LIV Golf Now Closed?

[saevel25]

PGA Tour, LIV Golf, DP World Tour announce merger in stunning move 'to unify the game of golf' - CBSSports.com

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The golf leagues are merging their commercial operations

Jay Monahan is a piece of work (insert other word options). 

Quote

"We are pleased to move forward, in step with LIV and PIF's world-class investing experience, and I applaud PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan for his vision and collaborative and forward-thinking approach that is not just a solution to the rift in our game, but also a commitment to taking it to new heights. This will engender a new era in global golf, for the better."

Yep, let's do that 180-degree flip. It is all good now that I get the perk of running a bigger tour with more power and wealth available to me. 

I get it to a certain point, if you truly feared that the PGA Tour would disappear in let's say 5 years. I can rationalize the reason why this decision was made. Some might think, let the PGA Tour die and stand on the moral high ground. I do not know where I stand on that. Maybe it's time for the PGA Tour to just fade away and let golf go elsewhere without their control. 

6 minutes ago, Killa said:

I wonder how all of the “holier than thou” folks will comment on this now. I guess watching golf is off the table all together now. 

I will probably watch The US Open (USGA), The Open (R&A), and The Masters (Augusta National). 

I will probably not watch other tournaments. It is up in the air. 

[DaveP043]

1 minute ago, saevel25 said:

Jay Monahan is a piece of work (insert other word options). 

Yep, let's do that 180-degree flip. It is all good now that I get the perk of running a bigger tour with more power and wealth available to me. 

To be fair, I sincerely doubt that this is a unilateral decision by one individual.  But I do agree, its a complete reversal from the "sportswashing" standpoint, it shows that money really does matter more than principles in many conflicts.

[Pretzel]

This is honestly so comical it feels a little bit like the plot from a bad movie.

The PGA Tour has spent the last 2 years railing on about how accepting Saudi money is evil and makes you complicit, while defending themselves in court against anti-trust litigation as not being a monopoly because other large organizations like the Euro Tour exist.

Naturally, they chose the best possible way to settle anti-trust litigation - just invite the opposing party to merge into a single monopoly with the Euro Tour that you were previously insisting was and would remain a completely independent organization from yourself. Bonus point for the merger creating a single for-profit company when the PGA Tour had previously always been a non-profit organization. 

Just goes to show that the PGA Tour never cared about the source of the money, they only ever cared that it didn't filter through their pockets first before reaching any players and venues. 

8 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

I will probably watch The US Open (USGA), The Open (R&A), and The Masters (Augusta National). 

I will probably not watch other tournaments. It is up in the air. 

One thing to note is that the PGA Championship is not hosted or organized by the PGA Tour, it's hosted and organized by the PGA of America (the same organization that accredits/certifies instructors across the country). They are separate entities, so if that was your concern for not watching the PGA Championship it might give you reason to reconsider. The PGA Championship is, after all, by the numbers the most competitive and difficult to win major championship on the calendar.

Edited June 6, 2023 by Pretzel

[Darkfrog]

I don't watch much professional golf anymore anyways, but if this is what it looks like, I'll probably just watch the major tournaments from now on.

This must have been in the works for awhile.

Edited June 6, 2023 by Darkfrog

[Yossarian]

It's really a surprise, I thought the whole LIV story would have ended with: 

- world goes in a recession in 6-12 months

- oil goes down to 20$ and the Saudi have to cut on the Sport washing extravaganza

- LIV shuts down and the prodigal sons come back to PGA

 

[CarlSpackler]

What the… my son just texted me the new about LIV and PGA Tour. It will be interesting to see how this pans out. 

[imsys0042]

Nothing in any of this tells me that the net effect of this is that the new company will try (half heartedly or genuinely who knows?) to make what LIV was doing better and viable and that the PGA basically retains control of everything (if I read the press release right).

the ugliness is taking the money from SA.  I wonder what triggered the reversal, but it doesn’t sound anywhere near as bad as I thought at first reading.  Only that the LIV sports washing money will be a part of it.  Which I think is dead wrong.   This might kill LIV faster than it would have on its own. 

[snapfade]

You knew it was coming. Everything boils down to money. I doubt PGA Tour ticket sales will drop. People will still watch and attend Tour events, women in SA will still get abused, Phil will still trash talk Rory, Brandel will whine and cry, and we will argue amongst ourselves over it. No matter what the long term outcome is, my life is not impacted by it. Unless, they raise the price of beer at tournaments even more. Now how come there isn't an outcry over that? 

[saevel25]

A leaked memo to the PGA Tour to the players. 

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by saevel25

[Beastie]

Well Rory has been hung out to dry. I just hope that Greg Norman doesn’t have much influence in the new structure

[saevel25]

Edited....

35 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

 

Just saw your post after I posted the same thing, @DeadMan

[PatrickMurtha]

1 minute ago, Beastie said:

Well Rory has been hung out to dry. I just hope that Greg Norman doesn’t have much influence in the new structure

Reminder to Rory that revenge is a dish best served cold, so he might want to hold his fire for now. 

[Elmer]

28 minutes ago, Killa said:

I wonder how all of the “holier than thou” folks will comment on this now. I guess watching golf is off the table all together now. 

I did not like LIV golf due to the backers. I did not like LIV golf because of the format.
If the PGA turns to LIV's format and incorporates more of the TFG, I have no issue watching less.
In reality, I enjoy playing golf. I dont live (no pun intended) to watch golf. Maybe the Majors, with the Masters and British Open taking top honors.

Secondly, when the PGA announcement to players indicates “Execution of the agreement", did anyone else think what I thought?

[Pretzel]

9 minutes ago, imsys0042 said:

Nothing in any of this tells me that the net effect of this is that the new company will try (half heartedly or genuinely who knows?) to make what LIV was doing better and viable and that the PGA basically retains control of everything (if I read the press release right).

You read it dead wrong, actually - per the article:

Quote

Under the terms of the agreement, the Board of Directors of the new entity will oversee and direct all the new entity’s golf-related commercial operations, businesses and investments. The new entity will work to ensure a cohesive schedule of events that will be exciting for fans, sponsors and all stakeholders.  PIF will initially be the exclusive investor in the new entity, alongside the PGA TOUR, LIV Golf and the DP World Tour. Going forward, PIF will have the exclusive right to further invest in the new entity, including a right of first refusal on any capital that may be invested in the new entity, including into the PGA TOUR, LIV Golf and DP World Tour. The PGA TOUR will appoint a majority of the Board and hold a majority voting interest in the combined entity

PIF (the Saudi investment fund) is the exclusive investor and has exclusive rights to invest more money, including the right to refuse money from other investors. The PGA Tour will appoint a majority of the board that handles commercial operations, but the PGA Tour and DP World Tour will be minority stakeholders in terms of financials and can/will be barred from investing further into the joint entity while PIF is the only one allowed to increase their financial stake.

Edited June 6, 2023 by Pretzel

[Elmer]

3 minutes ago, Beastie said:

Well Rory has been hung out to dry. I just hope that Greg Norman doesn’t have much influence in the new structure

Seriously, he stayed with the PGA. Turned down a 💩ton of money. Only to end up merging. Ooooof!

[klineka]

9 minutes ago, imsys0042 said:

the ugliness is taking the money from SA.  I wonder what triggered the reversal, but it doesn’t sound anywhere near as bad as I thought at first reading.  Only that the LIV sports washing money will be a part of it.  Which I think is dead wrong.  

Isn't that bad enough?

[iacas]

1 hour ago, jxdama said:

If a LIV player wins the  US Open then the PGA will seem to have the  less talented  players. Koepka  may have  made this  possible.

LIV has like four good players and a whole lot of terrible ones. And… THE PGA IS NOT THE PGA TOUR.

1 hour ago, DeadMan said:

There is not a ton of details in that press release, but to me it sounds like the Saudi PIF is going to create and invest a company that owns the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV. I think the Saudis are buying out the PGA Tour and the DP World Cup. The Saudi PIF is going to own the major professional golf tours. I could be reading that wrong, but I doubt it.

If that's true, gross.

Super gross. I read later a minority stake? So they won't own it, but they are going to have a big say in things.

Gross doesn't begin to describe it. I may be done with the PGA Tour.

Plus, I heard they may be renaming the new entity? So it won't be named "PGA Tour" anymore. Has anyone seen further news there?

40 minutes ago, Killa said:

I wonder how all of the “holier than thou” folks will comment on this now. I guess watching golf is off the table all together now. 

First, it's not "holier than thou." And like who? I'm still disgusted. This sucks.

31 minutes ago, PatrickMurtha said:

So much for the principled stance on sportswashing. 🙄 Just about everyone will now be bending over backwards to say that was never really the issue, money is money in today’s globalized world, etc. 

I’m a very cynical guy, and my cynicism is inadequate to this! 

I won't. Many I know won't.

But Jay already has.

25 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Jay Monahan is a piece of work (insert other word options).

Yep.

I get that it makes business sense, but there's more to the world than literally just money.

25 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Yep, let's do that 180-degree flip. It is all good now that I get the perk of running a bigger tour with more power and wealth available to me.

Spot on.

25 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

I will probably watch The US Open (USGA), The Open (R&A), and The Masters (Augusta National). 

I will probably not watch other tournaments. It is up in the air. 

Add the PGA and I'm there with you.

The PGA is not the PGA Tour.

12 minutes ago, snapfade said:

I doubt PGA Tour ticket sales will drop.

Ticket sales are almost irrelevant.

[IceMike]

I dont watch enough golf to really care who owns PGA or unifies it all etc but if it goes ahead then those who remained loyal to PGA are getting screwed and deserve a payout of some kind.

I understood the appeal of a LIV payout to those on a tailend of a career looking to play less and earn but for me it was always going to be a retirement division - regardless of age etc