing speed.
Because he can't be bargained with, he can't be reasoned with. And he will not stop, ever, until he wins again.
It hasnt changed anything. Yet at least. It has caused disruption, uncertainty, and rancour. So far LIV has well deserved disparaging and dismissal. Ill add deserved derision. Maybe Rahm has pointed them in a better direction as part of his joining negotiation. But so far, it has been a pathetic damp squib.
Bdill93
Undisputed King of FOMO
You been to an event and experienced it have you?
Swango1980
Well-known member
I suppose going to an event live is very different to being able to determine whether it will be an overall global success.
I've no interest in watching LIV, but to be fair I tend to only watch the big events these days, along with the Majors. Despite having no interest in LIV, if 3 or 4 of the top LIV golfers were playing a casual event at a course near me, and it was affordable, I'd still consider going for a day out. So if there was a LIV event that was affordable, I'd still consider going as long as it wasn't expensive. Whether it is a Major or a couple of top pro's come and play casually at your home course, it is a chance to watch well known professional players hit a golf ball and show you how it is done. It is rare for most people to get that chance at a course relatively local, so no harm in making an occasion of it if the opportunity arises.
So, I've no criticism of the event that LIV puts on for fans who attend these events. I've no experience what it is like, and cannot compare to long-standing tour events. But I'm sure they've spent a lot of money to put on some sort of show.
But putting on a show for the several thousand people that attend each event is only a very small part of what will make LIV successful (to the level I think they want anyway). What it really relies on is that it will engage fans who are NOT able to attend the events. It needs to get to the point that for every fan that attends a live event, there are a thousand other fans that want to tune in and watch it on TV. It seems to me that this is the area that they are not yet successful with.
However, as we all know, the PGAT scored a huge own goal. Taking the moral high ground, and then acting like hypocrites behind their players backs. They may well have acted in a way that will massively harm their brand going forward, cause more fractures in professional golf and it might be an even more turbulent time in golf going forward. Or perhaps the PGAT will strike up a deal with PIF and strengthen their brand. I don't know what will happen with LIV in that situation. Will it still run in parallel, will it end but there'll be some format changes to some events in PGAT. I heard Tiger's interview the other day, and he was talking about them looking into team golf, and how that format could be incorporated successfully. Seems to be lots of ongoing discussions, and I wonder how much clearer things will be as we get closer to Augusta next year?
Bdill93
Undisputed King of FOMO
Absolutely its different, but you (I know it wasn't you) cant just called LIV and damp squid and form a whole opinion on it without giving it a chance first.
I'm not going back into TV and Live audience numbers etc, yes they need both and TV is lacking atm.
All I'm saying is - the events themselves are 1) a good laugh and day out 2) well priced and 3) guarantee you to see the biggest names they have on their tour.
very much looking forward to seeing JCB next year.
Swango1980
Well-known member
It depends what one is saying is a "damp squib". If they are talking about the event itself, and the experience fans get when they are there, then you are correct. You need to be there to judge. But if you are talking about it's impact globally, and it's ability to generate enthusiasm amongst the wider golfing audience, then I don't think it is an unfair assessment. Only in the sense that I simply hear nobody talk about the the actual golf that is happening in LIV. We hear very little about when the events are, let alone who won them. I hear nobody in my golf club ever talk about LIV in passing, I suspect many might not even know it exists at all.
That isn't to say it will ALWAYS be this way. But if that is the case, I think more needs to change a lot to increase its popularity.
Bdill93
Undisputed King of FOMO
The global impact of LIV is massive so far, that's undeniable.
The actual golfing impact that LIV is having is more up for debate.
People do chat about it at my club, but its the guys around my age and younger who engage on social media etc more and have a better understanding of the wider golfing world than just turning sky on to watch the golf.
Swango1980
Well-known member
First statement, true. Some see this as positive. I don't. I see it as a huge negative as it has fractured golf at elite level more than ever before.
Second statement, it can be debated, but I'd say the golfing impact has been minimal simply by the popularity it seems to have amongst the general golfing public.
Third statement, it is all well and good about the younger audience knowing about it and talking about it. But they'll also talk about Rick Shiels or Jimmy Bullard videos on youTube. Being aware that it is there and talking a bit about it is one thing, fair enough. But would they invest their time in sitting down and watching the Majority of LIV events. It is broadcasters like Sky who pay billions for the privilege of screening sports that the masses want to watch. In the grand scheme of things, I don't think LIV offers a lot different to what existing tours offer. It is still golfers playing 18 holes in 5-6 hours. Fans still watch the same thing. The only difference is that in LIV, they all play in the same 5-6 hours. Some see that as a good thing, I see it as a horrendous thing (it would feel like watching 5-6 hours of highlights, with less build up to the situation the key golfers are facing and what they have ahead of them). And they wear shorts. I just don't see very many people at all having the attitide "I'd have never bothered watching elite level golf until LIV came along, as LIV offers me everything that PGAT or DP World Tour did not". That is, at golf level. I've no doubt people will watch LIV at the moment simply because it is free, and they don't want to pay for Sky TV. But that point is killed if Sky ever become interested in LIV, pay for the rights and then we'll see how many of those people pay for Sky TV.
I suspect people, especially younger people, would be more interested with ventures like TGL. It is completely different to elite level tours and coverage, it'll probably be packaged into relatively short episodes (maybe an hour or so long) and have a lot of features, celebrity guests, etc. It may have more of a gameshow feel to it, with professional golfers the contestants / stars
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Deleted member 29109
Guest
Impact does not = a positive thing
Bdill93
Undisputed King of FOMO
Never said it did! But its impact is significant all the same.
