LIV Golf Invitational Series

[Crouchend_Hammer]

They still havent lured anyone of note really.
Mostly players at the back end of their careers, journeymen and DeChambeau

None of the real big hitters like Mcilroy, Rahm, Thomas, Morikawa, Speith, Scheffler and Hovland or upcoming players like Burns, Fitz, Zalatoris and Young

Highest ranking player they have is Johnson at 16

Smith and Matsuyama would be achievable as they can tempt them with being figureheads for Australian and Asian teams

I can see LIV wanting regional/ national teams (like they have with South Adrica) and then playing tournaments in each of those areas

Paul Casey is probably the biggest **** in all of sport so no loss there

[mumbles87]

They still havent lured anyone of note really.
Mostly players at the back end of their careers, journeymen and DeChambeau

None of the real big hitters like Mcilroy, Rahm, Thomas, Morikawa, Speith, Scheffler and Hovland or upcoming players like Burns, Fitz, Zalatoris and Young

Highest ranking player they have is Johnson at 16

Smith and Matsuyama would be achievable as they can tempt them with being figureheads for Australian and Asian teams

I can see LIV wanting regional/ national teams (like they have with South Adrica) and then playing tournaments in each of those areas

Paul Casey is probably the biggest **** in all of sport so no loss there

I keep seeing this logic thrown about that they are "past it" or "tail end of careers"

Rory still no major in 8 years

Since he won a major 7 of the major winners are on live .. so they have won a major more recently than Rory but he is by no means at all past it (not suggesting he is) but they are?

[Row X]

They still havent lured anyone of note really.
Mostly players at the back end of their careers, journeymen and DeChambeau

None of the real big hitters like Mcilroy, Rahm, Thomas, Morikawa, Speith, Scheffler and Hovland or upcoming players like Burns, Fitz, Zalatoris and Young

Highest ranking player they have is Johnson at 16

Smith and Matsuyama would be achievable as they can tempt them with being figureheads for Australian and Asian teams

I can see LIV wanting regional/ national teams (like they have with South Adrica) and then playing tournaments in each of those areas

Paul Casey is probably the biggest **** in all of sport so no loss there

Rumours starting that Cam Smith is now comfortable to jump ship seeing as he has exemption for the majors for the next couple of years. I would say the current Champion Golfer Of The Year and world number 2, would be someone of note lured across.

As you say, they could sell it to him that he would be the figurehead for an Australian team and he'll be promoting golf to all the youngsters in Australia, plus they'll give him a stack load of cash too.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

to the really uninitiated please....

don't ALL winners of most majors get exemptions to play again for "x" number of years.

I thought that some were in perpetuity - John Daley played the Masters (and what the eff was he wearing ?) - and some had a time limit ? then you had to qualify again ?

and the other question, even if he DOES have exemptions doesn't the PGA and/or that championship have the right to block that exemption ?

cheers

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

to the really uninitiated please....

don't ALL winners of most majors get exemptions to play again for "x" number of years. Yes

I thought that some were in perpetuity - John Daley played the Masters (and what the eff was he wearing ?) - and some had a time limit ? then you had to qualify again ? See below

and the other question, even if he DOES have exemptions doesn't the PGA and/or that championship have the right to block that exemption ? No. The majors aren't run by the tours

cheers

If you win the Masters, you're in the Masters for life, basically, and you're in the U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship for five years
If you win the U.S. Open, you're exempt in the U.S. Open for 10 years, and you're in the Masters, Open Championship and PGA Championship for five years
If you win the British Open, you're in the Open until you're 60, and you're in the Masters, U.S. Open and PGA Championship for five years
If you win the PGA Championship, you're in the PGA Championship for life, basically, and you're in the Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship for five years
You get a 5-year exemption on the PGA Tour for winning a major, and you can pretty much set your schedule for two years
You get a spot in the Tournament of Champions
You get 100 Official World Golf Ranking points, which pretty much locks up a spot in the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking for 18 months, no matter what

[mumbles87]

to the really uninitiated please....

don't ALL winners of most majors get exemptions to play again for "x" number of years.

I thought that some were in perpetuity - John Daley played the Masters (and what the eff was he wearing ?) - and some had a time limit ? then you had to qualify again ?

and the other question, even if he DOES have exemptions doesn't the PGA and/or that championship have the right to block that exemption ?

cheers

The PGA and dp world tour can't ban them from majors as the majors have their own board who run them

However there is talk of them changing the rules to have them banned

Pathetic if they do. For example DJ is a master's champ and should play for life. That should not change it now because it doesn't suit the agenda

[Cuenca 'ammer]

JBB and mumbles

thanks very much for a brilliant break down.

mumbles, I agree to an extent, but it seems to me, just a little bit, that the LIV is like the Super League or whatever they called it.

they want their cake and eat it to (although to be honest what WOULD you do with cake EXCEPT eat it...)

effectively it seems that their "league" is set up in opposition to the PGA which is where they got their rankings and the money they eventually got from LIV.

I find that I can't be in favour of the Super 6 et al, but be in favour of the LIV thing. maybe apples and oranges I don't know.

were it me, I'd ban them. go play elsewhere if you want. just not on our courses and our tournaments. you can't have both. sorry.

interesting to see how it plays out.

[mumbles87]

JBB and mumbles

thanks very much for a brilliant break down.

mumbles, I agree to an extent, but it seems to me, just a little bit, that the LIV is like the Super League or whatever they called it.

they want their cake and eat it to (although to be honest what WOULD you do with cake EXCEPT eat it...)

effectively it seems that their "league" is set up in opposition to the PGA which is where they got their rankings and the money they eventually got from LIV.

I find that I can't be in favour of the Super 6 et al, but be in favour of the LIV thing. maybe apples and oranges I don't know.

were it me, I'd ban them. go play elsewhere if you want. just not on our courses and our tournaments. you can't have both. sorry.

interesting to see how it plays out.

I find the whole thing hypocritical.

The players are "independent contractors" but can only play where the PGA tour dictates.

The Saudi money is bad but it's fine for the PGA and dp world tour to play in saudi.

Liv is trying to "nick the best" but it's what the pga have done to the DP world tour for years.

Ironically now the DP world and PGA have closer aligned and the prize for finishing best player in dp world is a place in the PGA tour lol

I think sod the world ranking points don't let them have them. However let them play when and if they like.

Everyone will want to play majors so unless you are DJ you will need to qualify for some.. so they will have to play PGA events anyways.. rarely are all the best players in the field every week so it's not like they will suddenly have a gap.

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

^^^^^What he said

[Cuenca 'ammer]

I haven't done any research (or even where to look) but don't for example tennis players and maybe snooker players fall into that "independent contractors" gig and are they subject to similar restrictions as the golfers ? those kind of sports, squash I would imagine, can't think of too many single type sports where that would be the same. just thought, athletes too .....

wonder how all of those work, are they all governed by the "governing bodies" so to speak and are only allowed to participate where they effectively "told" to play I wonder.

hmm, boxers, MMA, but I guess at least the MMA are under contract for x number of fights and until that expires they can't go elsewhere so maybe not....

[Crouchend_Hammer]

It is hard for majors to block them playing if they meet the entry criteria and as long as the players in LIV win majors they will stay exempt - or in the case of US Open and The Open they could go through qualifying and they are 'Open' tournaments

The Masters is purely invitational so, in theory, could block anyone playing if they want

My problem with the LIV Tour is not the Saudi angle more that it is akin to exhibition golf. Throwing money at people to play, huge guaranteed prize money means the competitive edge is dimmed. Players know they are getting six figures however they do, so where is the incentive? Where is the dedication to start off on the lower tours and then work your way up?
Also, I have no interest at all in the format of 54 holes with no cut, the blanket start and the ridiculously convoluted team nonsense. Gimmicky nonsense

If you want to create some kind of new fangled format that can sit alongside the existing tours then great. Some kind of fun games type thing with closest to the pin holes, hitting balls through targets etc with cash prizes that can all be done over a weekend

Unfortunately I can see the WGR offering ranking points to LIV soon and then the split will be here to stay - which for me is a real shame

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

From BBC Sport

He [Greg Norman] also discussed the criticism that LIV players are receiving from the tour's connection to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

"That blows my mind," said Norman. "Sponsors, by the way, who spend billions of dollars in Saudi Arabia.

"The PGA Tour has about 27 sponsors, I think, who do 40-plus billion dollars' worth of business on an annual basis in Saudi Arabia.

"Why doesn't the PGA Tour call the CEO of those organisations (and say), 'I'm sorry we can't do business with you because you're doing business with Saudi Arabia?' Why are they picking on the professional golfers?"

There does seem to be some double standards going on.

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

"Woods turned down $700-$800 million to join LIV"

Tiger Woods turned down in the region of $700m to $800m to join the new Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series, says chief executive Greg Norman.

A host of top players have joined the breakaway tour, which Woods said at last month's Open he disagreed with.

In an interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson, Norman confirmed the 15-time major champion was offered about £575m to £650m to join LIV.

"That number was out there before I became CEO," said Norman.

"Tiger is a needle-mover, right? So of course you're got to look at the best of the best. That number is somewhere in that neighbourhood.

"They had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO."


more...

Fair play to him, he has principles.

[Up the Junction]

This is a quite ridiculous sum of money.

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

They reportedly offered Jack Nicklaus $100M to commentate. He refused.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

They reportedly offered Jack Nicklaus $100M to commentate. He refused.

neither him or Tiger "need the money" but I think that they both respect the rules of golf and as John Rahm was quoted as saying (and they may change their "rules" eventually)

"There's no cut........so that's not golf to me..."

I paraphrased but I'm pretty sure I remember this being the gist of it..

[Row X]

Cameron Smith signs for LIV