If forced to choose one side or the other, I'd bet that LIV won't be around that long. Not saying it's a lock or I'd wager a ton, but I just can't see this business model lasting over 6 years. Even with unlimited funds.

They need a TV contract and their only hope in the states is FOX, and they got out of golf quickly for a reason. They need world ranking points and I don't see that happening especially when you look at the bodies that make that decision. They need access to PGA Tour events and that's not happening for over a year if ever. They need access to majors and who knows how that's going to play out.

There's always the PGA Tour guys who win a major then bolt to LIV. I expect at least 3x from this group compared to those already with LIV.

I'd be surprised if there is more than 1 major winner already with LIV, assuming they don't get OWGR points.

what a selfish a-hole. Sergio is the fitting face for LIV

Weirdest thing about Liv so far is how much of the marketing is about how awesome it is for the players. Look at their private plane! Look how much money they are getting! Look at how happy and relaxed they all are!

It's just weird. Do I watch the NFL based on how luxurious their travel is, or pick a team to root for based on who has the easiest training camp?

Liv's biggest problem, and one I can't see them overcoming, is lack of stakes. When DJ made that bomb to win I felt nothing. Neimann and Lahiri were laughing and high fiving him, even though they had just lost in heartbreaking fashion, because no one really cares. I am not sure how they manufacture stakes. You can't do it just by adding new players.

lol really? too funny

Check out their reaction. No one gives a s***. They get paid upfront so it's more like a casual round with your buddies.

Lol, its kind of like watching a freeroll.

updated

Ya because DJ has always showed a ton of emotion on the golf course.

Rumour is another top 10 golfer in the world is going LIV.

Well, if Golf Magic is remotely on point it’s Jon Rahm as he pulled no punches during a recent press conference that Rory and Tiger were the guys pulling the strings and he acted quite displeased about such.

Could be, also didn't seem impressed with the amount of events required by the PGA tour. He also has 2 young kids at home, probably fair to say the wife want him home more and not gone 20+ weeks of the year.

Could also see Morikawa or Holvand.

Expecting a professional athlete to be on the road for 20 weeks a year? This is a pressing problem that needs to be addressed. Forget the Saudis, maybe North Korea can finance a Trackman league so the guys can just play from their basements. Some of these guys have kids for crying out loud.

Do other professional athletes spend 20-25 full weeks on the road? I'm just saying a lot of wives with young kids will find the less travel more money intriguing.

All of the following is only my opinion. But it explains pretty well what has happened to date.

Rory has played Monahan like a Stradivarius. When LIV started gaining some steam Rory took the company line voicing his displeasure. Fine. Then a few weeks later when more players (in particular Euros) joined LIV he expressed his sympathy for his old Euro friends who are making a decision that he "respects". Is Rory contemplating bolting to LIV? Probably not, but there were rumors and if he did others would likely go as well, and Monahan would have been taking a long walk on a short plank. Rory's bargaining position suddenly became very strong.

Sensing an opportunity, Rory recruits Tiger
to appeal to the top U.S. players who did not already bolt to stick with the Tour. Rory then gets a laundry list of demands from Monahan. Why now? Was Monahan sandbagging all this time with this money ($100 million a year by my count) that suddenly became available?

And guess what? Tiger and Rory announce TRWM (or whatever it is), their business partnership that includes a "Virtual Tour" of hand picked tour players (likely the same guys Tiger had to convince to not join LIV). Hmmm, Tiger can't walk 18 holes but don't worry about it, you can play on a simulator with your buds and cash. Reports were this venture was months in the making. It's possible Tiger was working on this already, as it certainly benefits him a lot more than guys who can walk. But the timing with Rory seems awfully suspicuous. Cam Young and other rumored players later announce they are not joining LIV. HV3 and a few other journeyman players bolt.

It then became evident that several top foreign players were very close to joining LIV. So as part of Rory's laundry list of demands we get a new PIP program reserved for "top players", with $100 million per year now available. Monahan likely felt that Matsuyama and top Korean players had the most marketing value and they should receive PIP inducements to stay. Rahm voices his displeasure with the negotiating process by directing the media to talk to Rory. Rahm, as well as other top foreign players from small market countries, who had no alliance with Rory or Tiger were left out of any of the new "perks" being offered. Two top 20s and others join LIV. Matsuyama and the top Korean players stay on.

Rory suddenly thinks his old Euro buddies are not worthy of playing on the same course as him, clearly distancing himself from whatever association he had with them. It's a new day. The European Tour is effectively dead, it is stuck in a bad market and needs life support from Monahan. The old guys don't like it, but they have nothing sans signing on to LIV and cashing in. I suspect Rahm and some other established small market guys will fall in with this group.

In the meantime, Rory and friends will ride the gravy train to further riches, I suspect a lot of it from small field no cut events, virtual tour, and cherry picked PIP money. Tiger gets what he wants: a venue where he can participate with his bros and make money in the process. The current top US players will receive ancillary benefits with more money paid on top. The middle guys will benefit at least in the short term. How long this arrangement can sustain itself remains to be seen.

Some may think there is nothing wrong with any of this. Rory was simply looking out for himself along with the survival of the PGA Tour. Is it a coincidence his $250 million deal with Nike ends this year? I feel there was nothing keeping Rory if everything stayed as is and he was offered $300+ million to sign on with LIV. So he leveraged that position to the max. This would not have been the case with players like Justin Thomas, who I believe never would join LIV and had little negotiating power as a result. Monahan was probably aware of this as well, so he basically offers nothing until Rory got in the negotiation and played hardball. Tiger was the much needed support that rallied the JTs who believe the merit based approach must win out. Well played, Rory.

I think some things still need to explained, such as the source of this new money. Rory should also be transparent on how he leveraged all of this for his own benefit. I really DGAF about LIV as its purpose is marketing with golf as a side show.

Shifty you realize starting with the second season of Norman's pet project that LIVtards will be required to be away from home over 20+ times right? it's yet another one of their talking points, like "growing the game", that simply doesn't add up when you take time to educate yourself on the facts on the ground

tip of the cap to Lowry after his win yday:

“I made no secrets how I felt about this whole thing at the start of the week,” Lowry said. “I wanted to go out and win this tournament for myself first and foremost. But also for this tour and everyone who’s stayed loyal to this tour. I really feel like this is one for the good guys.”

TV Contract

2021-2022 was the first of a new 9-year agreement with NBC, CBS, ESPN. Purses and funds at PGAT were going to be going up starting last year, and continuing to go up. It's no mystery where the funds are coming from

He already pledged fealty to the PGA Tour back in Feb though

I think I said it before when that went to a play off I just wanted it to end asap I wanted to turn it off just because it felt a bit meaningless. The lack of competitiveness really kills it for me that being said I'm the type of person that will try and make a competition out of nothing as playing just for the sake of playing in anything just doesn't do it for me.

I can see the other side though if a casual fan watches a couple of events a year or something then I can see how the LIV thing will be entertaining for them as it's quick and once they hash the team thing out a bit better then I think it will be better for the casual to watch and they don't really care for the competitiveness nature of the actual event.

Will see if the rumours that Rahm is leaving this week are true .

If Rahm leaves that's pretty huge. I'd be disappointed but the more good players go, the more they can convince themselves that it's legit, and take the money.

wait. one of the world's premier brands doesn't want to get into bed with Greg Norman and MBS? color me surprised

When Apple receives the notice that their products can no longer be sold in SA, things might change.

Aghhh the same brand that utilizes slaves to make their phones in China and factories that have suicide nets?

Don't really see why anyone would want to broadcast Liv tbh. Opening yourself up to lots of negative blowback, for miniscule ratings.

I've always seen Fox Sports network as the most likely home only because they can use the content and they're MAGA like Liv.