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

[ChetlovesMer]

22 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

It's a crippling stab in the back dude. WTH. 

Regardless of reason, whether this was a way out of a legal rabbit hole or maybe they had dirt on Monahan or pure greed or whatever, the pivot is stunning. 

The statements from the 'leadership' about how this is for the greater good feels like salt rubbed into wounds. 

Welp, let's see what unfolds. I think Monahan is a loser that we suspect he is and there is not a meticulous master plan. Just a half ass cobbled up bluster of bullet points 

One thing I'm not getting is how this can happen in vacuum without a vote from the players. From reports they are just as shocked as the common fan.

Wow.

I do feel like the PGA Tour Players were stabbed in the back. 

For the ones who stuck by the tour, several turned down huge lumps of money. 

I'm waiting to see what unfolds. But when I first heard the news I felt like this has to be click-bait. 

[Rick Graham]

Great News, for all of golf get all the best players playing against each other, feel good for Greg Norman

[MSDOGS1976]

Dark day for the PGAT. I look forward to hearing from Tiger, Rory and the other big names that stuck with the tour and turned down LIV's money. 

[turtleback]

10 hours ago, eich41 said:

Literally GC right now "I just don't know why Monahan has done a 180 seemingly overnight?"

 

Hello, because it was NEVER his stance, it was just the only angle he had to attack a rival golf league so he took the stance and mandated the media minions to push it.  It's easy to do a complete 180 when you were really already facing the other direction....

Monahan pledged that he would be completely transparent, in his first presser as Tour Commissioner, and now I'm hearing that this has been the works for 7 weeks without any players knowing about.  I don't see how he survives.

Edited June 7, 2023 by turtleback

[turtleback]

6 hours ago, WillieT said:

Reading the discussion I am reminded of the conversations a good friend and I used to have regarding perspective.  He would set a glass in between us and ask the question “Can you see the entire glass?”  The obvious answer is no, as we cannot see in 360.  He would go on to say, that is why multiple views are necessary to get the entire view.  PGA, LIV, Euro/DP tours have their views of the same glass - professional golf.  We can only guess what each’s view really is. Our views are limited at best.  

For me, the only view that matter is mine.  

Unless Monahan and the DP tour guy actually have the authority to make this deal on their own say so, and it requires any kind of ratification by the players, I could see this whole thing blowing up.  And leaving an even bigger mess.  And, of course, there definitely will be be lawsuits.

[Moxley]

7 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

I do feel like the PGA Tour Players were stabbed in the back. 

For the ones who stuck by the tour, several turned down huge lumps of money. 

I'm waiting to see what unfolds. But when I first heard the news I felt like this has to be click-bait. 

 

Stabbed in the back is one way of putting it, but I'd say played is more accurate , as this covers the entire episode.  From what I can see, the PGA Tour have played their members and their fans from the get-go to boost their leverage, and it's been the most successful plank to their strategy. This was always a commercial dispute between the Saudis and the other guys who were happy to take Saudi money but still wanted to run the show. Rather like FIFA/UEFA, they managed to convince people that it was some sort of moral fight between good and evil. I think a lot of people, good people perhaps like yourself, bought into this, and thought this was an important moral choice they could make to make the world better - I don't really agree with this for reasons I've posted before on this thread, but I share your sentiment for these folks, as wanting to make the world a better place is clearly a good motivation. 

 

5 hours ago, MSDOGS1976 said:

Dark day for the PGAT. I look forward to hearing from Tiger, Rory and the other big names that stuck with the tour and turned down LIV's money. 

 

However, some people, including those players, I suspect knew exactly what was going here and chose to make the stand they did for purposes of grandstanding. I do not feel sorry for Rory - he has had his payment in full, and will only benefit from his decision to bolster his reputation by dragging the sport through the mud for two years. 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Moxley said:

I do not feel sorry for Rory - he has had his payment in full, and will only benefit from his decision to bolster his reputation by dragging the sport through the mud for two years. 

Rory did not “drag the sport through the mud for two years.”

That doesn’t even make sense.

[Moxley]

I'm devastated by that, but OK, I'll elaborate.

Rory contributed significantly to the bitter dispute that has engulfed golf for the past two years. He chose to help Monahan create and deepen the divide in Golf that was necessary for the PGAT to be able to hold out for better terms - without that, the dispute could have been over in 3 months or less. He did this, I suspect, as an opportunistic way to boost his own brand, evidence of which I can see here on this forum. As I say, he's had his payment in full.

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, Moxley said:

Rory contributed significantly to the bitter dispute that has engulfed golf for the past two years.

Ha ha ha ha. Yeah, okay.

2 minutes ago, Moxley said:

He chose to help Monahan create and deepen the divide in Golf that was necessary for the PGAT to be able to hold out for better terms - without that, the dispute could have been over in 3 months or less. He did this, I suspect, as an opportunistic way to boost his own brand, evidence of which I can see here on this forum. As I say, he's had his payment in full.

Rory could have gotten $400M or something to go to LIV golf. He held out — and spoke his mind about LIV and the Saudi backers — and absolutely did not get "his payment."

Rory was repeatedly asked and interviewed. He answered honestly and with integrity while exhibiting more of a moral compass than many of those who were bought by the Saudi government. The person who chooses not to align himself with the bad element is not the one "dragging the sport through the mud." The person pointing out the hypocrisy is not the one doing the bad thing — the people doing the bad thing are the ones doing the dragging.

Congrats. You've made one of the dumbest non-swing-theory posts in TST history. :P

[Moxley]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

 

Congrats. You've made one of the dumbest non-swing-theory posts in TST history. 😛

I see you say similar things about many posts that you disagree with, but if you were right about that, it would be self evident and not require you to point it out. 

[Hardluckster]

It seems as though Rory had previous knowledge that a deal may have been in the works. 
 

Newcastle chief Amanda Staveley's role in PGA Tour-LIV Golf saga after Rory McIlroy chat - Mirror Online

---

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf have merged after a year of war between the two competitions, with the latter enlisting...

 

[saevel25]

23 minutes ago, Hardluckster said:

It seems as though Rory had previous knowledge that a deal may have been in the works. 

Newcastle chief Amanda Staveley's role in PGA Tour-LIV Golf saga after Rory McIlroy chat - Mirror Online

---

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf have merged after a year of war between the two competitions, with the latter enlisting...

 

Broker a truce does not mean knowledge of merger. That article clearly lacks statements or other facts to say that Rory knew of the merger. 

[Beastie]

So Bloomberg is reporting that the US DoJ  is gonna investigate the merger re anti trust laws. 
Although I seem to remember them being involved months ago anyway, so it is probably to be expected

Edited June 7, 2023 by Beastie

[chspeed]

Since more news will clarify things, but we're having fun speculating,  here is some speculation on what is happening. Please don't hate, it's only speculation for fun!

1. Obvious, but this is hardly a merger. It's an acquisition as others have pointed out.

2. The PGAT and DPWT sold because they don't have the cash to compete with LIV payouts and were on the verge of losing a bunch more high-profile players to LIV in the coming year.

3. As a sovereign wealth fund, PIF didn't like LIV management (Norman, etc.) and wanted a good operator. They are playing a very long game, and know that the PGAT can run a tour a lot better than LIV ever could.

4. The only way the PGAT and DPWT can sell this to players is if there is A LOT of money that will be taken off the table. In other words, the Rorys of the PGAT will cash out big and get deals similar to those that left the PGAT in the past year or two.

5. As part of the terms, the PIF will fade into the background, and all parties that cash out (including current PGAT players and officials) will agree not to mention them or badmouth them.

 

12 minutes ago, Beastie said:

So Bloomberg is reporting that the US DoJ  is gonna investigate the merger re anti trust laws. 
Although I seem to remember them being involved months ago anyway, so it is probably to be expected

Totally. Everyone and their mothers will be investigating this. I would be impressed if this clears all the world's different organizational bodies.

[klineka]

12 hours ago, Rick Graham said:

Great News, for all of golf get all the best players playing against each other, feel good for Greg Norman

So you think the fact that the commissioner of the PGA Tour (allegedly a player run organization) made a complete 180 and joined forces with the very people he spent the last year openly and harshly criticizing while not notifying any players that this was going to happen is "great news"?

Why do you feel good for Greg Norman? He wasn't notified of this until after a deal was already signed. He's clearly not a decision maker.

[Denny Bang Bang]

I think what everyone here is missing is that Jay Monahan fears Koepka (both of them) 😅

[snapfade]

I was watching Geoff Ogilvy's interview after he came out of the meeting and he said it sounded as if this got leaked out before it was supposed to be formally announced and they had to act. Then it seems as this was 7 weeks in the making. I was kind of nonchalant about it really. But, that was/is dirty pool. I don't see how Jay Monahan can talk one thing for month after month then do a complete 180, and have the nerve to address the players face to face. Now there's a story of how the DOJ is looking into the Donalds ties with LIV. This is just getting started. If you haven't seen it yet, check out Brandel's response. It's quite moving, you can see the disappointment. I'll continue to poke fun at the guy but I think that piece spoke volumes on the whole situation. 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, chspeed said:

1. Obvious, but this is hardly a merger. It's an acquisition as others have pointed out.

I agree it is not a merger, but it wasn’t an acquisition either.

2 hours ago, Moxley said:

I see you say similar things about many posts that you disagree with, but if you were right about that, it would be self evident and not require you to point it out. 

That’s not the first thing you’ve gotten wrong today. And I get to share opinions too pal.

It is evident to most.