LIV Golf

[irip]

I am amazed LIV didn’t go all out for Tiger.
He was the one player on the planet that even those with no interest in golf knew the name of.

He was and arguably is still the biggest name in the game.

I think it would have suited him better as well with less golf meaning he may of been able to compete longer.

I know even now if I was setting up a golf tour he is the person I would want to front it.

He may not be interested of course, he didn’t even reply to my invite to the coffin dodgers vs the babies 9 hole Texas scramble (don’t think he fancied Ham egg & chips again).

 

[The Squirrel]

They very possibly did go for Tiger big time and just got a “no”? I mean, he doesn’t need more money so throwing down another $100 million on any offer doesn’t shift the needle, and he is at the stage of life where committing to slogging all round the world every couple of weeks for years while not being competitive sounds like a chore. “We’d start with a week of media commitments in Saudi before the tournament week” Uh, no thanks.

He’d maybe do it if sold on the vision of any new tour but given that the PGAT has brought him unimaginable wealth, and with Norman and PIF in play and the negative connotations of both and Norman’s “crush the PGAT” philosophy and bravado, that was always going to be tricky here.

If he can get back to some sort of playing capability and wants to play then choosing his own unobtrusive schedule on the PGATour of Champions would actually be a really nice fit for him at this stage, but he probably doesn’t want to even do that. Certainly doesn’t need to.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

If he can get back to some sort of playing capability and wants to play then choosing his own unobtrusive schedule on the PGATour of Champions would actually be a really nice fit for him at this stage, but he probably doesn’t want to even do that. Certainly doesn’t need to.

Based on the rather unpleasant slap down he gave to Colin Montgomerie when he suggested doing the very same, I suspect it will not be for him. His ego won't allow him, unless he has mellowed in the last year or so.

It's a shame as it seems a pretty pleasant tour to wind down your career.

 

[irip]

They very possibly did go for Tiger big time and just got a “no”? I mean, he doesn’t need more money so throwing down another $100 million on any offer doesn’t shift the needle, and he is at the stage of life where committing to slogging all round the world every couple of weeks for years while not being competitive sounds like a chore. “We’d start with a week of media commitments in Saudi before the tournament week” Uh, no thanks.

He’d maybe do it if sold on the vision of any new tour but given that the PGAT has brought him unimaginable wealth, and with Norman and PIF in play and the negative connotations of both and Norman’s “crush the PGAT” philosophy and bravado, that was always going to be tricky here.

If he can get back to some sort of playing capability and wants to play then choosing his own unobtrusive schedule on the PGATour of Champions would actually be a really nice fit for him at this stage, but he probably doesn’t want to even do that. Certainly doesn’t need to.

I agree with that but I think it would have been made known if LIV had of gone for him, maybe they thought he was unobtainable.

Tiger certainly didn’t/doesn’t need the money but from the point of view of a new tour starting up I would of thought he would of been the number one to get people both in and out of golf interested and talking about you, especially when LIV were first starting out.

It may of suited Tiger more to of been the front man for it instead of Norman rather than playing every competition.

Of course this is just speculation but if I was setting up a tour now with infinite funds I would be looking to get Tiger on board in some capacity.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

They very possibly did go for Tiger big time and just got a “no”? I mean, he doesn’t need more money so throwing down another $100 million on any offer doesn’t shift the needle, and he is at the stage of life where committing to slogging all round the world every couple of weeks for years while not being competitive sounds like a chore. “We’d start with a week of media commitments in Saudi before the tournament week” Uh, no thanks.

He’d maybe do it if sold on the vision of any new tour but given that the PGAT has brought him unimaginable wealth, and with Norman and PIF in play and the negative connotations of both and Norman’s “crush the PGAT” philosophy and bravado, that was always going to be tricky here.

If he can get back to some sort of playing capability and wants to play then choosing his own unobtrusive schedule on the PGATour of Champions would actually be a really nice fit for him at this stage, but he probably doesn’t want to even do that. Certainly doesn’t need to.

The did go for Woods

Greg Norman confirmed it

Offered him between $700 and 800 million

Turned it down flat

 

[Bucktaylor64]

It does go against the “wanting to play less “ idea early doors

These events they have to play on formalises PIF wanting the LIV golfers to play on the other tour they finance

Maybe they are looking to get that tour more eyes on

To imply that “wanting to play less” applies to all players is factually incorrect!

 

[Swango1980]

Just seen LIV is going to 72 holes.

Presumambly all those that championed 54 holes as being part of growing the game will now forget all that, and champion the shift to 72 holes?

Will they rebrand to LXXII?

 

[AussieKB]

Don't care what they call it, just hope they keep going.

Also hope they do not apply for OWGR so it stays irrelevant IMO.

 

[slicer79]

Haven't followed it too closely but seems like the move of a group trying to keep a sinking ship afloat. Remarkable change of direction really given everything even the name revolved around the 54 holes.
Looking like the beginning of the whole thing collapsing to me.

 

[WorldHandicapSystem]

It’s truly delightful watching the liv attack dogs and bot lose their on the socials.

The usual suspects who and thought they were legitimate media people had no prior knowledge. They have gone into meltdown. Others are trying to spin it as the league innovating and being progressive. Even the quotes from the place clearly AI marketing nonsense.

Looking forward to Mel’s take.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Haven't followed it too closely but seems like the move of a group trying to keep a sinking ship afloat. Remarkable change of direction really given everything even the name revolved around the 54 holes.
Looking like the beginning of the whole thing collapsing to me.

Or, they realise that is what they need to do to get world ranking points

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Haven't followed it too closely but seems like the move of a group trying to keep a sinking ship afloat. Remarkable change of direction really given everything even the name revolved around the 54 holes.
Looking like the beginning of the whole thing collapsing to me.

Would say it’s far from that whatsoever. It opens up the chance to get OGWR points allowing the to attract more people, it’ll help widen their audience and TV time.

Players won’t really be playing that much more golf as it’s still a lot less events than PGAT but offers them more benefits.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Or, they realise that is what they need to do to get world ranking points

When looking at the OWGR issue it was a very small part of the issue because even at 54 holes they can still get ranking points but reduced levels which imo the players wouldn’t be best pleased about

Rahm was very clear that he wanted it to be 72 holes


The other two main areas for blocking ranking points

1. Pathways and closed shop - the tour up until recently has been a closed shop and that was enforced last season when players “relegated” were back in - if they have a proper pathway and qualifying then that’s a big hurdle but also opens up issues of some “stars” leaving

2. Mixed formats - having team and individual scores counting and possible issues with collusions between players - the Munoz /Koepka issue

 

[Beezerk]

It’s truly delightful watching the liv attack dogs and bot lose their on the socials.

The usual suspects who and thought they were legitimate media people had no prior knowledge. They have gone into meltdown. Others are trying to spin it as the league innovating and being progressive. Even the quotes from the place clearly AI marketing nonsense.

Looking forward to Mel’s take.

Most ironic post of 2025

 

[WorldHandicapSystem]

Most ironic post of 2025

Why?

 

[Mel Smooth]

Meh...

 

[Fore Right]

There was defo some push from the bigger Liv players to go to 72 holes, especially Jon Rahm.
72 hole events also give's more legitimacy as a win on Liv can be more related to a win another tour.

The one thing still deterring more players from joining LIV Golf is the lack of Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.
Players want a clear path into the majors, and OWGR points are essential to that. LIV also needs ranking points to keep current stars like Joaquín Niemann satisfied — players shouldn’t have to rely on special invites when they could instead earn their way into majors through their own tour.

It’s common knowledge that when LIV opened discussions with the new OWGR board, they were told exactly what changes would be required for eligibility.

You have to assume 72-hole events and greater promotion and relegation were part of that. LIV has already moved in that direction — now awarding major qualification spots to the top two players from the International Series and expanding the number of promotion event qualifiers compared to previous years.

If LIV ultimately gains OWGR recognition — which feels increasingly like a when rather than an if (Golf Channel remark) — the dynamic of professional golf could shift dramatically.
The OWGR itself needs to stay relevant, and ignoring one of the game’s most prominent tours with some of the worlds best players would undermine that relevance.
Jon Rahm is currently the 71st best player in the world according to OWGR.

Interestingly, LIV has recently registered several new team trademarks, a story that’s flown mostly under the radar.
New teams will need new prominent captains — and that points to new player acquisitions.

Could this be the sequence playing out?

• LIV secures OWGR approval opening the door for players to move to Liv
• LIV announces new teams for 2026
• LIV unveils new rosters for those teams

If I were LIV, here’s the format I’d introduce to align with OWGR standards while keeping some of LIV’s unique DNA present:

• 72-hole events
• Team Championship decided after the first three rounds (with the team winner presented on Saturday)
• Cut introduced after 3 rounds: top two-thirds of the field make the cut, bottom one-third still receive standard Liv prize money
• Sunday becomes the 4th round of the individual championship

This structure maintains LIV’s 54 hole identity with the team event while addressing OWGR concerns about team play influencing individual results.
It introduces a cut to take away the exhibition golf label and ensures all focus is on the individual title come Sunday.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

There was defo some push from the bigger Liv players to go to 72 holes, especially Jon Rahm.
72 hole events also give's more legitimacy as a win on Liv can be more related to a win another tour.

The one thing still deterring more players from joining LIV Golf is the lack of Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.
Players want a clear path into the majors, and OWGR points are essential to that. LIV also needs ranking points to keep current stars like Joaquín Niemann satisfied — players shouldn’t have to rely on special invites when they could instead earn their way into majors through their own tour.

It’s common knowledge that when LIV opened discussions with the new OWGR board, they were told exactly what changes would be required for eligibility.

You have to assume 72-hole events and greater promotion and relegation were part of that. LIV has already moved in that direction — now awarding major qualification spots to the top two players from the International Series and expanding the number of promotion event qualifiers compared to previous years.

If LIV ultimately gains OWGR recognition — which feels increasingly like a when rather than an if (Golf Channel remark) — the dynamic of professional golf could shift dramatically.
The OWGR itself needs to stay relevant, and ignoring one of the game’s most prominent tours with some of the worlds best players would undermine that relevance.
Jon Rahm is currently the 71st best player in the world according to OWGR.

Interestingly, LIV has recently registered several new team trademarks, a story that’s flown mostly under the radar.
New teams will need new prominent captains — and that points to new player acquisitions.

Could this be the sequence playing out?

• LIV secures OWGR approval opening the door for players to move to Liv
• LIV announces new teams for 2026
• LIV unveils new rosters for those teams

If I were LIV, here’s the format I’d introduce to align with OWGR standards while keeping some of LIV’s unique DNA present:

• 72-hole events
• Team Championship decided after the first three rounds (with the team winner presented on Saturday)
• Cut introduced after 3 rounds: top two-thirds of the field make the cut, bottom one-third still receive standard Liv prize money
• Sunday becomes the 4th round of the individual championship

This structure maintains LIV’s 54 hole identity with the team event while addressing OWGR concerns about team play influencing individual results.
It introduces a cut to take away the exhibition golf label and ensures all focus is on the individual title come Sunday.

I don’t think the added ranking points will provide the influx of the level of players that can boost the tour - the points level will probably be on par or maybe lower than ET points so entry into majors will still be a struggle for a lot of the players

LIV still has one major issue - sustainability, it’s just not sustainable in its current form

There is the hope that this is step one in alignment with the other tours to create a bunch of events around the world that the top 50 qualify for - like the WGCs but based outside the US

And that for me would be the best thing for golf and would please 90% of golf fans

 

[JonnyGutteridge]

There was defo some push from the bigger Liv players to go to 72 holes, especially Jon Rahm.
72 hole events also give's more legitimacy as a win on Liv can be more related to a win another tour.

The one thing still deterring more players from joining LIV Golf is the lack of Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.
Players want a clear path into the majors, and OWGR points are essential to that. LIV also needs ranking points to keep current stars like Joaquín Niemann satisfied — players shouldn’t have to rely on special invites when they could instead earn their way into majors through their own tour.

It’s common knowledge that when LIV opened discussions with the new OWGR board, they were told exactly what changes would be required for eligibility.

You have to assume 72-hole events and greater promotion and relegation were part of that. LIV has already moved in that direction — now awarding major qualification spots to the top two players from the International Series and expanding the number of promotion event qualifiers compared to previous years.

If LIV ultimately gains OWGR recognition — which feels increasingly like a when rather than an if (Golf Channel remark) — the dynamic of professional golf could shift dramatically.
The OWGR itself needs to stay relevant, and ignoring one of the game’s most prominent tours with some of the worlds best players would undermine that relevance.
Jon Rahm is currently the 71st best player in the world according to OWGR.

Interestingly, LIV has recently registered several new team trademarks, a story that’s flown mostly under the radar.
New teams will need new prominent captains — and that points to new player acquisitions.

Could this be the sequence playing out?

• LIV secures OWGR approval opening the door for players to move to Liv
• LIV announces new teams for 2026
• LIV unveils new rosters for those teams

If I were LIV, here’s the format I’d introduce to align with OWGR standards while keeping some of LIV’s unique DNA present:

• 72-hole events
• Team Championship decided after the first three rounds (with the team winner presented on Saturday)
• Cut introduced after 3 rounds: top two-thirds of the field make the cut, bottom one-third still receive standard Liv prize money
• Sunday becomes the 4th round of the individual championship

This structure maintains LIV’s 54 hole identity with the team event while addressing OWGR concerns about team play influencing individual results.
It introduces a cut to take away the exhibition golf label and ensures all focus is on the individual title come Sunday.

What’s with the ChatGPT posts?

 

[Golf is fun]

I find it fascinating hoe emotionally invested people from all sides get on this.

Not being particularly attached to either side, I don't see this as the downfall of LIV, it potentially has the opposite effect. If LIV get ranking points for their tournaments, then it basically turns into a battle of purses to attract players, as better players mean stronger fields and better ranking points hauls. Meaning there is even the unlikely but possible scenario where LIV poach enough high ranking players their tournaments have higher strength of field than the PGA Tour, which would be the tipping point.

I think if this happens ultimately it comes down to who has the deeper pockets and can sustain "unsustainable" spending for longer. Great for the players as they will get nice paydays, what it means for the fans is hard to tell, it could create an interesting rivalry, especially if there is then innovation to create matches between LIV and PGA or similar (sadly this seems unlikely due to cooperation needed), or it could dilute things and lead to a poor product for fans.