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Been watching some of this, but that scoreboard jumping about at the side
is doing my head in
The PGA Tour has banned 17 players for taking part. Looks like this is going to end up in the courts.
“These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan wrote in a memo to the tour’s membership. “But they can’t demand the same PGA TOUR membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners. You have made a different choice, which is to abide by the Tournament Regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA TOUR card and — more importantly — to compete as part of the preeminent organization in the world of professional golf.”
Jay Monahan should be charged with restraint of trade!! He is a tyrant and a dictator
Lots of rumours that Cameron Smith is going to sign up to LIV. I don’t expect the R&A will be best pleased.
More awkwardly, Henrik Stenson is expected to sign up, which would mean Europe would have to look for a new Ryder Cup captain.
“Jay Monahan should be charged with restraint of trade!!…”
You may get your wish, raymo. US Department of Justice just launched an investigation against the PGA Tour for possible anti-trust violations. Although, the timing of the announcement of this investigation is rather peculiar given that it occurred just days prior to Joe Biden’s visit to the Kingdom, dubbed “Security for Oil” by the American media but that’s a separate issue…
LIV can have Cameron “Joe Dirt” Smith, he’s not a factor in the overall PGA Tour’s scheme of things. Nobody cares. Stenson, however, would be news given that he’s a Euro Ryder Cup captain…
Stenson stripped of the Ryder Cup captaincy.
When he was appointed, he said it was the greatest honour he could possibly receive and something beyond his wildest dreams.
Evidently a cheque with plenty of noughts on the end from a Saudi Arabian bank account was an even greater honour.
That’s unbelievable news! He’s one of my favorite players and one of the most recognizable and respected golfers world-wide who’s in the in the twilight of his career. He had an opportunity to go out with style and class as a Ryder Cup captain…
But, then again, we should not be too judgmental of these athletes who, undoubtedly, are making free choices with their’s and their families best interest in mind. And, why shouldn’t they? After all, they’re only taking a cue from the leaders of the world’s two greatest democracies. First, a couple of months ago the then UK’s PM Boris Johnson makes a trip to Riyadh to meet with MBS and last week it was US President Joe Biden who made the trip, both went with hats-in-hand of course. Now, one needs to ask a very simple question: who has the leverage?…
I have no problem with players taking the LIV money. I just wish they would spare us the rubbish that they are doing it for the good of the game or to help grow the sport. They should just be honest and say they are doing it for the money. And for the has beens and never weres, I do not blame them.
Having said that, I am not convinced 54 hole events with no half way cut is a better format. And it is doubtful that a fat pay cheque even if you finish last will raise standards.
Then there is Sergio Garcia saying he wants to play somewhere he feels loved. What a pathetic statement by a grown man!
As for Stenson, he signed a contract just a few months ago which contained a clause which stated he could not belong to any tour outside of the DP World Tour. After signing it, he said he was honoured to be captain. That was obviously mere talk. No matter what anyone’s thoughts about LIV, it is not very honourable behaviour by Stenson.
He should be remembered as the player who won the Open after one of the greatest final rounds. Instead he is also going to be remembered as someone who walked out on being Ryder Cup captain. Maybe his increased bank balance will make him feel better about it.
In a recent interview with “Express Sport”, the multiple major winner and one of the “most decorated” European Ryder Cuppers Tony Jacklin was strongly critical of Stenson, saying:
“Stenson’s decision makes a mockery of the matches. It’s the end of the Ryder Cup as we know it, it’s bound to be.
You cannot call it a credible event anymore, and you can say the same for the Presidents Cup now too. Once the teams involved are not represented by the strongest players and individuals, the credibility of the competition is spent.
The whole thing is screwed up. It’s all come down to money, how much of it the players can earn, and we’re only at the first round of it.
It’s a complete disaster and an extremely sad state of affairs. The LIV players are laughing all the way to the bank – they are having a honeymoon with all the money. But what is very different at this point in time is figuring out what the long-term consequences will be for golf’s officialdom, organizations like the R&A, the USGA, The Masters. All these institutions are affected by this crazy situation.”
They’ve got about 250 days until The Masters, the next Major championship, to sort all this out. Who’s going to be allowed to play in which events going forward, that’s the next question.”
Regarding the players joining LIV:
“To be fair, I don’t blame the players. Why do we all work? For money, of course, and to be better off. I don’t blame them but the upshot of it all is that it puts the kybosh on the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup.”
I had an enjoyable afternoon at Hillside yesterday watching the Waring, Senior and Pepperell three ball. All played well.
Eddie Pepperell put this tweet out:
“Not sure who needs to hear this, but I’ll say it anyway; not everything a person does in life has to be about money. None of us will be here in 100 years, and nobody will care about your wealth. You’ll be remembered for what you achieved, believed and stood for.”
This issue is not only about male golfers:
Cathy Harris of the “London Times” said the LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan is open to having a conversation with LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman.
“It’s my responsibility to evaluate every opportunity. I would engage in a conversation if it would achieve our aim of promoting women’s golf but there needs to be input from players and sponsors. There’s a lot of factors to consider before we do business with LIV Golf.”
According to some, while there has been much debate about the ethics of taking money from the Saudi regime, the LPGA already has “multiple ties to Saudi.”
In the interview, Harris pointed out that Aramco, the state-owned Saudi Arabian Oil Company, “sponsors six Ladies European Tour (LET) events to the tune of $6 million.”
Greg Norman has also brought up the fact that the women’s game biggest sponsor is Aramco, yet there has been no criticism towards them.
“Why is it OK for them and nobody barks at them?” Norman said. “But the boys, they’re barking at you. “It’s simple, because it all starts out of the headquarters in Jacksonville.”
Harris also noted that three leading European players are “sponsored by Golf Saudi.”
Phil Mickelson, a six time major champion, is 125/1 for the upcoming LIV event where the field is mostly comprised of players he would have laughed at in his prime. Talk about how the mighty have fallen.
And he has just recorded a video welcoming David Feherty to LIV, from inside a gorilla compound in Rwanda with his face covered by a black mask.
I am so looking forward to watching LIV Golf now that Feherty has been signed up as an analyst.
Said no one.
I’ve no time for the hypocrisy over taking Saudi money; Biden just back for a visit, all sports awash with dirty money. But that LIV event was a real eye-opener; Trump, Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor-Greene playing starring roles.
Think the PGA and Ryder Cup are being hypocritical, monopolising mugs to be honest. PGA are just scared of their profit margins, if they at all actually cared about golf and improving the game they would have made changes long ago, they don’t care about the golfers at all they don’t even pay them a salary it’s a complete joke. Why on earth should any player be loyal to the PGA? Should a premier league player remain loyal to the premier league and not sign for Real Madrid when they get offered more money?
The PGA tour has taken loads of money from Saudi companies over the last 10 years and used it as prize money, noone had a problem with it then, why now?
Why the hell are the Ryder Cup banning players who’ve joined LIV?? It literally makes no difference to the Ryder Cup whether their competitors play on the PGA tour or LIV tour, absolutely pathetic how biased the Ryder Cup are being and whoever runs that ship.
PGA are so out of touch with reality it’s a joke, didn’t they give Tiger Woods $50million last year for being their biggest social media star or something along those lines? Insanity, I can guarantee you there are Youtube Golfers (in the UK and USA) who are doing FAR more to promote the sport than any professional golfer, where’s their $50million?
Used to love the PGA, but this whole thing has made me realise how incompetent and selfish they’ve been since taking over the sport.
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