Hay Copper! What do you think of LIV Golf?
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For those who need an overview:
https://theathletic.com/3351771/2022/06/06/liv-golf-pga-tour-faq/ -
When I saw the LIV I thought 54, the year Greg Norman was born.
I only know that because it is the same year as me.
The thing about the evil Saudis is nonsense. Golf is played in just about every country in the world and just about every country in the world has recently been involved in evil. If nothing else, they are all racists.
Play golf and let the sponsorships fall where they may. The PGA Tour is terrified, they should be. They don't own the game. They have had the monopoly long enough, competition is good.
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@Horace that is weird about the paywall, I definitely do not have a subscription. Anyway, the very short version is:
Greg Norman, PGA number 1 dude for most of the 90s, is starting another golf league called LIV (yes, it does stand for 54 holes of golf), which is backed by endless Saudi money. Right now it's not broadcasted on TV in the states (networks are scared of pissing off the PGA), and the prize money is really big so a number of big names (including Dustin Johnson who got paid $150 million, and Phil Mickelson who got paid $200 million) are ditching their PGA membership to play in the league. It is TBD the impact on their participation in existing big events like the Majors (probably can still play), Ryder cup (probably can't), and PGA events (can't).
The LIV league has like 8 events, has a fun twist on it (team play, shotgun start) and again... really big prize money. My gut says it is not a long-term league but it is interesting to see the new/fun twist on official events, which does put pressure on the PGA. That being said, I'm a traditionalist and scoff at anyone trying to change anything about the existing golf league/events/structure that has been in place for 500 years... ok maybe 50.
Pretty easy money decision for Dustin and Phil to make. $150-200 million just to PLAY in the league? Rumor has it Tiger Woods was offered a mind boggling number (I would guess like $500-750 million) but turned it down. Many other pros on the PGA have also sworn off the LIV league but when they see these no-names winning $10 million each week, it might be hard to keep other pros from ditching the PGA.
