LIV Tour Discussion Thread (*** NO POLITICS ***)

[Hawkeye77]

11 minutes ago, Krt22 said:

None of them are banned for life, they are suspended. If they actually banned them for life the LIV guys might have legal ground to stand on, but that isn't the case. Once they are done with the LIV circus, I am sure they can reapply for membership.  Some may need to requalify though lulz

 

Still a real whammy to reveal that fact, possibly the most important tidbit that sunk their case.

Yep, folks need to avoid the LIV speak - not banned. 

[GolfTurkey]

If I look at strokes gained metrics over the years, Smith's decision (if he goes) at least makes some business sense.

 

There are guys like Rory and Rahm who are simply elite from one year to the next and their total strokes gained, world rankings and big tournaments won depend on how they putted and especially whether they putted well in the big tournaments.

 

Then there are other guys who when you look back at their careers, are mostly good but not great and then catch lightning in a bottle for a few seasons where they are great. Now we may never know whether Smith was the latter or whether he would have been elite for the next 10 years, but for comparison here are Rory and Smith's PGA Tour strokes gained and SG rank since 2015-16 (Rahm is very similar to Rory):

 

Rory
2015-16   1.681   4th
2016-17   1.078   17th
2017-18   1.412   9th
2018-19   2.551   1st
2019-20   1.234   12th
2020-21   1.368   7th
2021-22   2.295   1st

 

Smith
2015-16   -0.763   176th
2016-17   0.502   55th
2017-18   0.219   98th
2018-19   0.324   78th
2019-20   0.146   98th
2020-21   1.106   23rd
2021-22   1.651   11th

[doctorbloor]

35 minutes ago, GolfTurkey said:

 

I assume you read the texts between Sergio and Norman?

This is the really kinda creepy thing.  Why is Sergio looking to Norman for advice/guidance in this situation? Who's letting him make decisions under the impression that Norman's priority is to look out for his [Garcia's] best interests?

[sandpounder]

With this recent &  fast decision by the judge,  it looks like the PGA will have no problem winning in court as this continues.  I bet some of the LIV Tour players may regret their decision to join.

[Holy Moses]

25 minutes ago, mitchl said:

In Sergio’s words, I wonder if any LIV golfers are 💩-ing their pants tonight.   Wonder if Cam or Leishman are.

The quote from Sergio was in February. A lot has changed since then.

[Frankensteins Monster]

14 minutes ago, tatertot said:

Why is his career over? He's looking at a year ban if he quits LIV, most.

He would have to start from scratch to play on tour. He wouldn’t be able to just go play on the PGA Tour again. He’s going to take a ‘Ferry’ back to the PGA Tour. He won’t be good enough to compete on the PGA Tour with a year of fake “events” that have no stress on them. His tournament career is over. 

[Holy Moses]

4 minutes ago, doctorbloor said:

This is the really kinda creepy thing.  Why is Sergio looking to Norman for advice/guidance in this situation? Who's letting him make decisions under the impression that Norman's priority is to look out for his [Garcia's] best interests?

Well, Norman is the commissioner of LIV

[Frankensteins Monster]

5 minutes ago, doctorbloor said:

This is the really kinda creepy thing.  Why is Sergio looking to Norman for advice/guidance in this situation? Who's letting him make decisions under the impression that Norman's priority is to look out for his [Garcia's] best interests?

Sergio isn’t the brightest bulb. 

[Holy Moses]

Does anyone have a clip of the plaintiff’s lawyers saying that some winnings (from LIV, the FedEx Cup?) would be recouped against advances? I would like to listen to it in context.

[aenemated]

19 minutes ago, baitdragger said:

my young son and all of his friends want to be YouTubers.

 

I wanted to be the first baseman for the Dodgers. 

 

Just uploading junk to a platform doesn't mean anyone's going to watch it. Same as with any "creative" field. I spent 20 years trying to be a rockstar and all I got was a few hundred bucks and a coldsore that shows up every couple months. 

[EastTNGolfer]

3 minutes ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

He would have to start from scratch to play on tour. He wouldn’t be able to just go play on the PGA Tour again. He’s going to take a ‘Ferry’ back to the PGA Tour. He won’t be good enough to compete on the PGA Tour with a year of fake “events” that have no stress on them. His tournament career is over. 

I'd be willing to bet money on that.

[doctorbloor]

6 minutes ago, Holy Moses said:

Well, Norman is the commissioner of LIV

So Garcia's best interests were no higher than third on Norman's lists of priorities.

[Frankensteins Monster]

3 minutes ago, EastTNGolfer said:

I'd be willing to bet money on that.

I wouldn’t be willing to be anything when a Liv exhibition golfer is concerned considering there is a high likelihood their shotgun outcomes are now suspect given what came out today. 

[mitchl]

😆 

Edited August 10, 2022 by mitchl

[gsrjc]

41 minutes ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

He’s gone. 

Yup

[PZero]

Cam Smith leaving is a big loss. It went from a bunch of guys signing onto LIV while heading out into the sunset to landing world #2. Cam was rising and fresh off a major win.

Edited August 10, 2022 by PZero

[sandpounder]

It appears that the LIV contracts are binding.  They cannot get out of them.  So for those who signed for big money, they cannot come back to the PGA anytime soon.

[mitchl]

13 minutes ago, sandpounder said:

With this recent &  fast decision by the judge,  it looks like the PGA will have no problem winning in court as this continues.  I bet some of the LIV Tour players may regret their decision to join.

that’s a huge leap.   This is a specific emergency request for a temporary injunction on which requires no extended hearing but does require a very fast response.

 

nobody should take the big case as cut and dry.   There is a lot of time between now and then and a lot of discovery as well.   
 

however your last point may be right… there may be some that are regretting or that will regret….   It may also cause some thought ready to leave to think again and perhaps get some more advice.

[Holy Moses]

11 minutes ago, EastTNGolfer said:

I'd be willing to bet money on that.

I bet after their suspension the PGA Tour puts them right into the Korn Ferry Finals or gives them whatever exempt years they had left when they bolted for LIV. The PGA Tour really needs these players back sooner than later.

[Dutch1008]

10 minutes ago, aenemated said:

 

I wanted to be the first baseman for the Dodgers. 

 

Just uploading junk to a platform doesn't mean anyone's going to watch it. Same as with any "creative" field. I spent 20 years trying to be a rockstar and all I got was a few hundred bucks and a coldsore that shows up every couple months. 

Exactly. Youtube is the wild west right now. When the ROI on ad spend is fully understood and the business model for creators begins to stabilize, the wheat will quickly separate from the chaff. Eventually it will become so competitive that making a living on youtube will be every bit as hard as pursuing acting, music, or athletics. Same for Instagram and TikTok.   

[Holy Moses]

7 minutes ago, sandpounder said:

It appears that the LIV contracts are binding.  They cannot get out of them.  So for those who signed for big money, they cannot come back to the PGA anytime soon.

Even then, they would face suspensions. LIV folding is the only way. 

[johnseg]

I would be really surprised if the majors don't honor the suspensions handed down by various tours. 

 

Those relying on past exemptions might be surpassed that they won't be honored. 

[Hawkeye77]

8 minutes ago, PZero said:

Cam Smith leaving is a big loss. It went from a bunch of guys signing onto LIV while heading out into the sunset. Cam world #2, was rising and fresh off a major win.

Yes and then again, no. He’s been assumed gone since The Open, and today’s news about him will likely be lost in the post-ruling hoopla - not sure many will view him as that big of a loss and the $$$$$ it took just another indication of what it takes to get players to join. LIV is pretty much in a holding pattern for players so if this news was being held as a “counter” to the ruling or to celebrate a favorable ruling, I’m not sure the impact is what LIV wants it to be. 

[doctorbloor]

7 minutes ago, Holy Moses said:

I bet after their suspension the PGA Tour puts them right into the Korn Ferry Finals or gives them whatever exempt years they had left when they bolted for LIV. The PGA Tour really needs these players back sooner than later.

Curious as to why you think that's the case.  The talent loss hasn't been apocalyptic thus far, and most viewers have the long term loyalty/awareness of the mooks at the end of The Truman Show, who just change the channel after his grand farewell.

[MtlJeff]

18 minutes ago, PZero said:

Cam Smith leaving is a big loss. It went from a bunch of guys signing onto LIV while heading out into the sunset. Cam world #2, was rising and fresh off a major win.

 

Assuming it's true, yes this is a major coup. He's really the first guy that's genuinely in his prime as a legit top player.

[Dutch1008]

9 minutes ago, sandpounder said:

It appears that the LIV contracts are binding.  They cannot get out of them.  So for those who signed for big money, they cannot come back to the PGA anytime soon.

Is there a source on that? I can't remember ever seeing a contract of any kind that didn't have some sort of termination provision. 

 

If true, that's hilarious and the PGA attorneys are gonna have a field day with that information. 

[jordan2240]

1 hour ago, bscinstnct said:

CSmith asked about liv today…

 

 

That's the most obvious "yes I'm leaving" answer one could get from someone who didn't actually say "yes I'm leaving".  I think Cam put in much more work than he ever wanted to to obtain success on the tour, and the offer to play golf without doing any of that and make a tremendous living was too attractive to reject.  Doesn't matter to me who goes to LIV, as there is no one who will entice me to watch, but I sure won't miss that mullet.

[bscinstnct]

I have to say that liv will make things very interesting over the next few years 

 

Not that I anticipate I’ll ever be interested in watching it.

 

But it’s been some time since I had anything so good to hate and openly root for to fail!

 

🤣

 

 

 

 

[gsrjc]

25 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

Yes and then again, no. He’s been assumed gone since The Open, and today’s news about him will likely be lost in the post-ruling hoopla - not sure many will view him as that big of a loss and the $$$$$ it took just another indication of what it takes to get players to join. LIV is pretty much in a holding pattern for players so if this news was being held as a “counter” to the ruling or to celebrate a favorable ruling, I’m not sure the impact is what LIV wants it to be. 

I’d be curious if after this news, Smith is using whatever power if legal to not join LIV.  Perhaps that was his reasoning for not saying anything because he is in limbo land at the moment. 

[tbowles411]

I'm actually entertained by it.  Golf is golf to me.  I'll watch anyone play.  Heck, I'd watch YOU play.  LOL