LIV Golf Invitational League...... NO Political/Ethical conflict posts, see Post#2

Two big coups

Or how many more need to join before Chase Koepka gets the flick

Can't help but think now if the PGA Tour hadn't made such a song and dance about the whole thing and simply granted the guys the releases to play in LIV events, it would have been much a do about nothing by now and seen as an exhibition circuit. Sure, they might have lost the XYZ Classic in Bumphuck, Iowa, but nobody cares about those filler events anyway.

And for the life of me I can't for a moment understand why the European Tour is getting involved in any way, shape or form. If they're happy for their best players to play elsewhere (up til now on the PGA Tour) for 40 weeks of the year, returning for the few big events, why does it matter where their best players play for the 40 weeks that they're not playing in Europe ?

And is 40% owned by the PGA Tour

The only one I will miss watching is Cameron Smith, enjoy his game and great to watch when he hits form. None of the others bother me and a few we now don't have to listen to weekly is a bonus.

Before LIV he refused to play the Saudi event and made his stance clear, so why would he change now?

I don't understand why the PGA Tour should get in a room and sort it out, in what way would that benefit the tour?

Golf might be a global sport.

But just over half the world’s golf courses are in North America. I know there’ll be some variation here and there as this isn’t an exact science, but to extrapolate that outwards, it means that:

just over half the world’s golfers are from North America.

just over half the world’s golf obsessives are from North America.

just over half the target audience for golf-related commercial ventures are in North America.

So while I too wish pro golf was more global, by far the most convenient for players and profitable way to run a tour is to confine it to one region that is wide and deep enough to allow year round golf.

its just commonsense in action.

if LiV eventually wins out the battle of the tours, within a few years it’ll be overwhelming located in America. Because neither the players nor the entourage will have any interest in travelling the world when they can achieve the same thing in a smallish corner of it.

Just on your point about the Majors and 3 of them being in America. Remember they actually existed as events long before the concept of Majors and Slams became a thing. e.g., it was just 'The Masters', another event on the circuit.

And afaik it was just some sports journos who grouped them as big events called the majors. Quite recently too I believe, post WW2 maybe. It's unfortunate in many ways that the terminology took off and became part of the accepted vocabulary of the game. But there's no particular reason why 3 events with US in the title should ever be played elsewhere (although the USPGA is sometimes suggested for non-US locations).

Gary Player was the latest golf personality to come at the fledgling circuit, calling LIV a “tour for people who don’t have confidence in their future” during an interview with BBC 5 radio.

“I wouldn’t take a billion dollars for my nine majors on both tours,” Player told BBC 5. “I worked hard. I had desire. I traveled the world. It was an education, I met wonderful people. How can you ever be a champion playing a tour with 54 holes and no cut?

“They don’t have the confidence they can be winners.”

This is the same Gary Player who is taking money from Saudi Golf. Speaking out both sides of his mouth

Not really talking out both sides of his mouth.

He didn't give out about where the money comes from. He gave out about the format.

Isn't he referring to how he won nine majors on two different tours? At least that's how I read it

Is that causation or correlation though? If you only focus on the US then of course all your golfers, fans and target audience are going to be US based!

Based on all your stats, its impossible to grow the game much more in the US. Every other sport wants to go global (e.g. rugby, F1, Tennis) but the PGA are perfectly happy sitting on top of their US based throne.

I think it would be great to have a non US based tour competing with the US tour, you'd likely end up with a Ryder Cup type event between the two.

Jumping ship to LIV to force changes in the PGA is not the brightest move and all they've done is found themselves out in the cold.

It was clear they needed to evolve and change, but they just sat on their hands, now all of a sudden all these new things are possible.

PGA tour hegemony is bad for global golf. In saying that I'm not saying LIV is good for global golf.

The hollowing out of the ET has allowed a big gap to open up in global golf to the detriment of all.

I really like Rory, but was a little put off by his impassioned defense of the PGA tour and America as the best place to play golf.

Maybe some correlation, maybe some causation.

there will of course be emerging markets for golf growth. But it’s much tougher than it was 50 years ago.

for you need:

• land, and lots of iIt, to create enough courses to generate a local industry rather than a tourism industry.
• an economy that provides disposable income for equipment and merchandise, and time off for employees.
• a climate that allows grass to grow and be playable on for 6+ months a year.

So ii doubt we will ever see a market that comes close to North America, not in our lifetimes. Taking on a monopoly is surely only possible if you’ve got a better / replacement product.

but more pertinently, think about why the US Tour decimated the European Tour.

A large percentage of it was owed initially to the Tiger factor. And not the presence of Tiger per se, so much as the extensive uplift in sponsorship and prize money, from non-golf organisations wanting to attach themselves to golf and to Tiger.

That was the lure, the booming tee shot so to speak. But the continued success was I reckon owed to the sheer handiness for players (and entourages). Base yourself out of Florida, commit to 20 events a year and you can spend some serious time at home, and apart from a few longer trips, never be more than a few hours on a plane from home. Especially so as at the same time the European Tour evolved into a euro-middle east tour, with some properly worldwide extensions.

for me, it boils down to asking yourself a simple question… if you’re a thirtysomething golfer with a new home and a young family. Why would you choose to stressfully jump from Florida to Edinburgh to Marbella to Dubai to Hong Kong to Melbourne…. when you can pick up the same/better pay packet and prestige, for doing the same thing, always within two time zones?

which is why I think LiV will either end up being 80% USA based, or will fall to the wayside due to player interest.

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that said I do already love your thought of a PGA vs LiV annual team showdown. As an event it would outstrip anything else in golf for public interest (even the majors), for a few iterations at least.