PGL offers DJ, Rose $30 million each (***MERGED***)

[dcmidnight]

Truth is, this is all vaporware for now. There's no schedule, no list of tournaments, no courses have signed up, tv deals, sponsors - none of that. Just a satchel full of Saudi money. And it seems like they are pushing players to make a decision NOW - without any of that? Good luck.

 

I think there are exactly zero guys who would be stoked about playing a team based golf circuit halfway around the world where only the team "captains" have a big financial interest in the "team". Yawn. Guys like Bryson who thrive on attention, this isn't the kind of attention he's going to want.

[wildcatden]

If the PGL wants, I will come hack it around for a mere $5M upfront.

[cardoustie]

I think the premise the players are on about it some sort of proper guaranteed compensation for their position in the sport vs other leagues like NHL, NFL, NBA etc.   “I’m the 90th best golfer in the world but my pay is dodgy”

 

Maybe there needs to be background salaries for making it on tour .... 

[dcmidnight]

1 minute ago, cardoustie said:

I think the premise the players are on about it some sort of proper guaranteed compensation for their position in the sport vs other leagues like NHL, NFL, NBA etc.   “I’m the 90th best golfer in the world but my pay is dodgy”

 

Maybe there needs to be background salaries for making it on tour .... 

 

Oh hell no. You want to be independent contractors? So be independent contractors. "Independent contractor" and "guaranteed compensation" dont usually go together in the same sentence, thats the whole point.

 

You tell your main employer that you are going to remain independent but also they are going to pay you a minimum guaranteed salary? No thanks.

[JaNelson38]

14 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

Truth is, this is all vaporware for now. There's no schedule, no list of tournaments, no courses have signed up, tv deals, sponsors - none of that. Just a satchel full of Saudi money. And it seems like they are pushing players to make a decision NOW - without any of that? Good luck.

 

I think there are exactly zero guys who would be stoked about playing a team based golf circuit halfway around the world where only the team "captains" have a big financial interest in the "team". Yawn. Guys like Bryson who thrive on attention, this isn't the kind of attention he's going to want.

 

The fact that we know of no schedule, tournaments, etc. doesn't mean the players that have been approached haven't been briefed on it.  You don't just throw this amount of money around and not expect there to be at least some form of organization behind it.  But it all starts with getting players to agree to it....once the players agree, it will have a domino effect - you'll have everything else fall into place.  The hard part is getting the first person to say 'yes'.

 

The PGA Tour commish meeeting players at a tournament to specifcally talk about this means that its more than just 'vaporware'.  

 

Perhaps we will find out more about this after the scheduled players meeting, where undoubtedly players agents will be leaking like sieves what gets discussed and which players speak out for/against.

[JaNelson38]

15 minutes ago, cardoustie said:

I think the premise the players are on about it some sort of proper guaranteed compensation for their position in the sport vs other leagues like NHL, NFL, NBA etc.   “I’m the 90th best golfer in the world but my pay is dodgy”

 

Maybe there needs to be background salaries for making it on tour .... 

 

If there is some sort of guaranteed compensation on Tour, it will have to come from the tournaments themselves.  I don't think the Tour office will want to get involved in anything like that.  This is where getting appearance fees allowed on Tour comes into play.

 

Guaranteed compensation on tour is going to lead to the condensation of the schedule and some tournaments being eliminated, so let the sponsors have at it and see which ones are left standing.

Edited May 4, 2021 by JaNelson38

[mat562]

Shades of the European Super League.

 

Best of luck with it all...  😙

 

[Br1an02;]

38 minutes ago, cardoustie said:

I wonder if players are also tired of the massive head office and employee counts and salaries at PGA Tour headquarters ?

Why would they care, after all those people at HQ helped secure these massive TV rights renewal deals which is in turn paying the players...

[Abh159]

43 minutes ago, cardoustie said:

I wonder if players are also tired of the massive head office and employee counts and salaries at PGA Tour headquarters ?

 

As long as I get paid in full and on time, I don't worry about how many people work in my company's payroll department or how much they make 😉.

[bogeyk]

It’ll be interesting to see if special interest groups will go after companies that endorse players that go to the new tour.  Taking money for one event may be seen differently than more or less be on the payroll of a Saudi entity.  Justin Thomas and Tiger got kicked to the curb by companies that didn’t want to deal with controversy. 

[stingerfade]

1 hour ago, Barnacle said:

Getting pooped on by Billionaire Saudi Princes? 

They’re not even allowed to drive. Doubtful they’re allowed to poop on people. 

[stingerfade]

2 hours ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

Appearance "fees" are given to many of the the bigger named players on the PGA Tour.

Please elaborate 

[dcmidnight]

3 minutes ago, bogeyk said:

It’ll be interesting to see if special interest groups will go after companies that endorse players that go to the new tour.  Taking money for one event may be seen differently than more or less be on the payroll of a Saudi entity.  Justin Thomas and Tiger got kicked to the curb by companies that didn’t want to deal with controversy. 

 

100% chance this happens - lock it up.

 

[Rob G 89]

So what’s the product 10 golfers playing different formats every couple weeks? That seems boring 

[BlackDiamondPar5]

After being bought off by the Saudis what next?  Get endorsements from Russian Hackers? --- tagline "you wish you could hack like a Russian"  Or maybe get club endorsements from Chinese club counterfeiters?  Tagline "better than most"... Hey why not, it's money! 

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by BlackDiamondPar5

[golfday]

This is lame and I hope it doesn't happen. It would gut the PGA Tour and hurt pro golf for all but a select few who would be able to reach that stage and stay there on popularity over merit. 

 

I'm afraid it will happen because the average tour player cares about their money WAY more than anything else, and big numbers will be hard to turn down for those who are offered.

 

If I were the PGA Tour I would 1) start offering appearance fees 2) try to convince the OWGR from letting World Tour events count and 3) work with the major championship holders to keep World Tour players from getting in even if the OWGR does count their events towards points (if OWGR doesn't count World Tour events then it will be very easy to keep World Tour players out of majors)

 

US golf fans aren't like euro soccer fans. None of us will be rioting outside of golf courses. It's up to the tour to manage this.

 

 

[TiScape]

1 hour ago, mat562 said:

Shades of the European Super League.

How’d that work out?! 😂 

[vtpachyderm]

If this initiative was from the players, then it would be comparable to the European Super League fiasco that just occurred - the want for guaranteed money. But this is an outside entity trying to set up a rival league to the PGA Tour and that I don't get. The money in golf is mainly from the American market - globally, it doesn't stand a chance against football (soccer), basketball, cricket. I don't even think in the US market the money is even close to what is generated in the NFL or MLB.

 

This would have made much more sense if it was money being poured into the European Tour to try to entice big names to play there - but a closed shop invitation only pay per view (I'm assuming) offer - I really don't see who would buy into this regardless of how good the players were. You take them outside of the competitive arena they built their reputation on where they just play basically what amounts to exhibitions - I don't see enough people tuning in to it? If I recall correctly, Tiger and Phil's little 1v1 wasn't exactly a ratings or income generating success was it?

[Soloman1]

A new tour could also guarantee wins on a rotating schedule, just like wrestling.

 

You know wrestling is real, right?

 

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'll take one of those contracts. Please call me at: 634-5789

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Soloman1

[grm24]

28 minutes ago, golfday said:

If I were the PGA Tour I would 1) start offering appearance fees 2) try to convince the OWGR from letting World Tour events count and 3) work with the major championship holders to keep World Tour players from getting in even if the OWGR does count their events towards points (if OWGR doesn't count World Tour events then it will be very easy to keep World Tour players out of majors)

It would be very simple for the PGA Tour to try and convince the OWGR to not award points for the World Tour. The PGA Tour along with ANGC, The R&A, PGA Of America, USGA, European Tour and the International Federation Of PGA Tours (group of tours that control WGC events) are the founding members of the OWGR.

 

[phizzy30]

Money talks and bulls--- walks.  I can see a few guys jump ship for exorbitant amounts of money.  Remember, everyone and I  mean everyone has a price.  These guys are no different.  Will they get flack for it?  Sure they will, but in the end they will be the ones with 100's of millions and laughing all the way to the bank. 

[TiScape]

15 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

Money talks and bulls--- walks.  I can see a few guys jump ship for exorbitant amounts of money.  Remember, everyone and I  mean everyone has a price.  These guys are no different.  Will they get flack for it?  Sure they will, but in the end they will be the ones with 100's of millions and laughing all the way to the bank. 

Perhaps, but a lot of these players have net worths in the 10s of millions of dollars. Rose, DJ, are in the 40 mil+ range. Mickelson $400 million and that’s just the $ that’s not hidden somewhere. How much money does one need and what cost are they willing to pay to get more? Don’t see many players that people actually get excited to watch taking the $30m to go play full time in some league in Saudi Arabia with what, 10-15 guys in it??? These guys are already laughing and smiling all the way to the bank now!

Edited May 4, 2021 by TiScape

[miamistomp]

 I would think as a league-having just a few big names would not be sustainable

 

 Sign a Fowler, Rory etc and watch  them crap out or get injured-It happens to lots of players in their career cycle

 

 

[cdnglf]

For context, the total PGA Tour purse is ~$400M.

I don't see how a $30M guarantee squares with this at all, especially for a guy like Rose.

 

Rose seems like a classy guy and is a likely Hall of Famer, but he's 40 years old and #41 in the owgr... 

[tiderider]

4 hours ago, JaNelson38 said:

 

Um...take a look at the field for the most recent Saudi International.

 

Money talks.

yeah, i know ... but that's a one time tournament deal ... "i'm helping grow the game" thing ... taking a huge check for a faux league supported by oil money from that government - and solely for money - will backfire ... at least, i hope it would ... 

[golfortennis]

4 hours ago, JaNelson38 said:

 

Um...take a look at the field for the most recent Saudi International.

 

Money talks.

 

European Tour event, different story.  They have been there forever.  

 

Although the PGA Tour events like, say, the RBC sponsored-ones make no obligation of their Team RBC members to play in them, (wink wink), but they seem to show up.  But a direct payment for playing in an event, no, it doesn't happen.

 

 

[golfortennis]

9 minutes ago, cdnglf said:

For context, the total PGA Tour purse is ~$400M.

I don't see how a $30M guarantee squares with this at all, especially for a guy like Rose.

 

Rose seems like a classy guy and is a likely Hall of Famer, but he's 40 years old and #41 in the owgr... 

 

The total purse is $400 million.  Like @cardoustie said, are players getting sick of the headquarters and all the big salaried- people?  I wouldn't be surprised if the payroll and operations costs of the tour(and I don't mean individual events) is $400M.  It is sickening how much money comes into the tour that goes to people who have very little to do with why the money is coming in in the first place.

 

[bogeyk]

Is the $30 million an annual guarantee or is it incentive to jump ship from the Tour?  If players lose access to the Champion’s Tour and endorsement money from uneasy sponsors would it be worth it?  The players also make a ton of money with the pension that is run by the Tour. 

[tiderider]

2 hours ago, wildcatden said:

If the PGL wants, I will come hack it around for a mere $5M upfront.

they like someone who will 'hack' it a bit ... 

[Go Cougs]

1 hour ago, Rob G 89 said:

So what’s the product 10 golfers playing different formats every couple weeks? That seems boring 

Yes.  And it goes a little something like this...