LIV Golf Invitational League...... NO Political/Ethical conflict posts, see Post#2

Rikand

I've gone back through a few pages looking for a thread on this and I cant find one. Merge if there is one....

Despite it initially looking like Phil's comments had torpedo'd any chance of the league going ahead, many players have since come out with their intention to break away and join the league.

Lee Westwood is one who has been particularly vocal about it and has submitted his desire to break away. Other players of less note such as Richard Bland have also declared their desire to join the league.

And just this evening whilst getting a ruling that he didnt agree with, Sergio Garcia said " I cant wait to leave this tour " which strongly suggests he's also on his way to the Saudi league. The comment was picked up on a course microphone...

It makes you wonder how many other players have been keeping their cards close to their chest about this and how many more players will eventually come out and express their desire to join the Saudi's and cash in on the massive wads of money on offer.

dublin49

it will be a boom time for the lesser lights who will make up the numbers until the players up the food Chain start to join or it becomes apparent they never will.They could win millions against mediocre players or great players from the past in decline.The elite can hold out as they earn massive money as it is but I can see the quality of the fields improve pretty quickly once the big money starts to be spread around.

MOD EDIT

For moral/political and ethical discussions please see this thread, no such postings allowed here

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058249550/golfers-taking-saudi-money-and-splitting-the-sport

dan_ep82

I'm sure it will go ahead but I find it hard to believe they'll have much long term interest.

The biggest name so far seems to be Garcia and lets be honest most people don't like him and would struggle to watch him at the best of times. I like Westwood and Bland but not enough to do anything more than catch the highlights on youtube if they win.

PARlance

It's shaping up nicely to be a real rival to the seniors tour!

eireyiddo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058244640/liv-investments-saudi-golf-invitational-league-thingy

They must have no golf rules aswel no human rights rules on it. Sergio has never shown any class when competing, coming out with something a spoilt child would say over a ruling he didn't agree with. That tour are welcome to all the golfers mentioned. Not one of them are any loss. I doubt any of them are a threat to Jack Nicklaus major record anyway. From the outside listening to the comments by a lots of the big player's maybe it will give the PGA a nudge to evolve with pace of play.

The european tour will be more worried I guess. Either way I no where ill be tuning into. Less of Sergio, westwood and co is a good thing. Who is gonna bottle it now?

The Big Easy

No one's given notice to join anything yet, they've just asked to be released for the first event.

Greg Norman has even said the league/tour element is not going ahead as planned for at least two years. There's just 8 big wheelbarrow events this year, now whether players are forced to leave their current tour to participate is the issue for now.

AyeGer

If the guys on the PGA tour see some relative nobody win a massive purse on the LIV tour it may make them think a bit more about it.

Russman

Watching the golf last night on Sky, and obviously they were discussing the Sergio incident (or non-incident), but in the course of the discussion Wayne Riley said "....I don't know if I should say this, but I've heard there are 70 players ready to sign up......"

Now, I know he probably isn't privy to everything, but I'm sure players he'd be close to have said stuff off the record to him and he'd have an idea of the mood. When Joe Bloggs nobody, or even a Poulter or a Westwood picks up a $4m first prize for beating a very weak field, I'd say some of the top players will re-assess things.

That said, its hard to disagree with Bob MacIntyre when he says "how much money does one human need ?"

I dunno, I think the two main tours have been a little silly, there's surely a way for them all to co-exist. It might mean the end or demotion of the XYZ Classic in the middle of nowhere, (similar to the week a WGC is being played) but I don't think a closed shop protectionism is the way to go. They've had fully sanctioned events in Saudi before, so they're not really that worried about the source of the money.

dk1982

No doubt Lowry will be one of the ones to get involved. He has a wife and kids to feed don't ya know 🙄

IAmTitleist

When PGA players see a random Euro Tour player pick up a huge winners cheque they will start to come over pretty quick to compete trust me.

Also why should it be the case that golf is effectively just an American Tour? The likes of an Italian/Irish/French/Australian Open should be of more prestige than the f**kin John Deere Classic or The Rocket Mortgage Classic.

An opportunity to have more tournaments spread out across the world is a good thing in my eyes. I think they've went with US based tournaments initially to attract those PGA tour players.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119022215#Comment_119022215

Be curious how people react if Lowry signs up compared to a Westwood

'ah, he's our Shane, doing his best for his family. It's his career choice'

Whereas Westwood: 'disgusting behaviour ignoring what's going on in Saudi Arabia'

slave1

MOD COMMENT

Discuss away but please be aware of The Golf Charter stance on personal abuse, i.e. not allowed

Avoid any such comments and if posted the entire post will be deleted, not edited, deleted

SeeMoreBut

As always the case someone will take all the slack and it seems Phil was that one and now Westwood is taking the next wave of it.

The rest will come as mouths to feed

Is it just events for money and no world ranking points?

Quahog217

Hilarious the amount of people getting on their high horse about the Saudi money etc.....as if they wouldn't accept it if they had half a chance 😂 And does no one see the irony that the PGA tour has ruined the European tour in the exact same manner!!! Albeit with the human rights side of things.

All the PGA tour are worried about is losses in Revenue........they want all the money that the big stars bring in for themselves.

CSWS101

The main thing that pisses me off is the way they go about it. If they just came out and said they're paying me more I would respect them more. All this shite about growing the game is nonsense. Westwood's interview the other day was a complete embarrassment

blue note

Is growing the game the line they're being paid to peddle? They're all saying it so I suspect so.

Pdoghue

Westwood came out with an incredible comment the other day:

""I think Saudi Arabia obviously know they have issues. Lots of countries around the world have issues. I think they’re trying to improve through sport. Which a lot of countries do. That maybe worries people as people don’t like change. They like continuity and for things to stay the same.”

It's hard to know where to start with the thought process behind that. I admire Westwood for many things, not least his longevity, but remember this is a man who once said he was proud never to have read a book in his life.

It's like he's saying that the people on the PGA tour are too stubborn to see the light of sportswashing.

Richard Hillman

It's basically a tour for guys too old to compete with the younger players and too young to play seniors tour golf.

I find Sky Sports reaction laughable. They've covered and sent pundits to Saudi for Boxing, F1 and yes Golf. It's one thing being contractually obliged to show things but sending pundits legitimizes it.

Like the Super League in football, they were only against it because their investments were elsewhere. They cheerleaded the Newcastle takeover.

But I see this as a good thing. We're getting a golf clear out of dubious characters.

dublin49

Westwood, Poulter and Garcia will be hoping to fill the wheelbarrow before the fields improve,

Mantis Toboggan

Massive money involved so it's a no brainer for anyone outside the top 100 especially if they're on the DP tour or anyone coming towards the end of their career big chance to make guaranteed shed load of money and be retired in a couple of years.

I'd imagine they'll start having big money tour school events and try attract the best young talent they can get. I don't really blame anyone for joining, I'd be first in line if given the chance.

Mantis Toboggan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119025176#Comment_119025176

Will be interesting to see if these lads are exempt from ryder cup captaincy.

PokeHerKing

Westwoods interview was pretty entertaining. He's a simple lad is are Lee.

At the end of the day the Arabs are gonna be lopping heads off regardless of who plays golf. So can't blame anyone for cashing in.

slave1

Anyone who thinks the likes of Saudi and China don't invest heavily across the globe is very naive. They own and part own a lot more than thought

Motivator

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119022215#Comment_119022215

As if you wouldn’t do it. You’re a MOD EDIT if you say you’d pass on it if you were in the position. You know it, I know it.

mod comment

Please read the charter on personal insults ..

dk1982

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119030526#Comment_119030526

I mean you literally know nothing about me 😂

Deeper Blue

The PGA tour has denied the players' applications to play the first event in London, interesting to see what happens now

Richard Hillman

They've drawn the line. There was ambiguity on the Non-US events because there were rulings on attending US Events and being sanctioned if they played without release, however the Non-US events were supposedly ok.

Now the battle line is in the sand. It's that tour or our tour.

It would be interesting to see how the likes of Augusta National view it, since they do operate quite independently. If somebody like Garcia proceeds to play on the Saudi tour but his invitation to Augusta gets relinquished. No Champions dinners, no playing, green jacket in the bin.

Trampas

So pga have finally opened fire.

Week before us open

Mantis Toboggan

Will be interesting to see what happens now, could be great news for the euro tour players, some players waay down the rankings could qualify and be set for life.

IAmTitleist

PGA Tour are running scared.

Hopefully this is the beginning of a proper World Tour rather than the America-centric tripe we have to endure for the majority of the year.

The best few weeks of the year for watching golf is when all the top players finally leave their safe haven of the USA and play the Scottish Open and the Open Championship.

eirman

https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/norman-reveals-2bn-backing-for-liv-golf-pga-tour-blocks-player-participation/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=London+AM_2022-05-11

Greg Norman has said the breakaway LIV Golf project has secured a total of $2bn (€1.9bn) in funding from its Saudi backers, with a view to creating a 14-tournament global series by 2024.

Opposition to the project from the world's leading golf tour, the PGA Tour, ramped up yesterday as the organisation told players it would not release them to take part in the inaugural LIV Golf event in June.