LIV Golf (Saudi PIF), "Mergers," and More

[imsys0042]

I made it thru 7 minutes.   Sometimes brevity is best.

[Zeph]

Dustin Johnson ends Saudi league speculation by committing his future to the PGA Tour | Golf News and Tour Information | GolfDigest.com

Eamon Lynch: Phil Mickelson’s mouth has brought him to brink of ruin

---

It appears Mickelson is either resigned to his fate or eager for a showdown with the Tour.

Quote

Unable to forgo an opportunity to boast of his strategic genius, Mickelson affirmed with callous indifference the approach shared by his fellow travelers in the locker room, most of whom have not yet been flushed from the shadows. But the comment that holed him below the waterline was an admission that he and other as-yet-unnamed players paid for lawyers to draft the breakaway tour’s operating agreement.

 

[DaveP043]

37 minutes ago, Zeph said:

an admission that he and other as-yet-unnamed players paid for lawyers to draft the breakaway tour’s operating agreement.

I read the same thing, and wondered why the Saudis couldn't pay their own attorneys to do this.  Or Greg Norman, for that matter.  Although that IS one way to get rich and remain rich, always use someone else's money.  Is it possible the Mickelson the Manipulator got manipulated?

[Vinsk]

30 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I read the same thing, and wondered why the Saudis couldn't pay their own attorneys to do this.  Or Greg Norman, for that matter.  Although that IS one way to get rich and remain rich, always use someone else's money.  Is it possible the Mickelson the Manipulator got manipulated?

I know this is a vague comment but I still hold to the belief that Phil isn’t near as smart as he thinks he is. It’s the Kanye phenomenon. I’m wondering what his wife, Amy, is feeling about all this?

[imsys0042]

10 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

I know this is a vague comment but I still hold to the belief that Phil isn’t near as smart as he thinks he is. It’s the Kanye phenomenon. I’m wondering what his wife, Amy, is feeling about all this?

I think your golf game shows a lot about you.   Phil is talented, but how many times has he tried something risky and have it blow up in his face?   His talent feeds his ego and it sometimes blows up in his face.   I think he’s got some smarts, but I think he’s arrogant thinking he can pull this off and he got overconfident.

maybe there is some version of this working out.   Seems like a lot of high profile pros are staying with the tour, and for those who leave there are people who would die to take their places.   Can you really have a league without at least 50 players.   Not to demean the Hero Challenge, but I wouldn’t want 10-15 events a year with a field that small.   

 

 

Meanwhile over in Douche Acres…

[iacas]

3 hours ago, imsys0042 said:

I think your golf game shows a lot about you.   Phil is talented, but how many times has he tried something risky and have it blow up in his face?   His talent feeds his ego and it sometimes blows up in his face.   I think he’s got some smarts, but I think he’s arrogant thinking he can pull this off and he got overconfident.

maybe there is some version of this working out.   Seems like a lot of high profile pros are staying with the tour, and for those who leave there are people who would die to take their places.   Can you really have a league without at least 50 players.   Not to demean the Hero Challenge, but I wouldn’t want 10-15 events a year with a field that small.   

 

 

Meanwhile over in Douche Acres…

Hmmmm, he kind of left himself an out there. "As long as the best players…"? Okay man.

Also, I wonder if the Shipnuck article made Bryson and/or DJ reverse course.

[iacas]

 

[jmanbooyaa]

I have been loosely following this. Today seemed to have been a day of reckoning for the top Pga players. As Rory has stated who is left? Did Phil want to play on this new tour or was he trying to leverage something he thought was in sight? 

[sjduffers]

It looks like Rory really nailed it when he commented on Phil's position:

 “I don’t want to kick someone while he’s down obviously, but I thought they were naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant”

Well done, Rory! And Phil, get lost. Just as you were getting new fandom support after the last PGA Championship wins and your stellar start on the Champions Tour, you really dug a big hole for yourself with this conspiracy. Stay down there, please.

[Bucki1968]

What will Phil Mickelson do next? The old question has new urgency

---

Phil Mickelson is a restless personality. It’s not really that surprising to see him in the spot he is in.

Wouldn't this be "conduct unbecoming"? I'm wondering what the tour will do with Phil now. 

[saevel25]

Remove all his US open titles!!! Oh wait! 

If Phil did orchestrate all of this, which potentially could have had greatly harmed the PGA Tour. I think he deserves at least a full year suspension from the PGA Tour. 

[imsys0042]

Norman is knee deep as well, Phil is probably the player who most was trying to put this together.  He, like most narcissistic egomaniacs, will probably double down and try to put "something" together and hope it grows in the future.

Or he might be quiet for a while and hope this blows over.  Personally I think they should ban or suspend him severely.  I don't like to make analogies, but given his statements about trying to strong arm the tour with the Saudis that he admits are brutal people, if he was working at a company then he'd be canned yesterday.

 

 

[Bucki1968]

I am wondering if Phil is having money issues? I can't believe he would be but I guess you never know. The part that amazes me most is probably losing his chance to captain a Ryder Cup.  I can't believe he would throw that chance away. 

[imsys0042]

13 minutes ago, Bucki1968 said:

I am wondering if Phil is having money issues? I can't believe he would be but I guess you never know. The part that amazes me most is probably losing his chance to captain a Ryder Cup.  I can't believe he would throw that chance away. 

He might be.   There's stuff out there.   He sold his plane that people say he absolutely loved.   Perez, in his word salad, mentioned he was under "stress".  Financial maybe?   He might not be liquid enough for his commitments, or he's pissed a lot away gambling.

I used to work at Lehman and one of the top execs, COO maybe, had 7 hours and 7 mortgages.   Took a helicopter to a lot of places.   He must have pulled tens of millions in his time at the company and he lost it all because he lived so lavishly and the stock backing a lot of it was worthless.   Maybe Mickelson has been dumb with money.   He won't end up in a cheap motel eating Mac & Cheese, but he might have some issues.   

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, imsys0042 said:

He won't end up in a cheap motel eating Mac & Cheese

Perchance to dream…

[Bucki1968]

I'm also wondering where the other 20 guys are now? If there ever really was 20 guys. Jason Kokrak has got to be in bad mood today. 

[imsys0042]

4 minutes ago, Bucki1968 said:

I'm also wondering where the other 20 guys are now? If there ever really was 20 guys. Jason Kokrak has got to be in bad mood today. 

Personally I think a couple of them released press releases over the weekend.   There could have well been no actual agreements signed on paper.   

[klineka]

3 hours ago, Bucki1968 said:

Jason Kokrak has got to be in bad mood today. 

As long as he gets paid it's hard for him to be that upset. There's a decent chance the Saudi league will still happen. Plenty of rumors that they've made offers to Korn Ferry guys as well, plus AFAIK there's still a number of international guys who still might be in. Scott, Poulter, etc.

 

3 hours ago, imsys0042 said:

There could have well been no actual agreements signed on paper.   

Or there could have been clauses which allowed players to back out by X date even if they had signed contracts.