2022 PGA Tour

[Symphony Steve]

I've been a casual golf fan since the days of Arnie Palmer.

No more

I've totally lost interest. I refuse to go political on this board so I will leave it like that.

While I try not to go political on this board, if you're referring to this picture, I'm with you:

Former President Donald Trump (right), golfer Dustin Johnson (second from right), golfer Bryson DeChambeau (third from right), and Eric Trump posing for a picture as they played together during the pro-am round of the Bedminster Invitational LIV Golf tournament in Bedminster, N.J., on Thursday.Read moreSeth Wenig / AP

 

[goofnoff]

While I try not to go political on this board, if you're referring to this picture, I'm with you:

Former President Donald Trump (right), golfer Dustin Johnson (second from right), golfer Bryson DeChambeau (third from right), and Eric Trump posing for a picture as they played together during the pro-am round of the Bedminster Invitational LIV Golf tournament in Bedminster, N.J., on Thursday.Read moreSeth Wenig / AP

 

[goofnoff]

Lord have mercy

 

[Symphony Steve]

Golfweek reports that Bubba Watson is being paid something like $50 mill to join the LIV Tour.

Bubba Watson. 43 years old. $50 mill.

Hey, it's not my money...

 

[PoppyHart]

"grow the game" is the new "thoughts and prayers"

 

[syrBossHogg]

Between college sports and pro golf, money is sure ruining it all nowadays.

 

[Cowtown]

I've been a casual golf fan since the days of Arnie Palmer.

No more

I've totally lost interest. I refuse to go political on this board so I will leave it like that.

It's like a lot of other sports. I still like the games, but I'm getting tired of the athletes. And I don't think it's necessarily political to call out bad taste or classless behavior when you see it.

 

[Symphony Steve]

Proof that LIV has some standards:

John Daly Unsuccessfully Lobbied Greg Norman to Let Him Join the LIV Tour

The two-time major champion told TV host Piers Morgan that he "begged" to be a part of the startup circuit, to no avail.

www.si.com

Norman/Saudis say no to John Daly. Apparently the prospective bar tabs were the deal-breakers.

 

[MSOrange]

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I'm not. I think that love of country stuff is all lip service by all these athletes. They want money and will always chase the cash. Also as I said earlier in the thread, players will get paid for participating in the Ryder Cup within the next 2 times the event is held.

It's never about furthering the game, representing your country, etc - it's always about the cash.

Imagine professionals wanting to earn a living doing their job. The nerve.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Imagine professionals wanting to earn a living doing their job. The nerve.

That’s a dumb statement. That ain’t ‘earning’ a living, and is fact an insult to all those who do.

Its a money grab, plain and simple.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

That’s a dumb statement. That ain’t ‘earning’ a living, and is fact an insult to all those who do.

Its a money grab, plain and simple.

That statement is dumb and naive. Who are you to limit what people can and should make. Those golfers have 100s of thousands of hours invested in developing the skills to put them in the top 10% -20% of earners in the world.
Dwayne Johnson doesn't take less money to make movies, and doesn't turn down residuals. Almost everyone tries to maximize the amount of money they can make. Athletes, in particular, have shorter working lives than most, and their earnings generally decline in their 30s and 40s.
The money isn't coming out of your pocket, so why do you care?

 

[CuseFaninVT]

That statement is dumb and naive. Who are you to limit what people can and should make. Those golfers have 100s of thousands of hours invested in developing the skills to put them in the top 10% -20% of earners in the world.
Dwayne Johnson doesn't take less money to make movies, and doesn't turn down residuals. Almost everyone tries to maximize the amount of money they can make. Athletes, in particular, have shorter working lives than most, and their earnings generally decline in their 30s and 40s.
The money isn't coming out of your pocket, so why do you care?

I don’t. Just like to get you riled, and defend the house of Saud.

 

[GoSU96]

I don’t. Just like to get you riled, and defend the house of Saud.

where is there a defense of KSA anywhere in there?

 

[690West]

“These three poor kids”

 

[CuseTG2003]

Turns out tournament winnings are deducted from signing bonuses so they're literally playing for nothing from a financial perspective. The tournaments are meaningless exhibitions.

 

[690West]

Turns out tournament winnings are deducted from signing bonuses so they're literally playing for nothing from a financial perspective. The tournaments are meaningless exhibitions.

So it looks like the very top guys did get guaranteed money, but the lower tier of the 48 have what you say, which is basically a draw. Best nugget we learned today

 

[PoppyHart]

Cam Smith is effectively gone. Hopefully the crowds give him an earful over the next few weeks.

It really sux how much all these greedy parties are ruining a game that so many of us have loved for decades.

If this was the Saudis (or any similarly situated entity) coming in and blowing up the NFL to create a flag football league with dozens of household names, I think the public would catch on quicker to the insidiousness and insanity of all this.

It's scary to think that the last few months have shown that even one person, like a Musk or Bezos, could upend golf, tennis, and other sports as we know them.

 

[br801]

 

[CuseTG2003]

The worst part is the PGA Tour was as good as it’s ever been just prior to LIV IMO. Tons of young talent and likable players.

 

[690West]

The worst part is the PGA Tour was as good as it’s ever been just prior to LIV IMO. Tons of young talent and likable players.

A gazzilionaire’s spite has led to my favorite game being fractured heavily. That’s literally what happened. What a POS

 

[PoppyHart]

‘S—ting their pants’: LIV Golf texts between Greg Norman and Sergio Garcia revealed

Norman (and Azinger) were my favorite players in the late 80’s/early 90s.
Now he’s hell bent on sinking the ship, even if he’s on the darn thing!

 

[CuseTG2003]

‘S—ting their pants’: LIV Golf texts between Greg Norman and Sergio Garcia revealed

Norman (and Azinger) were my favorite players in the late 80’s/early 90s.
Now he’s hell bent on sinking the ship, even if he’s on the darn thing!

I loved the Shark growing up in the 90s. Now, I’m team Faldo 1000% (referring to the '96 Masters of course).

 

[jncuse]

Should we really be surprised that the PGA has fell to shady characters who attack with money?

This is not a defence of LIV at all. At all! And as some have cited it is a shame since the tour has its youngest deepest fields in a while and it is entertaining for the larger (non-major) events. And we as fans are losing some of that.

But it shouldn't be that surprising to see the PGA lose some members to LIV. It was always about money for many on the tour. Without getting into politics, it is well known that a fair amount of the tour cites "taxes" as their political motivation.

The PGA tour itself is a "charity", which initially was created in the 1970's purely to avoid federal and local taxes and make more money for its members. At the end of 2019 per published financials the PGA tour had net assets of $1.1 billion dollars and cash / investments of nearly $3 billon-- and yet made less than $50 million of charitable donations in 2019. I won't get too much more into the charity side, because there is some merit to its providing a platform to local charities which generate money at each event (each event is a separate charity) - but to be fair the majority of the charitable effort comes from local charities and probably about a thousand volunteers at each event. Yet the PGA (and its corporate sponsor) have no problem going on TV probably taking more credit than they deserve.

Look at the 2 golfers that have dominated the sport for the last 25 years. Phil Mickelson is a phony douchebag. I really like Tiger as a golfer, but as a person he is ornery at best. Thankfully the top face of golf have been changing the last 8-10 years.

The signature golf event is the Masters - and there is no more fake sanctimonious organization that I am aware of. In 1984 (1984!) this organization was still mandating that all caddies had to be black. And I love the Masters event - just have to ignore some stuff.

At the end of the day its not a shock to me that some members of this sport that have got involved in something so sh----.

The LIV backers are certainly much more shady then the PGA. And the PGA for almost all tournaments will be a more entertaining product. No doubt about that. But the tour was susceptible to lose some people to this sh-- because of the established mentality of many involved with or on the tour.

 

[jncuse]

A gazzilionaire’s spite has led to my favorite game being fractured heavily. That’s literally what happened. What a POS

It is fractured, but at the end of the day I only see 4 events getting really dinged - the Players and the 3 playoff events.

But a few positives or at least mitigating factors.

- The Majors will always be big and the fields shoudn't be too compromised. Any anybody that leaves for LIV in the top 20, should have enough of a "roll" (or even past event history) to be able to stay in most majors for a few years (via top 50 to 80 in WGR) A player like Cameron Smith is exempt for the next 5 years, DJ for another 3. Then again perhaps we don't want to see them.

- The PGA creating 8 "signature" events should be a positive mitigating factor - smaller fields with a relegation factor should create some excitement. The PGA has a number of "Fractured" events with fields that are heavily split because players spread themselves out. These 8 events should be at the same level as the top tier events on the existing tour other than the playoffs and the Players.

The events that take the biggest hit in this new world are the Players and the Playoffs.

And there may be some weeks that are traditionally weak on the PGA tour anyway, that LIV will develop a good field that was better then what the PGA offered (pre split) That being said not sure if I will watch.