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

Seve OB

Think PGA was the only one that changed?

but yep I agree, it was better where it was

Captain_Crash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119729627#Comment_119729627

I seem to remember The Open was moved too by a coupes of weeks?!?

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119729627#Comment_119729627

The Players moved too I suppose if we want to bunch that in there (which I would)

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119730123#Comment_119730123

True. But that move (from May to February ) actually helps spread them out.

Russman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119729627#Comment_119729627

Not directly LIV related, but wasn't it to do with the Olympics clashing with the USPGA, then factor in Ryder Cup dates and the PGA Tour desperate to get the FedEx finished before the football season ?

I know its a bad time of the year, and I've only watched one hole of LIV golf ever - the 18th when Stenson won, but much as I hate the LIV format, it can't be less interesting than the first 3 PGA events this season. Watching paint dry is more interesting that watching Cantlay faff around for 5 hours.

Maybe the PGA & DPWT should get finished by early September and LIV could be should hold all their events in Sept, Oct & Nov with a finale before Christmas, when the main seasons are finished. Let the top 20 in the US and in Europe plus a few from Asia play the 8/10 LIV events as a reward for a good season.

thewobbler

@Russman would you not agree that the problem isn’t about which tour is currently on and what stage It’s at, so much as expecting any fan’s interest levels to remain high for 52 weeks a year being completely unrealistic?

Like every other pro sport, golf needs a clearly defined off season; a period of time long enough for the competitors to recharge their batteries, and the spectators to realise they really miss it when it’s not on.

newport2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119733191#Comment_119733191

The official reason they gave for it was that they wanted the majors in 4 consecutive months (preferred it the other way myself).

I also read it was due to the temperatures in parts of the US in August, ruled out a lot of venues to host it because it was too hot.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119733768#Comment_119733768

Yea they wanted to make sure they could have really hot temperatures so they could torture the players by not allowing them to wear shorts

Russman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119733239#Comment_119733239

Well, I would and I wouldn't tbh. I agree in principle about defined seasons being better, and totally agree with fan's interest waning, but with golf being worldwide with both the northern and southern hemispheres I don't think that's ever going to fully work. AFAIK the PGA tour runs for something like 44 or 46 weeks of the year, and again, AFAIK but totally open to correction, any member wanting to play elsewhere when there is a PGA event also happening, requires permission from the commissioner and apparently he normally only gives 3 exemptions per player per year. So for the top Aus/NZ or Asians or South Africans to play a meaningful number of events on their home tour is very difficult.

I actually think the PGA tour know full well there isn't really any interest in those Fall events as golf will never compete with football for fans' interest in the States, but the players don't want to be idle for 3 months til Hawaii in January.

Trampas

Phil’s the mouth piece this time

https://www.rte.ie/sport/golf/2022/1013/1329080-mickelson-liv-golf-loved-by-most-of-the-world/

Mushy

He also said he never did an interview with Shipnuck and, while maybe technically correct in that it wasn't anything pre-arranged, it shows why it's hard to believe them.

In saying that, I do think what is mentioned about US and UK is correct, and that many countries will embrace the tour more if they bring the big names with them. Take somebody like Lahiri, nobody has really missed him on the pga tour. But if these events are held closer to India, he may get some following. Huge potential market there.

PGA tour may need more cosanctioned events this side of the world, maybe elsewhere like Japan or Australia too. Talk on pga thread about lack of interest at this time of year, all when Spanish, Italian and French Opens have been on...get them onside and it may help their cause

Rikand

Phil believes he is on the winning side. I suppose he's got 200 million reasons for thinking that

redzerdrog

given his gambling record I like the PGA Tours odds!

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119740997#Comment_119740997

Great news for the likes of paddy power who will get most of it.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119740997#Comment_119740997

Well if you look at what he actually says, he does have a point.

"And I see LIV Golf trending upwards, I see the PGA Tour trending downwards, and I love the side that I’m on."

Innish_Rebel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119740684#Comment_119740684

True there is a potential to grow the game - but from what I could see of last weeks event - it wasn't exactly thronged with people - other than 18th hole & a few other spots it looked like the captains prize play-off in my course...

Also new markets like India are really hard to quantify. There is a grand total of 1 professional golfer from india in the top 250 of the world rankings (Lahiri @ 91 also he is 35 - I thought he was much younger) there are 350 Indian professionals/with world rankings 200 of which do not have a ranking point - i.e. joint last in world 2,756th place so probably club pros style players, there are roughly 300 golf courses in India - if memory serves me right from Lahiri interview I think the most are linked with old UK army bases etc... I work with a lovely guy from India and have some great chats with him about sport & to be honest if it isn't called Cricket - there is very little following for it.

I do agree the PGA needs to spread the love to other countries though. And don't get me wrong there must be potential in other regions, but I don't necessarily think there is a lot of low hanging fruit out there. Looking at crowds at a lot DP tour events outside Europe over the last few years it does seem to represent a very high percentage of expats from golf strongholds...

I think if/when LIV hit Australia - they will get crowds. If they had gotten some Korean's and went there. If they get/had gotten Matsuyama Japan would definitely have been a stop. But these are markets where golf is already reasonably strong

Hyzepher

It's always going to be hard to determine the amount of people at the course as they are spread across the 18 holes for the full day. In a normal PGA event the crowd increasing come together as the leaders get closer to the 18th

Wobs

Just put the Liv event on a few moments ago and by the looks of it there was only a handful of people at it. This was then confirmed after someone had hit a shot, there was a tiny clap and a lady was picked up on a mic saying "gallery of one, hahaha". 😂😂

Rikand

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119741962#Comment_119741962

Factually he's probably correct. LIVs viewing figures can't get much lower than they are right now and PGAs will decrease because the phil, cam, dj fans may not bother watching it anymore without them in it

Dodge

Lads, LIV have no interest in growing the game in India or anything like that.

Do you honestly believe the people who are backing this (and we can’t discuss why) have any interest in publicity in countries outside of the US and GB?

Nearly as bad as when GMac was suggesting playing would help Saudi Arabia see right in one of of the opening pressers

Richard Hillman

Re: The PGA Calender

They are going to have to shift events if the players are really committed to playing 20 events + 4 majors + Ryder Cup. Thats 25 weeks of 52 in the year, with nothing much happening from October- February. Plus some are playing "stadium golf". If they are playing February to September, that's pretty much every weekend. Which is why I don't believe a word of their 20 event commitment.

They are going to have to work events into October-January. There are some DPWT events in January but that overlaps with Stadium Golf now.

Rahm has voiced his concern at it and mentioned some players may have to be exempt, which would defeat the purpose of it.

It wouldn't surprise me if it pushed people toward playing with LIV.

Richard Hillman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119743510#Comment_119743510

I have it on now. There doesn't seem to be anybody on the course. Literally nobody bar the people working. It doesn't look like a course set up for spectators though.

Trampas

Seems like Eddie pepperall has touched a nerve with Westwood.

The liv boys don’t like people questioning them

Trampas

Poulter having a go at him now about getting invites. They really are bitter about it. I’m sick of their crying about world ranking points. They knew there were none when they signed up. All they cared about was the money

Richard Hillman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119747727#Comment_119747727

I think the article that Westwood referenced was bang on to be fair. What's the point in sponsoring events or putting your golf course out there and closing it for a couple of weeks, when nobody of note is showing up. TV figures must be down the sink. As many people on the golf course than watching on TV.

https://www.alistairtaitgolf.com/post/if-one-dp-world-tour-domino-falls

Trampas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119748541#Comment_119748541

These events rely on expats turning up to watch. The new owgr points was a strange one. Really hurt other tours. Made out it was good that everyone got points but fighting over scraps.

I think liv would have done better if Norman wasn’t involved. It got to personal between him and pga tour.

They’ve paid the players to much that they’ve got them talking rubbish half the time

Mushy

That whole twitter exchange with poulter/pepperall is bizarre. The arrogance of the likes of poulter is insane, like they're above reproach. To have a digital that is a low blow, I hope its more a lashing out in anger rather than anything else.

Then the dp world tour page not mentioning the leader...yeah its all only impacting fans so nothing much for the players to worry about

Trampas

Poulter forget the time Beemer gave him his spot in a tournament otherwise he wouldn’t have played enough events and lost his tour card?

Poulter has come across like a right ……. With his spat with Eddie. These liv players seem to feel they’ve got some entitlement. Poulter name more associated with Ryder cup than own career. No golfer wants it to be that no matter what they say

Hyzepher

Is there no cut in this week's CJ Cup? Yet ogwr points seem to be available?

eireyiddo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119780679#Comment_119780679

What's your point