The Golf Thread

[Anil]

Scott may not be as big a choker as Norman but his meltdown at Royal Lytham wasn't just a putting fiasco, it was a master class in choking worthy of his "illustrious" mentor...

Agree that he is a really nice guy though and not a slime-ball like Norman...

 

[social]

LIV Adelaide being broadcast live on Australian tv

Crowd is massive

 

[Molehill]

LIV Adelaide being broadcast live on Australian tv

Crowd is massive

I suppose it's basically the biggest golf tournament Australia has seen for some time (in terms of quality of players), so not that surprising.

Although it would appear from the leaderboard that the big boys can't be bothered. I suspect during Major Season the likes of DJ, Smith and Koepka will be using these events to work on their game. Not sure that's what LIV would have had in mind when forking out the large sums for them.

 

[social]

I suppose it's basically the biggest golf tournament Australia has seen for some time (in terms of quality of players), so not that surprising.

Although it would appear from the leaderboard that the big boys can't be bothered. I suspect during Major Season the likes of DJ, Smith and Koepka will be using these events to work on their game. Not sure that's what LIV would have had in mind when forking out the large sums for them.

The standard of golf was pretty incredible tbf

Anyway, what PGA Tour boosters ignore is that tours like Australia have been shafted by its decision to play 12 months of the year

We used to attract some of the biggest names in world golf to our shores but that went out the window a long time ago as the top players could play for millions in meaningless PGA tournaments closer to home at any time

Anyway, they have sold nearly 90,000 tickets for the 3 days so it’s a bigger event than all bar a few PGA tournaments

 

[Molehill]

The standard of golf was pretty incredible tbf

Anyway, what PGA Tour boosters ignore is that tours like Australia have been shafted by its decision to play 12 months of the year

We used to attract some of the biggest names in world golf to our shores but that went out the window a long time ago as the top players could play for millions in meaningless PGA tournaments closer to home at any time

Anyway, they have sold nearly 90,000 tickets for the 3 days so it’s a bigger event than all bar a few PGA tournaments

No one was going to doubt the standard of golf, although a leaderboard featuring Gooch, Burmester and Bland isn't exactly exciting.

LIV's problem is that it can only get crowds like this if it goes to places which don't normally see top golf. The turnout in England last year was desperate, compared to the sellouts not far away at Wentworth.

I'm still not sure how long Koepka will last on this tour, rumours he's trying find a way back to the PGA already. If he goes, can see others following.

 

[social]

No one was going to doubt the standard of golf, although a leaderboard featuring Gooch, Burmester and Bland isn't exactly exciting.

LIV's problem is that it can only get crowds like this if it goes to places which don't normally see top golf. The turnout in England last year was desperate, compared to the sellouts not far away at Wentworth.

I'm still not sure how long Koepka will last on this tour, rumours he's trying find a way back to the PGA already. If he goes, can see others following.

I agree to an extent

Koepka allegedly signed up because his injury situation was so dire and now he’s recovered

Same with DeChambeau but he looks absolutely crocked if today is anything to go by as he walks like an old man

Phil is old and many others are past their peak

Others are young and will be back

 

[Molehill]

I agree to an extent

Koepka allegedly signed up because his injury situation was so dire and now he’s recovered

Same with DeChambeau but he looks absolutely crocked if today is anything to go by as he walks like an old man

Phil is old and many others are past their peak

Others are young and will be back

I totally get why some took the money, injury, final payday or simply seeing golf as a job. But I think some were poorly advised, especially Smith and the S American trio of Niemann, Ortiz and Mito.

The problem is, the route back is not going to be straightforward. I read a decent article by the Irish golf writer Eamonn Lynch (who is very Anti LIV, almost irrationally so, which I suspect is partly because he's gay) about why the PGA should actually make it easy for players to return as that would most likely be the quickest way to break LIV.

 

[social]

I totally get why some took the money, injury, final payday or simply seeing golf as a job. But I think some were poorly advised, especially Smith and the S American trio of Niemann, Ortiz and Mito.

The problem is, the route back is not going to be straightforward. I read a decent article by the Irish golf writer Eamonn Lynch (who is very Anti LIV, almost irrationally so, which I suspect is partly because he's gay) about why the PGA should actually make it easy for players to return as that would most likely be the quickest way to break LIV.

Smith is 29, 6th in the world, guaranteed a major start for years and was allegedly paid $140 million up front

I get it but wouldn’t have made the same choice

Same with Koepka

PGA Tour will end up hurting themselves if they exclude them as it devalues the product

 

[Molehill]

Smith is 29, 6th in the world, guaranteed a major start for years and was allegedly paid $140 million up front

I get it but wouldn’t have made the same choice

Same with Koepka

PGA Tour will end up hurting themselves if they exclude them as it devalues the product

As John Rahm said, I have more money than I know what to do with, why do I need another $100m?

Smith gets lifelong entry to the Open (well to 60 anyway) but only the next 5 years into the other 3. It sounded like he'd made his decision before he won at St Andrews anyway. I get the Koepka decision more, he'd already won 4 Majors and thought his knee was screwed. But Smith was right in his prime and could have won some big tournaments with a long legacy on the PGA. I suspect his 'advisors' did very well out of that $140m too, those who didn't care about being able to leave a mark on their sport.

At the moment I haven't found the PGA Tour to be missing those names much. Even on quiet weeks like this, I'd far rather watch the Zurich Pairs than the LIV.

 

[social]

As John Rahm said, I have more money than I know what to do with, why do I need another $100m?

Smith gets lifelong entry to the Open (well to 60 anyway) but only the next 5 years into the other 3. It sounded like he'd made his decision before he won at St Andrews anyway. I get the Koepka decision more, he'd already won 4 Majors and thought his knee was screwed. But Smith was right in his prime and could have won some big tournaments with a long legacy on the PGA. I suspect his 'advisors' did very well out of that $140m too, those who didn't care about being able to leave a mark on their sport.

At the moment I haven't found the PGA Tour to be missing those names much. Even on quiet weeks like this, I'd far rather watch the Zurich Pairs than the LIV.

Rahm is best player right now but PGA Tour held out Rory as standard bearer

His Masters flop was bad news for them as Americans need someone to root for and Rahm doesn’t fit the mould

Smith’s advisor is himself

It’s all in house and based in Australia

 

[Anil]

The problem is, the route back is not going to be straightforward. I read a decent article by the Irish golf writer Eamonn Lynch (who is very Anti LIV, almost irrationally so, which I suspect is partly because he's gay) about why the PGA should actually make it easy for players to return as that would most likely be the quickest way to break LIV.

disagree with the bolded...if they set a precedent like that, what's to prevent other young, promising players "taking a couple of years off" rake in some easy millions, relax with some hit-and-giggle golf and then "return" to the fold chastened, ostensibly?

 

[social]

disagree with the bolded...if they set a precedent like that, what's to prevent other young, promising players "taking a couple of years off" rake in some easy millions, relax with some hit-and-giggle golf and then "return" to the fold chastened, ostensibly?

All tour players are free to resign from & apply for reinstatement to the PGA Tour on a whim

If the PGA singles qualified LIV players out then they’re hypocrites

 

[Anil]

All tour players are free to resign from & apply for reinstatement to the PGA Tour on a whim

If the PGA singles qualified LIV players out then they’re hypocrites

nah...

 

[social]

nah...

So nobody will return

Great strategy

 

[Molehill]

disagree with the bolded...if they set a precedent like that, what's to prevent other young, promising players "taking a couple of years off" rake in some easy millions, relax with some hit-and-giggle golf and then "return" to the fold chastened, ostensibly?

Because if LIV or whatever Tour is left to a few up and coming promising players, then it is basically no more than the various other regional tours around the world. If the likes of Koepka, Smith and DJ returned to PGA, LIV would be very quickly screwed.

A big twitter bust up yesterday after Richard Bland foolishly took on Eddie Pepperell and got burned. Unsurprisingly, he's now deleted his tweet and made up with Eddie. Why do some previously nice guys seem to become complete wankers when they move to LIV? I suspect it's because they're under contract to defend their Tour at all costs and never say anything disparaging.

The tweet started off about the Par 3 at Adelaide featuring a lot of heavy drinking that very much resembled the 16th at Phoenix. It's almost like LIV Golfers had to deny anything like this had been done before....

 

[Son Of Coco]

Just seeing some of the footage from the 'Party Hole' etc at the LIV event was enough to make me want to slash my wrists with a bunker rake. I can barely stand the 'get in the hole' ****wits when I see them on TV at US events. I couldn't stand being next to them.

The number of people through the gate suggests it was a roaring success though. A victory for bogan golf perhaps.

 

[Anil]

So nobody will return

Great strategy

of course people will return, or at least want to...also my "nah" was to you calling the pga tour hypocrites...framing the liv group as just another tour may suit your narrative but it's pretty clear that it's agenda is significantly more than that and the tour taking steps to protect itself is completely understandable in these circumstances...

 

[Anil]

Because if LIV or whatever Tour is left to a few up and coming promising players, then it is basically no more than the various other regional tours around the world. If the likes of Koepka, Smith and DJ returned to PGA, LIV would be very quickly screwed.

i get that...but even if they do it, it has to be done very carefully and on a case-by-case basis, it may be much more than up and comers leaving if the tour is perceived as loosening its grip...for me, the liv format is the t-20 equivalent in golf...and that's enough for me to despise it even without considering that a sleazoid nexus of norman and bin salman is at the helm...

 

[social]

i get that...but even if they do it, it has to be done very carefully and on a case-by-case basis, it may be much more than up and comers leaving if the tour is perceived as loosening its grip...for me, the liv format is the t-20 equivalent in golf...and that's enough for me to despise it even without considering that a sleazoid nexus of norman and bin salman is at the helm...

The median age of a PGA Tour viewer is 64 and only a tiny % of 18-35s identify as being interested in golf

Golf needs something like LIV

 

[Anil]

The median age of a PGA Tour viewer is 64 and only a tiny % of 18-35s identify as being interested in golf

Golf needs something like LIV

it's been in that range forever...and no the answer isn't a 54 hole no-cut "entertainment" show...