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

[redfirebird08]

18 minutes ago, Dicka said:

A very large percentage of LIV fans seem to despise Rory. That probably won't change much if he goes to LIV.

 

But it will also mean that a large percentage of non-LIV fans that like Rory or are ambivalent towards him, will probably also despise him.

 

So I think out of everyone that's gone to LIV, he has by far the most to lose when it comes to legacy if he does go.

I think most people realize the Tour executives stabbed McIlroy in the back last year. Jay Monahan pretty much told the players it is OK to do business with Saudi government after Monahan did the Saudi framework deal. 

[kiwigolf72]

38 minutes ago, kiwigolf72 said:

I don't buy this, there are only 4 majors. If someone from LIV doesn't win one it doesn't mean anything.

In an earlier post you said you couldn't wait to hear the excuses of why the LIV guys didn't win, are you also on the edge of your seat to find out why some of the bigger names of the PGAT also didn't win? and why some of the PGAT players didn't make the cut? does that reflect on the strength of the PGAT at all? 

Sorry @bscinstnct upon reflection maybe you never said that.

 

[mitchl]

4 hours ago, Ghost of Snead said:

 

If he did jump, probably would end his affiliation with TGL. Given his friendship with Tiger, I'll believe it when I see it. 

 

Also, Rory has no winner's exemptions to any of the majors and his OWGR would drop like a rock if he went to LIV. Might be OK for 2025 but beyond that who knows. 

PGA Championship exemption is for life (or it may expire at 60 or so, but effectively for life).
Open winner exemption is until 55

 

So Rory is good for both of those.

 

US Open, this would likely be his last year.  He can try open qualify for it, that's a tougher road than getting in by performing well over the PGA tour season - he doesn't even have to win.



I think the bigger question is the friends.   Does Tiger care if he joins?    I doubt he does, but how does it affect their business?    It certainly puts a stick in the eye of TGL - as now Rory and Tiger can take PGA players as they like and have them play in it, that could be an issue if they think one of the founders ditched them for a cash payout.  That doesn't just make Jay the backstabber, but it makes Rory one too.

But the other question is the enemies.  Rory and Phil are going to get along?   Rory and Greg?   Greg didn't follow Rory around Augusta to support him - it was to f with him.    The other big boys in LIV are not buds with Rory (they aren't friends with anyone - they were the outliers before they went)

[Dan33185]

8 hours ago, Shriner said:

There are multiple reports about Rory.  This is insane.  If true, I may be done with sports.

I'm kind of in the same boat. I just came back around to golf after taking a break because of the LIV stuff, and if Rory,the staunchest defender of the PGA tour ends up selling his soul as well, I'm out. I'd be shocked if ratings and attendance didn't plummet in golf all around.

[Chanceman]

I love it when the Liv trolls on X say stuff like  “Liv golfers are 13% of top 20 and only 11% of the field - yay, how good is Liv!!” Forget that the best they could do is T6.

[notsohard]

4 hours ago, kiwigolf72 said:

I don't buy this, there are only 4 majors. If someone from LIV doesn't win one it doesn't mean anything.

In an earlier post you said you couldn't wait to hear the excuses of why the LIV guys didn't win, are you also on the edge of your seat to find out why some of the bigger names of the PGAT also didn't win? and why some of the PGAT players didn't make the cut? does that reflect on the strength of the PGAT at all? 

The LIV vs PGAT discussions are childish. As for why some of the big name PGAT boys failing? well, JT and JS are in the mix of how the "merger" is heading, and it's affected them....plain and simple. You can put Rory in that box as well, but Rory has a big offer to think about. Plenty of upset PGAT boys who didn't take the initial offer. Phil has even spat out a name on twitter when it was getting ugly, and could of named more. The quicker they fix this the better. But as Rahm has pointed out, some boys from the PGAT have allowed their stupid childish behaviour to fester in their own heads.

[dashanks]

8 hours ago, tmw4h5 said:

I completely understand non-proven golfers taking the money (although I disagree vehemently with taking money from the Saudis) because it is truly life-changing wealth for them. 

What I don't understand is golfers like DJ or Rahm or Rory (if this rumor is in fact true) taking the money. Sure, it's $200, $300, $400 million... whatever.

When you've hit a certain level of wealth that these individuals have already attained, this extra money cannot truly have a noticeable impact on their life. 
 

Money can, in fact, buy happiness. But when you reach levels of obscene wealth, what's the difference in having $150 million vs $450 million? You buy another home that maybe you only use two weeks a year? Maybe you buy a megayacht instead of a yacht and it gets used two weeks a year as well. 

I'm not sure it works like that with money.  What about all those people who don't normally play the lottery but do buy a ticket when the Jackpot gets ridiculous?   Like 20 million won't make a difference in their lives but a billion will.  It's an interesting dynamic.  Being broke all of my life, I guess I will never understand.

[bscinstnct]

7 hours ago, kiwigolf72 said:

I don't buy this, there are only 4 majors. If someone from LIV doesn't win one it doesn't mean anything.

In an earlier post you said you couldn't wait to hear the excuses of why the LIV guys didn't win, are you also on the edge of your seat to find out why some of the bigger names of the PGAT also didn't win? and why some of the PGAT players didn't make the cut? does that reflect on the strength of the PGAT at all? 

 

I disagree. 
 

The majors are where the best of both tours go head to head

 

Why do you think LIV is spending billions on major winners?

 

The converse is true as well. If LIV guys win one or two majors this year, they can make a claim both tours are desperate to make

 

We have the best in the world 

 

At this point, I hope that both liv and the tour do what needs to be done to make a deal that benefits both and the fans.

 

It’s understood that pif has endless resources. But they must see they are failing and, even worse, their current stance and impact is seen as a negative for the game by an overwhelming majority of golf fans. 

[SurfDuffer]

Is there any truth to the reports I'm seeing about Rory going over to Liv?  That would certainly be an interesting twist.  Bottom line, players should be free to play wherever they want any given week.

[One Putter]

Just another completely fabricated report by liv enthusiasts. Growing the game by lying and being a side show.

Edited April 16 by One Putter

[aus10KC]

Here we go again...

[BlackDiamondPar5]

It really doesn't matter who they recruit. It's not going to attract viewers. 

[bscinstnct]

52 minutes ago, SurfDuffer said:

Is there any truth to the reports I'm seeing about Rory going over to Liv?  That would certainly be an interesting twist.  Bottom line, players should be free to play wherever they want any given week.

 

Free? Thats the last thing Rory wants 🤣
 

Rory can definitely get lost as far as I’m concerned 

 

Hes toast in majors, perfect for LIV, be hilarious to see how he backpedals to explain it. 
 

 

[MaineMariner]

This is LIV’s media strategy and it’s been apparent since the very beginning. Remember when Bubba and Matt Wolff were in early LIV promos but delayed their announcements for months, pretending that they were swayed by the gaining momentum of the new league?

 

When interest in the tour starts to wane, they inject some unsourced rumors into the Twittersphere. The Masters was a huge ratings success, the Anthony Kim story has come and gone, and everyone’s talking about golf again, so what does LIV do? Drip drop some rumors about Rory and Hovland. Now we’re talking about LIV again.

 

It’s gross and transparent. 

[FootWedge16]

LIV is well on its way to completely ruining professional golf. Very sad. 

[Golferpaul]

15 hours ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

So as much as I'm glad the top 10 wasn't a LIV-fest (just because the LIV fanbois would be insufferable otherwise), I don't think we should start dunking on them just yet. There's a lot of randomness involved. 

I agree.  Last year (four of the top five places) was a little embarrassing. 

I'm not a LIV fan and don't watch many of their events.  But I don't hate the guys that went to LIV.   

[Golferpaul]

1 hour ago, SurfDuffer said:

Is there any truth to the reports I'm seeing about Rory going over to Liv?  That would certainly be an interesting twist.  Bottom line, players should be free to play wherever they want any given week.

100% true.  Make it a free market.  I really miss the days when all of the best pros played together several times every year and not just in the majors.

[Yanki01]

1 hour ago, FootWedge16 said:

LIV is well on its way to completely ruining professional golf. Very sad. 

 

I'd say the same about these youtubers/influencers and their "boxing". they're letting these fools ruin the sport and everyone is a sucker who believes these fights are real.

[Shilgy]

1 hour ago, Golferpaul said:

100% true.  Make it a free market.  I really miss the days when all of the best pros played together several times every year and not just in the majors.

Except, as you know the “free to play anywhere” only seems to go one way.   
LIV teams are set so …sorry, no room for you…..but the players still want to feel free to come play the PGA Tour.

[Titleist99]

2 hours ago, One Putter said:

Just another completely fabricated report by liv enthusiasts. Growing the game by lying and being a side show.

"Just another completely fabricated report by liv enthusiasts. Growing the game by lying and being a side show."

 

This seems to hold true even if Rory does take his talents to the Saudi league.🤣🤣

[One Putter]

2 hours ago, FootWedge16 said:

LIV is well on its way to completely ruining professional golf. Very sad. 

I wish these people would just go away and find something else to ruin. Nobody asked for any of this. There was nothing wrong at all with pro golf circa 2021. All these washed up players just wanted one last pay day and they screwed the tour, and more importantly the people, that made them to get it.

Edited April 16 by One Putter

[One Putter]

27 minutes ago, Yanki01 said:

 

I'd say the same about these youtubers/influencers and their "boxing". they're letting these fools ruin the sport and everyone is a sucker who believes these fights are real.

Boxing has been dead for a long time and a lot of it is similar to the liv stuff we're seeing now. All the great fighters weren't organized and fighting under the same rules.

[Titleist99]

2 hours ago, FootWedge16 said:

LIV is well on its way to completely ruining professional golf. Very sad. 

Well, right now it seems like the PGAT is complicit in its own demise. 🤣

[Scotty1140]

1 hour ago, MaineMariner said:

This is LIV’s media strategy and it’s been apparent since the very beginning. Remember when Bubba and Matt Wolff were in early LIV promos but delayed their announcements for months, pretending that they were swayed by the gaining momentum of the new league?

 

When interest in the tour starts to wane, they inject some unsourced rumors into the Twittersphere. The Masters was a huge ratings success, the Anthony Kim story has come and gone, and everyone’s talking about golf again, so what does LIV do? Drip drop some rumors about Rory and Hovland. Now we’re talking about LIV again.

 

It’s gross and transparent. 

 

It's the only thing that LIV has going for them that draws any attention is this sequence of rumors to poaching a PGA Tour player. Nothing about the actual golf feels exciting or legitimate. It feels so manufactured and uninteresting.

 

I honestly don't think the PIF even cares about the golf. They just want in on professional sports and for some reason golf is the current entry point. Poaching PGA Tour players is just a way to financially flex their muscles. LIV is just there to give them something to do.

 

No one cares about LIV, their rating are laughable as is their format, team names, logo's etc. It all feels like a group of junior high kids came up with the details of the league. And the PGA Tour's product continues to get watered down more and more. To make matters worse I don't think Jay Monahan could have handled this any worse than he has. "Dropping the ball" would be putting it lightly. If this continues on and on professional golf will be sacrificed for us fans.

 

The players will all get insanely wealthy, yet the on air product will get worse and worse. There was something about pro golf that just seemed more honest and authentic than any other sport for some reason. Sadly that will be lost. Hopefully I'm wrong. 

[DrunkCaddy]

Masters final round down 20% from last year.  

 

 

 

 

 

[ahenderX]

12 hours ago, CDM said:

 

Your joking right?  He has had the watch for years...! 13 years to be exact.

 

Edit: BW has been a brand amabassador since 2011 when he got the watch, the value noted today is only bacause the number of them.  Since it seems you really did not know.  He wore it all the time on the PGAT and no one cared and now at LIV the watch is an issuse? 

Never even heard of that watch till I saw a recent article on watches pro golfers wear. So no, it has nothing to do with LIV. 

[bscinstnct]

3 hours ago, FootWedge16 said:

LIV is well on its way to completely ruining professional golf. Very sad. 

 

I think This is exactly the message that

 

Augusta sent to ARum and Norman

 

By making the CEO of their golf tour buy a ticket and park in the lot with the rest of the patrons 🤣

 

 

 

 

[dcmidnight]

26 minutes ago, DrunkCaddy said:

Masters final round down 20% from last year.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cant take ratings posts that seriously anymore. 

 

For the last couple years I've watched exclusively from my iPad, cast to tv, because of how easy it is to filp between feeds. And I'm not a young guy either, so my guess is I'm not the only one watching on the app.

 

I just think pure tv ratings are misleading at this point unless you work in streaming numbers.

[bscinstnct]

2 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

 

I cant take ratings posts that seriously anymore. 

 

For the last couple years I've watched exclusively from my iPad, cast to tv, because of how easy it is to filp between feeds. And I'm not a young guy either, so my guess is I'm not the only one watching on the app.

 

I just think pure tv ratings are misleading at this point unless you work in streaming numbers.

 

Funny you say that, I did the same.

[dcmidnight]

McIlroy's Manager Slams $850M LIV Golf Move as 'Fake News'

 

Rory McIlroy's agent, Sean O'Flaherty, has dismissed rumors suggesting that the professional golfer was close to signing a deal with LIV Golf for $850 million as "fake news," stating there is "zero truth" to the claims. This denial comes amid ongoing discussions about the rivalry between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, highlighting the potential impact of high-profile players switching between the two organizations. Despite the rumors, McIlroy is not on the interview schedule for the RBC Heritage, and his manager's denial has sparked further speculation about the validity of the rumors.