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

[Shilgy]

46 minutes ago, DrunkCaddy said:

Masters final round down 20% from last year.  

 

 

 

 

 

Makes one wonder how many viewers watched on the alternative methods.  This appears to be just CBS.

 How many on ESPN+?  Masters app? Masters.com?

 

Viewers have options on how to watch these days.

[tmw4h5]

6 hours ago, dashanks said:

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.

There was a study in 2010 (that was recently revisited by the authors) that essentially looked at the prospect of money buying happiness. They found that an increase in income had a consistent correlation to an increase in happiness up to about $75,000. As people's incomes increased over that amount, happiness tended to increase as well, but they were no longer truly parallel on the chart when being measured.

Essentially, they found that once people were able to cover their standard bills (housing, food, healthcare, vehicles, etc.) while having an opportunity to build up a nest egg and enjoy vacations, hobbies, etc.... that the extra increases in income resulted in smaller amounts of happiness.
Years ago I finally made enough money to replace by low-end Rockbass Corvette by Warwick with an actual Warwick Corvette Pro and that was a substantial jump in happiness. This last year I finally made enough money to purchase a bass I've wanted for 15 years -- a Warwick Thumb Pro. I absolutely love that bass, but if you were to measure the increase in happiness of the Thumb purchase vs the Corvette purchase -- the Corvette made me much happier. Once you reach a certain level of comfort, the happiness increase is incremental.

Think about the first time you bought a Scotty Cameron putter. I went from a RAM Zebra to a Scotty. I was stoked! Then I bought another Scotty and it made me happy, but not as happy. And then I bought another Scotty. And then a Bettinardi. And then a Nike Method original putter. And now one of those putters gets played and the others sit in a golf bag in my garage. They each brought me small, incremental increases in happiness and ultimately, they're souvenirs that are decoration pieces in a golf bag. 

If I somehow won enough money to pay off my mortgage, that would be tremendous in terms of relieving me of financial stress. A gigantic improvement in happiness. If I won enough money to pay off my home, sell it, and then purchase a 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom house with an inground pool and a game room and a golf simulator room -- man, my happiness would increase dramatically. But what if I win enough to purchase a couple vacation homes on each coast as well? Sure, that will be cool - but does it really impact my life that much? Does my life get that much better?

When you're discussing someone who has enough wealth that their every need and want is met, the difference in $300 million and $1 billion really isn't that big. They can invest more, they can build dynastic wealth -- cool, I guess? I don't think Rahm is waking up every morning saying to himself, "I'm so glad I took that Saudi money. I have more money than I know what to do with. This is so fun." 
 

[dcmidnight]

 

[idrive]

1 hour ago, DrunkCaddy said:

Masters final round down 20% from last year.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a string of disappointing TV viewing figures for elite men’s golf events over recent months, there is finally some good news – ESPN has reported that its first two days of Masters coverage attracted the best average viewership for its 3pm ET telecasts for six years.

According to the broadcaster, there was an average audience of 3.4 million over the two days, with 3.2 million tuning into coverage of Thursday’s first round at Augusta National, and that figure swelling to 3.6 million on Friday, when 15-time Major winner Tiger Woods completed 23 holes after thunderstorms delayed the start of the tournament.

ESPN also aired the conclusion of the first round on Friday, with 922,000 watching between 7.45am and 10am, while there was a peak of 3.9 million during a 15-minute spell from 5.30pm.

  Continue reading

 

The second-round figures are particularly encouraging as they represent a 69% increase over the previous year, when 2.1 million watched as LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka opened up a lead.

On the subject of LIV Golf, the numbers offer the latest evidence that viewers are more likely to be engaged when the best from the big-money League and its PGA Tour counterparts are competing at the same event.

[Shriner]

10 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

 

 

Awesome.  Great to see there are still people who will stick to their word.

[Hawkeye77]

16 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

 

He’s gone!  

 

Kidding!

[redfirebird08]

Hang in there Rory. The merger will be done eventually. Rahm seems miserable despite his fancy contract. 

[Titleist99]

1 hour ago, DrunkCaddy said:

Masters final round down 20% from last year.  

 

 

 

 

 

So, you're saying that it's not just the PGAT that has lower ratings for 2024...... after massive ratings in 2023.

[johnseg]

25 minutes ago, idrive said:

On the subject of LIV Golf, the numbers offer the latest evidence that viewers are more likely to be engaged when the best from the big-money League and its PGA Tour counterparts are competing at the same event.

I am not sure how you draw that conclusion when you have so many variables to consider.

[TiScape]

54 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

 

Same thing JR said b4 joining! 
 

🤣

Edited April 16 by TiScape

[jdl]

14 hours ago, kiwigolf72 said:

Don't think for a minute that I agree with what's happening, but IMO it's clear that the plan is just to disrupt the PGAT by a combination of a new competition and buying players, forcing everyone including the PGAT to include them in the future of golf. 

My point was that LIV is just a vehicle to get them to their goal and the fact that it's not financially viable IMO is a price they are willing to pay.

 

For sure, I don't think many fans like it and "disrupt" is a nicer word to use than the actual stuff we can't talk about in this thread.

 

45 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

 

 

Pretty emphatic though of course we've seen that happen before...

[jdl]

 

[SurfDuffer]

5 hours ago, FootWedge16 said:

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

 

I'd say its more about the reaction or should I say over-reaction to LIV.   The PGA Tour did nobody any favors with the way this was handled.

[WorkItBothWays]

1 hour ago, redfirebird08 said:

Hang in there Rory. The merger will be done eventually. Rahm seems miserable despite his fancy contract. 

Wouldn't hold your breath waiting on the merger.

 

No change from Hatton either. His shtick is now extremely tedious we know he has a big bag money of regardless.

[Holy Moses]

3 hours ago, DrunkCaddy said:

Masters final round down 20% from last year.  

 

 

 

 

 

#shrinkingthegame

[WorkItBothWays]

51 minutes ago, TiScape said:

Same thing JR said b4 joining! 
 

🤣

 

Please provide a citation for where Rahm with this clear and emphatic “I will play the PGA Tour for the rest of my career.”

[BlackDiamondPar5]

57 minutes ago, jdl said:

 

For sure, I don't think many fans like it and "disrupt" is a nicer word to use than the actual stuff we can't talk about in this thread.

 

 

Pretty emphatic though of course we've seen that happen before...

The definition of "career" can be bent/changed. For instance, "my career on the PGA tour has come to an end. I'm retiring and joining LIV."

[freeze16172002]

7 hours 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.

 

6 hours ago, FootWedge16 said:

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

let it burn to the ground. when rich spoiled people are complaining they arent rich and spoiled enough, people start to tune out

Edited April 16 by freeze16172002

[freeze16172002]

1 hour ago, dcmidnight said:

 

Dustins and Phils contracts should be ending soon along with Poulter, Stenson, Kaymer. Cut them loose and sign another big name from the PGA

[dashanks]

3 hours ago, tmw4h5 said:

There was a study in 2010 (that was recently revisited by the authors) that essentially looked at the prospect of money buying happiness. They found that an increase in income had a consistent correlation to an increase in happiness up to about $75,000. As people's incomes increased over that amount, happiness tended to increase as well, but they were no longer truly parallel on the chart when being measured.

Essentially, they found that once people were able to cover their standard bills (housing, food, healthcare, vehicles, etc.) while having an opportunity to build up a nest egg and enjoy vacations, hobbies, etc.... that the extra increases in income resulted in smaller amounts of happiness.
Years ago I finally made enough money to replace by low-end Rockbass Corvette by Warwick with an actual Warwick Corvette Pro and that was a substantial jump in happiness. This last year I finally made enough money to purchase a bass I've wanted for 15 years -- a Warwick Thumb Pro. I absolutely love that bass, but if you were to measure the increase in happiness of the Thumb purchase vs the Corvette purchase -- the Corvette made me much happier. Once you reach a certain level of comfort, the happiness increase is incremental.

Think about the first time you bought a Scotty Cameron putter. I went from a RAM Zebra to a Scotty. I was stoked! Then I bought another Scotty and it made me happy, but not as happy. And then I bought another Scotty. And then a Bettinardi. And then a Nike Method original putter. And now one of those putters gets played and the others sit in a golf bag in my garage. They each brought me small, incremental increases in happiness and ultimately, they're souvenirs that are decoration pieces in a golf bag. 

If I somehow won enough money to pay off my mortgage, that would be tremendous in terms of relieving me of financial stress. A gigantic improvement in happiness. If I won enough money to pay off my home, sell it, and then purchase a 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom house with an inground pool and a game room and a golf simulator room -- man, my happiness would increase dramatically. But what if I win enough to purchase a couple vacation homes on each coast as well? Sure, that will be cool - but does it really impact my life that much? Does my life get that much better?

When you're discussing someone who has enough wealth that their every need and want is met, the difference in $300 million and $1 billion really isn't that big. They can invest more, they can build dynastic wealth -- cool, I guess? I don't think Rahm is waking up every morning saying to himself, "I'm so glad I took that Saudi money. I have more money than I know what to do with. This is so fun." 
 

Something motivated Rahm and the others to take the money.   Maybe they didn't know that it wasn't going to make them proportionally happier.  But it was enough to throw away their chance at immortality for.  And for many others, it wasn't.  I suppose it's just a personal choice in the end.   

[SnowbirdTom]

7 hours ago, FootWedge16 said:

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

They’re doing a pretty good job of cleaning up the PGAT floor droppings.  Life is good and we’ve got replacements waiting in the wings.

[PedronNiall]

When BDC was up there after round 1 all I could think is who cares? LIV could have taken every Major this year and signed deals with every high value sponsor not already tied to the Tour and it would still be a joke of a league. They could buy out every single current Tour player and it would still be boring tripe not even worth having on in the background. The golf they play there is meaningless and the legacy of the wins is nonexistent. No one will care how many LIV "wins" a player has or where they got them in years to come. 

 

LIV remains DOA no matter what it does because of its format and how it's come to be. If the merger happens it will remain a low ratings sideshow. If it doesn't happen it will continue to flounder on its own until PIF tires of keeping it afloat. Nothing they do will ever make it relevant to the current world of golf and the time & money it would take to restructure and repair the ill will it's created would be obscene. 

 

Amazing how spectacular PIF's failure with this has been given the moves they've made in other sports, but fail they have. They're on their way to part 2 by working at cross purposes in women's golf but at least there they managed not to cause so many visible waves in the pond. 

[AzRoger]

3 hours ago, idrive said:

 

On the subject of LIV Golf, the numbers offer the latest evidence that viewers are more likely to be engaged when the best from the big-money League and its PGA Tour counterparts are competing at the same event.

The only time they compete together are during majors and majors will always draw better viewership, with or without LIV. The best from LIV aren't the ones necessarily getting into the majors, a couple exceptions but for the most part the only ones getting in from LIV are past major winners, without regard to how they perform on LIV.

Edited April 16 by AzRoger

[Golferpaul]

4 hours ago, tmw4h5 said:

There was a study in 2010 (that was recently revisited by the authors) that essentially looked at the prospect of money buying happiness. They found that an increase in income had a consistent correlation to an increase in happiness up to about $75,000. As people's incomes increased over that amount, happiness tended to increase as well, but they were no longer truly parallel on the chart when being measured.

Essentially, they found that once people were able to cover their standard bills (housing, food, healthcare, vehicles, etc.) while having an opportunity to build up a nest egg and enjoy vacations, hobbies, etc.... that the extra increases in income resulted in smaller amounts of happiness.
 

Spot on. 

You are essentially agreeing with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs which he developed in 1943.

[Golferpaul]

3 hours ago, idrive said:

On the subject of LIV Golf, the numbers offer the latest evidence that viewers are more likely to be engaged when the best from the big-money League and its PGA Tour counterparts are competing at the same event.

This is exactly what I have been saying.  I miss having the best players in the world competing several times every year.

[DrunkCaddy]

4 hours ago, Hawkeye77 said:

He’s gone!  

 

Kidding!

Probably Rory trying to negotiate himself more of that sweet SSG money.  

[Hawkeye77]

2 hours ago, dashanks said:

Something motivated Rahm and the others to take the money.   Maybe they didn't know that it wasn't going to make them proportionally happier.  But it was enough to throw away their chance at immortality for.  And for many others, it wasn't.  I suppose it's just a personal choice in the end.   

Yes ….. the money. 
 

Nothing to psychoanalyze. 

[redfirebird08]

2 hours ago, dashanks said:

Something motivated Rahm and the others to take the money.   Maybe they didn't know that it wasn't going to make them proportionally happier.  But it was enough to throw away their chance at immortality for.  And for many others, it wasn't.  I suppose it's just a personal choice in the end.   

 

I think in Rahm's case, it's 2 things: 

 

1. PGA Tour executives stabbed him (and McIlroy, and others) in the back when they made the framework agreement with Saudi government. This came out of nowhere. The players stuck their necks out to defend the PGA Tour, but the executives of the Tour showed that it's OK to do business with Saudi government. 

 

2. I assume Rahm's wife really wanted the money & easier golf schedule for their family. Rahm is playing fewer events now than he did before, so he spends more time with her and the kids. The money is an undeniable factor. Their kids, grandkids, and great grandkids will be setup even better now than they would have been if he continued to turn down the money. 

[Holy Moses]

1 hour ago, redfirebird08 said:

 

I think in Rahm's case, it's 2 things: 

 

1. PGA Tour executives stabbed him (and McIlroy, and others) in the back when they made the framework agreement with Saudi government. This came out of nowhere. The players stuck their necks out to defend the PGA Tour, but the executives of the Tour showed that it's OK to do business with Saudi government. 

 

2. I assume Rahm's wife really wanted the money & easier golf schedule for their family. Rahm is playing fewer events now than he did before, so he spends more time with her and the kids. The money is an undeniable factor. Their kids, grandkids, and great grandkids will be setup even better now than they would have been if he continued to turn down the money. 

And Norman told Rahm a merger was in the works. "Take our money and you'll still be playing on the new merged tour in no time." 

[bekgolf]

4 hours ago, SnowbirdTom said:

They’re doing a pretty good job of cleaning up the PGAT floor droppings.  Life is good and we’ve got replacements waiting in the wings.

 

Still waiting for them to take Cantlay, lol.

 

The talent keeps rising on the PGA Tour.  The regular tournaments are a little more exciting when I'm seeing names I'm not familiar with.  It has worked out better than I could of predicted.