The LIV (Saudi Tour) Thread

[TEA Time]

Robert Garrigus is the first PGA member to request to compete on the LIV tour. He's playing in the Zurich Classic this week, wonder how he'll be received.

 

[limpalong]

Hope he gets a really bad case of the shanks!!!!

 

[warbirdlover]

I think it's going to be a tour for washed up golfers. At least at the start.

 

[limpalong]

I think it's going to be a tour for washed up golfers. At least at the start.

If that's the case, I'm in!!!!!

 

[TEA Time]

If that's the case, I'm in!!!!!

I wouldn't say a US Open champ is necessarily "washed up"
(from wikipedia)

 

[limpalong]

I wouldn't say a US Open champ is necessarily "washed up"
(from wikipedia)
View attachment 32427

Yep! I remember that week very well. Rode the old Rock Island passenger train to Illinois. Kilt me a rabbit with my 9-iron at one of the stops and et him fur breakfast. Whittled out a couple new shafts from a hickory branch while on that ol' train. Thought we wuz just playin' fer quarters. Heck! Won that ol' tourney and got a check for $27 dollars and 38 cents!!!!

 

[TEA Time]

 

[Louie_T07]

Like I’ve said, likely more than once now, I have no clue what’s going on with all this. But Phil has now officially signed on, all while trying to play in the next two majors?!?! Is this like a crap shoot to see what response the PGA will have?

 

[limpalong]

The Open Championship has denied Greg Norman's application for an exemption to play. Evidently, no interest in promoting a competing tour operated by a terrorist nation. Hopefully, the PGA will make a similar decision about Phil playing in the PGA Championship.

 

[TEA Time]

Lee Westwood asked the PGA Tour for a release so he could play in the first LIV event.

 

[TEA Time]

Sergio Garcia, who has made over 54 million dollars on the PGA Tour, shares his thoughts about the PGA Tour: "I can't wait to leave this tour"

 

[azgreg]

Sergio, don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you.

 

[TEA Time]

Is there anyone more hated on the tour than Sergio? Reed maybe? I dunno man, seems like Garcia is universally hated.

 

[IrishGolfer]

My views on this tour. It is inevitable. It will take time, and it might stumble, but the early movers will make it easier for others. The money source is not great, I'm not a fan of "dirty $$$s" but I think rival tours are inevitable. Norman has been evangelizing this for the last 20 years. My big issue is that players will be banned from competing on other tours. How can you have a Major with contenders being banned? Is the Open not open by definition? I think players will in time become free agents not tied into any tours. There will need to be some sort of world ranking which streams them.

 

[limpalong]

My views on this tour. It is inevitable. It will take time, and it might stumble, but the early movers will make it easier for others. The money source is not great, I'm not a fan of "dirty $$$s" but I think rival tours are inevitable. Norman has been evangelizing this for the last 20 years. My big issue is that players will be banned from competing on other tours. How can you have a Major with contenders being banned? Is the Open not open by definition? I think players will in time become free agents not tied into any tours. There will need to be some sort of world ranking which streams them.

The U.S. Open is open since it's operated by the USGA and not the PGA. Anyone from anywhere can go through qualifying and end up playing.

I have trouble understanding how competitive tours can be successful. How many people can name the top 130 players? How many people remember who were those making the cut in last week's tourney... the Masters... last year's Open Championship? There are about 20 to 30 players who have name recognition and are seen somewhere on leaderboards each week.

Sponsors of tourneys want viewership to see their product advertised. Viewership takes name recognition of who is going to be competing on Sunday. Television wants to sell ads and those ad sales are higher when name players are in the event. If they begin "purchasing" name players and ripping them from the PGA and/or European Tour... today's events will suffer. The events put on by the new "tours" will suffer if they only have two or three name players.

We've seen the Game remain fairly successful with the PGA and European Tour as the premier tours. Add to that the "minor league" tours such as the Japanese Tour, etc. If we have competing events between the European Tour, the PGA, and a couple new upstart tours and the events are making cuts at 70 and ties... will we see a handful under par and majority of those making the cut at +27???
Going to be an interesting time for the PGA and European Tour.