Golf: PGA, DP, and PIF agree to merge with LIV

[Filthy Dangles]

Sucks. By far the best player LIV has poached

Interesting where things go from here

 

[JetsWillFly4Ever]

Professional golf is f***ed. Only thing that will matter is majors.

LIV is not real golf, nobody gives a shit about it.

PGA has lost so many big players that it's lost all it's prestige.

There is no reason to watch anything except the majors. Just a sad sad state for professional golf man. Terrible time to be a golf fan.

 

[PanthersPens62]

Pathetic.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I was starting to wonder if LIV now has equal star power. The depth isn't as good because poaching 3-4 guys per year at most that are decent isn't going to get you that far, but true star power:

LIV:

Mickelson
DeChambeau
Johnson
Rahm
Koepka
Smith
Garcia
Reed
? (Cantlay)
? (Schauffele)

PGA Tour:

Woods
McIlroy
Spieth
Scheffler
Thomas
Hovland
Morikawa
Fitzpatrick
Aberg
Kim

I think it's legitimately close. If LIV can add the expected additions of Cantlay and Schauffele, you can start making a real argument for LIV.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Rahm is the only LIV guy who has both the hall of fame pedigree and is currently a world class player in his prime.

You wonder what this means for the deal between PGA Tour and PIF, they have until Dec31st to reach a deal.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

 

[Dr John Carlson]

I was starting to wonder if LIV now has equal star power. The depth isn't as good because poaching 3-4 guys per year at most that are decent isn't going to get you that far, but true star power:

LIV:

Mickelson
DeChambeau
Johnson
Rahm
Koepka
Smith
Garcia
Reed
? (Cantlay)
? (Schauffele)

PGA Tour:

Woods
McIlroy
Spieth
Scheffler
Thomas
Hovland
Morikawa
Fitzpatrick
Aberg
Kim

I think it's legitimately close. If LIV can add the expected additions of Cantlay and Schauffele, you can start making a real argument for LIV.

Certainly the more interesting personalities are on LIV, among top players. You'd think maybe Hideki could get another look at jumping ship now, too. Just overall a tough scene this week. Jon Rahm announces he's with LIV, and the player announcing they're with the PGA Tour is Adrian Meronk.

A real first world problem here, but I'm annoyed that there still isn't a great ranking system in place after two years of LIV. The OWGR is mucho not good now. I like Data Golf a lot but the highest LIVer (not counting Rahm) is Bryson at 28, which can't be right either. The sketchy TUGR dudes have the highest LIVer at 22, again Bryson. In some cases I think it can be chalked up to the LIV schedule being a lot lighter, and thus there's fewer chances to play well. But there's a disconnect somewhere.

 

[John Price]

hypocrite.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Certainly the more interesting personalities are on LIV, among top players. You'd think maybe Hideki could get another look at jumping ship now, too. Just overall a tough scene this week. Jon Rahm announces he's with LIV, and the player announcing they're with the PGA Tour is Adrian Meronk.

A real first world problem here, but I'm annoyed that there still isn't a great ranking system in place after two years of LIV. The OWGR is mucho not good now. I like Data Golf a lot but the highest LIVer (not counting Rahm) is Bryson at 28, which can't be right either. The sketchy TUGR dudes have the highest LIVer at 22, again Bryson. In some cases I think it can be chalked up to the LIV schedule being a lot lighter, and thus there's fewer chances to play well. But there's a disconnect somewhere.

There's no way to accurately measure it. LIV probably has 1/3 of the top 30 players in the world.

 

[JetsWillFly4Ever]

There's no way to accurately measure it. LIV probably has 1/3 of the top 30 players in the world.

Nah.

Rahm
Cam Smith
Brooks
Bryson
DJ (maybe but he has been bad since leaving)
Reed (reaching a bit but maybe)

Thats the end of list.

That being said, those are some big f***ing names and have fractured professional golf to the point that only the majors are going to be worth watching.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Nah.

Rahm
Cam Smith
Brooks
Bryson
DJ (maybe but he has been bad since leaving)
Reed (reaching a bit but maybe)

Thats the end of list.

That being said, those are some big f***ing names and have fractured professional golf to the point that only the majors are going to be worth watching.

I disageee. Niemann would likely be top 30. Gooch was just starting to break out when he left for LIV. Those two I am pretty confident would be top 30. Then I wouldn’t rule out a younger upstart like Varner, Ancer, or Pereira, or an older guy like Casey, Garcia, or Westwood. I wouldn’t even rule out mid-aged players like Bubba, Na, or Oosthuizen.

Look at the top 30. Kurt Kitayama and Ryan Fox are both top 30. It’s very watered down without the LIV players.

 

[JetsWillFly4Ever]

I disageee. Niemann would likely be top 30. Gooch was just starting to break out when he left for LIV. Those two I am pretty confident would be top 30. Then I wouldn’t rule out a younger upstart like Varner, Ancer, or Pereira, or an older guy like Casey, Garcia, or Westwood. I wouldn’t even rule out mid-aged players like Bubba, Na, or Oosthuizen.

Look at the top 30. Kurt Kitayama and Ryan Fox are both top 30. It’s very watered down without the LIV players.

Fair point about Kitiyama but Fox had a legit good year in majros and big events. Plus if you add the 5/6 guys from LIV that we conceded I doubt Kit/Fox stay in the top 30.

I could see Niemann and Gooch flirting with it but it is far from a guarantee. Gooch was starting to break out but has no real big track record other than his LIV wins, which who really knows what they mean.

The rest of your guys I wouldn't even consider tbh.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

Yeah, some of those names I can't see. Niemann for sure, Gooch, sure. I've liked Mito for a while now, I think he'd be top 30. But Ancer was trending downwards by the time he came to LIV, and HVIII probably is who he is as a player by now, so I'm hesitant to fall on their side. So that's three additional top 30 guys IMO on top of the aforementioned 6. That would make 9 out of the top 30 on LIV, so the math is close to checking out.

All of those 40+ guys, though, with the exception of Sergio, are cooked. Casey, Westwood, Poulter, Kaymer, McDowell, Bubba on the American side... it's a Ryder Cup graveyard. Stenson actually has some juice left in the tank from what I've watched, at least. I don't think any of those names are close to top 30 in a LIVless world.

 

[daver]

Must be nice to look at your financials, see nine figures in the red and go "meh".

Funny how just throwing money at things can screw things up be it in the entertainment/pro sports industry or at social problems.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

 

[TB12]

I was starting to wonder if LIV now has equal star power. The depth isn't as good because poaching 3-4 guys per year at most that are decent isn't going to get you that far, but true star power:

LIV:

Mickelson
DeChambeau
Johnson
Rahm
Koepka
Smith
Garcia
Reed
? (Cantlay)
? (Schauffele)

PGA Tour:

Woods
McIlroy
Spieth
Scheffler
Thomas
Hovland
Morikawa
Fitzpatrick
Aberg
Kim

I think it's legitimately close. If LIV can add the expected additions of Cantlay and Schauffele, you can start making a real argument for LIV.

Cantlay apparently is now a major power broker along with Woods and Spieth, running the PGA tour behind the scenes (source: NLU podcast). Gross. So he ain't going to LIV (wish he would, though, so I would never have to see him play again).

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Cantlay apparently is now a major power broker along with Woods and Spieth, running the PGA tour behind the scenes (source: NLU podcast). Gross. So he ain't going to LIV (wish he would, though, so I would never have to see him play again).

I think they are trying to make sure the mules don’t try to strong-arm the money makers of the tour.

This is almost getting pathetic how bad the PGA Tour is getting owned. PGA Tour must be begging PIF for a deal now.

 

[TB12]

I think they are trying to make sure the mules don’t try to strong-arm the money makers of the tour.


This is almost getting pathetic how bad the PGA Tour is getting owned. PGA Tour must be begging PIF for a deal now.

I do think it's hard to compete with an irrational actor that can throw billions and billions of dollars out the window with absolutely no need or desire to ever make a penny back. However, I think Monahan and Jimmy Dunne and the boys got absolutely and thoroughly dominated in all of this.

The real loser in this is the fans.

Also, the days of the mules like Chris Stroud making $14 million dollars in their career are over. Only top players will make the big money going forward.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I do think it's hard to compete with an irrational actor that can throw billions and billions of dollars out the window with absolutely no need or desire to ever make a penny back. However, I think Monahan and Jimmy Dunne and the boys got absolutely and thoroughly dominated in all of this.

The real loser in this is the fans.

Also, the days of the mules like Chris Stroud making $14 million dollars in their career are over. Only top players will make the big money going forward.

They should probably say they can’t make a deal, and collapse the PGA Tour.

All the best players in the world get in a room and agree to a world tour that doesn’t involve LIV or PGA Tour.

LIV and PGA Tour can make their own deal and tour for Chris Stroud and Chase Koepka’s. Everyone wins.

 

[TB12]

They should probably say they can’t make a deal, and collapse the PGA Tour.

All the best players in the world get in a room and agree to a world tour that doesn’t involve LIV or PGA Tour.

LIV and PGA Tour can make their own deal and tour for Chris Stroud and Chase Koepka’s. Everyone wins.

I think you're absolutely on to something here. The current/old model just does not work for this modern golfer/LIV throwing guaranteed unlimited money at golfers.

The best chance for pro golf to succeed is what you suggest, in that the top players need a way to compete against one another more than 4 times a year. A proper World Tour is the way forward.

 

[Sugi21]

Rumours of Tony Finau negotiating a contract with LIV and perhaps joining Rahm’s team! Things are heating up

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I don’t think Finau and Hatton are ever gonna be better than borderline top 10, but those are real solid depth additions. Two players you can be sure are like top 30 at any given time.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Patrick Reed ordered to pay legal fees for defendants in dismissed $1 billion lawsuit

Reed will have to cover his critics' legal costs after trying to sue them for $1 billion.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Filthy Dangles]

PGA Tour lands $3B deal, launches for-profit org

The PGA Tour has reached a deal with Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of billionaire sports team owners, to infuse up to $3 billion into a new for-profit entity, PGA Tour Enterprises, that was officially launched Wednesday.

www.espn.com

"The PGA Tour has finalized an agreement with Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of billionaire sports team owners, to infuse at least $3 billion into a new for-profit entity, PGA Tour Enterprises, sources told ESPN on Wednesday."

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

This whole situation seems tragic. I mean how can you blame guys like Rahm for taking like 500 mil? Tiger and McIlroy should just take the money tbh.