Golf leagues merge

[UKFlounder]

I don’t follow the sport a lot, but this seems stunning - the PGA, LIV, and DP World Tour merge

https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/37805785/pga-tour-liv-golf-dp-world-tour-announce-merger

[Playadlc]

Oh wow.

[Playadlc]

This is wild. So many people talked about how they would rather support the PGA Tour because they don't take blood money, only for them to merge with LIV. Unreal.

Feel bad for Rory.

[Boston Red]

LOL, I think it's great personally. Glad to have everyone back together and the players with significant additional wealth.

[Playadlc]

LOL, I think it's great personally. Glad to have everyone back together and the players with significant additional wealth.

Just feels slimy. The PGA gaslit the public and their athletes into taking the moral high ground all the while they were cutting deals behind closed doors.

[Stray]

I couldn't believe it when I saw the news. Great for golf, great for the DP and LIV guys, but man if I'm a PGA player who turned down the money I'm pretty mad right now.

[dubc47834]

This is great news for the game of golf. Like others have said, I feel for the guys who didn't take the money, just for the PGA to do it. From the sounds of it, PIF(Saudi Owned) will be a major sponsor of the PGA. Monahan is going to get crushed. I have seen a few anonymous quotes from PGA players, and they are pissed.

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This is wild. So many people talked about how they would rather support the PGA Tour because they don't take blood money, only for them to merge with LIV. Unreal.

Feel bad for Rory.

I was playing golf with a stranger in Destin last week. He was adamant that something was going down, mainly because Rory was being super quiet about the LIV when he was being questioned by media. Would love to talk with that guy today about all this.

[Chip R]

This is wild. So many people talked about how they would rather support the PGA Tour because they don't take blood money, only for them to merge with LIV. Unreal.

Feel bad for Rory.

Then they had a choice. Now, not so much.

[bucksfan2]

A source close to the PGA Tour told me LIV guys who want to return will have to pay a fine, and that not every fine will be equal. (A guy like Phil Mickelson, for example, would likely stand to pay more). But who is that money going to? Will it be distributed to the PGA Tour players who stayed loyal? https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3469778/full-breakdown-of-the-pga-tour-liv-golf-merger-what-we-know-whats-next-how-players-are-reacting

Not a big Barstool guy, but I like this golf reporter. The above is interesting, what (if anything) will LIV golfers have to pay back.

I love the Michael Scott Paper company aspect to this story. It makes sense because LIV wasn't good, it struggled for viewership, the team concept was stupid, and the 54 hole shotgun start was dumb as well. But they had a ton of money and kept bankrolling a bad league knowing they could probably outlast the PGA tour.

What I want to see is how the reputations of Greg Norman and Phil Mickleson move going forward. Both were very popular guys in American sport. The whole LIV experience really hurt their reputation. DJ is/was aloof, Brooks was a guy who you would say "he is a good player" but didn't really drive much of an opinion on. Cam Smith was a cool Aussie with a mullet who kinda disappeared. The rest of the LIV guys were either lesser known golfers or guys are the tail end of their careers who few cared about anyway.

[757690]

If I was on the tour, and knew anyone who was affected by 9/11, I'd be beyond furious.

[dubc47834]

If I was on the tour, and knew anyone who was affected by 9/11, I'd be beyond furious.

Why?

[757690]

Why?

https://911familiesunited.org/9-11-families-united-statement-on-pga-merging-with-saudi-backed-liv-golf-tour/


Washington, D.C. – 9/11 Families United is shocked and deeply offended by the newly announced merger between the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf league that is bankrolled by billions of sportswashing money from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi operatives played a role in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and now it is bankrolling all of professional golf.

[Redhook]

As a PGA Professional, I’m disappointed and shocked. Monahan must’ve legally had his n*** twisted in circles for him to concede to this. Somehow, the Saudi’s had more control/power over him and the Tour. Were the legal battles that bad where he had to agree to this? How was this kept secret? How does Monahan have this much power without the players approval? Lots of questions and Monahan looks like a major hypocrite right now and I don’t foresee how he can continue much longer as the commissioner. He’ll get fired or vetoed out since he’s lost all their trust.

[Mutaman]

This is great news for the game of golf.



I'm not sure I agree with you a hundred percent on your police work, there, Lou.

[Strikes Out Looking]

I'm waiting for the details on this - but I smell something strange about the entire thing. I also think there will be some backlash and this won't be the end of the story. It's sort of like an end of the season episode of a cable show - next season will have shifting villains and different story lines.

[dubc47834]

I'm not sure I agree with you a hundred percent on your police work, there, Lou.

I think the main thing people are taking issue with is the PIF money, and honestly I don't have an issue with that. That money was already indirectly in the PGA thru sponsorships. Also, without making this political, our government sells the Saudi's 8 billion dollars a year worth of weapons. And I'm sure there are billions of dollars worth of other transactions between us and the Saudis.

I do feel bad for the current PGA players that didn't take the money, and are now left with the embarrassment of this deal. I'd be shocked if Manahan is still the commish in 6 months. The PGA players are pissed, and rightfully so.

[Redhook]

I'm waiting for the details on this - but I smell something strange about the entire thing. I also think there will be some backlash and this won't be the end of the story. It's sort of like an end of the season episode of a cable show - next season will have shifting villains and different story lines.

I agree. It’ll be very interesting to see all the details, but it seems fishy.

[bucksfan2]

I'm waiting for the details on this - but I smell something strange about the entire thing. I also think there will be some backlash and this won't be the end of the story. It's sort of like an end of the season episode of a cable show - next season will have shifting villains and different story lines.

The amount of money LIV threw at some of the golfers was astronomical. The only guy I think they "GOT" from the PGA tour was Cam Smith. Maybe you can throw Koepka in there because he is a great big game player, but he had been pretty meh for the preceding couple of seasons. Both DJ and Phil are at the tail end of the careers, especially when you talk about Phil.

When you talk about the Saudi investment fund, yes it is flush with money, but no it doesn't want to lose money. The LIV was unsustainable as a model as things began to settle.

But what the PGA had going started to become unsustainable. They started paying out higher purses to keep their stars happy. I think the PGA tour was getting a little tight on finances.

I also heard that LIV golfers had astronomical buyouts of their contract. There was no way guys who made tens of millions would be able to buy themselves out of their LIV contract.

[Roy Tucker]

I’m not that big of a golf fan, but this seems pretty slimy. Money trumps all I guess.

I used to say I’m a software wh*re. I’ll do anything software-wise for money. Even work with vendors I despise.

[Stray]

I didn't like the LIV, its whole format seemed gimmicky. But the moral stance on Saudi money is and was so absurd it's hard to even take it seriously. I mean should we picket about 9/11 every time we fill up our tanks? It's dumb man. Not to mention LPGA has been running on Saudi money for a while now and nobody cared. Saudi money is everywhere in Western professional sports, either directly or through sponsors.

This is good for golf because instead of fighting the money they can now use it to grow the game.

[bucksfan2]

I didn't like the LIV, its whole format seemed gimmicky. But the moral stance on Saudi money is and was so absurd it's hard to even take it seriously. I mean should we picket about 9/11 every time we fill up our tanks? It's dumb man. Not to mention LPGA has been running on Saudi money for a while now and nobody cared. Saudi money is everywhere in Western professional sports, either directly or through sponsors.

This is good for golf because instead of fighting the money they can now use it to grow the game.

I hated the LIV format. As a golfer I hate shotgun starts and think its too gimmicky, benefits some and hurts others, and kills any drama there is for watching the sport.

I don't know if it will grow the game of golf. Golf is a weird sport where it often takes something outside of the tour itself to grow the game. Tiger was a generational type of player who brought golfers and non golfers to the sport. You can't plan for a Tiger, when you get him, you have to "exploit" him to grow the game.

I also think the pandemic was great for golf. People who didn't play or who had quit playing, took it up because it was one of the activities you could due at the time. You saw more interest in the game when it was one of the "safe" things you could do.

The professional game needs drama. It needs the big names, the likeable players, the heels, all in it at the end. They need that drama because if you don't have it, its rather boring to watch. But if you have Speith, Thomas, Rory, etc. all in it down the stretch, it makes for an entertaining finale.

[texasdave]

The Tiger will not roar at Royal Liverpool this year. He has officially noted The Open that he will not play. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/golf/article-12203909/Tiger-Woods-tells-British-Open-organizers-months-tournament.html?ito=windows-widget-push-notification&ci=558847

[BuckeyeRed27]

The Tiger will not roar at Royal Liverpool this year. He has officially noted The Open that he will not play. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/golf/article-12203909/Tiger-Woods-tells-British-Open-organizers-months-tournament.html?ito=windows-widget-push-notification&ci=558847

He’s not playing again this season.

LACC seems to be playing a little harder today than yesterday.

[Redhook]

PGA Tour Commissioner, Jay Monahan, took a medical leave of absence from the Tour. I’m guessing the stress, pressure and anxiety from this LIV deal took a major toll on his body. I hope he recovers quickly and is back to 100% soon.

[Kingspoint]

These shots at the U. S. Open are amazing this evening!

[Chip R]

Here's a summary of the agreement between the PGA, PIF and the DP World Tour.

https://nolayingup.com/blog/pga-tour-pif-framework-agreement-liv