I was very frustrated a few weeks ago when seamus power was leading or 2nd and wasn’t getting any coverage.
It sounds like the Tours response is going to be changing the format of the wraparound pre-Christmas portion, have that not count towards Fedex Cup and mix up up with the tournament styles.
The NLU Andy Gardiner podcast was brilliant. The ideas the PGL (not the Saudi League) are forward thinking and would certainly freshen things up. They can also complement the Tour and not replace any real portion of it beyond the pre-Christmas swing which barely any of the top players play in anyway. However what will most likely happen is the PGA Tour will take the PGLs idea, dilute the cráp out of it and make it barely passable.
Sportswashing. They want people to associate them with golf/F1 rather than their terrible human rights record.
Why do the Saudis even want to fund this league, what's in it for them? Are they trying to emulate the UAE and the way golf has increased the profile of Dubai and Abu Dhabi in particular
DP Tour coverage on Sky is excellent, the PGA tour coverage is exactly what they get in the US minus all of the ads because Sky just go back to studio or have the comms talk over a scoreboard so its not as noticeable. Only difference is for majors where sky seem to have better coverage though not by much.
I agree the PGA tour could do with a shakeup but a Saudi backed golf league isn't something I'd have any interest in supporting. I would love nothing more than for it crash and burn and for Bryson and Phil to come back and sent to Q school.
I love the PGA tour and don't want anything to change. I hope anybody who goes on this gets banned from the PGA tour and the Majors.
The PGA tour were trying to help the European tour but this will destroy it completely I think.
Listening to US based golf podcasts complaining about the coverage it sounds horrendous. Like showing 4/5 shots then 5 minute ad break resulting in 15 minutes golf actually shown per hour and cutting to ads to when something significant is about to happen then having it spoiled if you're following a live scoreboard. Might not seem like it sometimes but we actually have it really good with Sky Sports Golf
I get what you're saying but do you really have an interest following the likes of Kramer Hickok and Peter Malnati trying to get a top 10? Wouldn't interest me in the slightest, my problem with the PGA tour is there is too many cards given out and too many events. Cut down the events and the amount of players would make it easier to follow and broadcast. The introduction of team events during the wrap around would be so much more enjoyable, would be all for it.
The coverage is certainly a problem, I don’t know who decides it but they tend to pick a few players and follow them everywhere and show very little of other lesser known players unless they are leading or coming 2nd.
Will be interesting to see what happens, golf badly needs a change, the American/pga tour's stranglehold over the sport isn't healthy, the sport needs to be brought into the 21st century.
DJ will be 38 in a few months. Still relatively young and a big name. I hope he doesn’t go. I don’t want Bryson to go either though.
Regards Charlie Hoffman I’d nearly chip in to pay for him to go.
Looks like a load of guys in their 40's who seem to be talking about signing up to it. Past their best and cashing in.
Not a hope you'd get an Irish open out of it, the PGA tour and DP tour are allied now and the Saudis would gain nothing (which is the entire point of the exercise) by playing in Ireland. The whole concept is 40ish players, not cuts and 54 hole events. Going on reports there is a plan for 10 events this year with the majority in the US (at trump courses, Doral, Bedminister) one in the UK and the rest in the Middle East. I hope it collapses entirely and have no intention of watching or supporting it in any way. Luckily its only players I don't like anyway being linked, Adam Scott would be the only player I'd be dissappointed with. Phil is a terrible person as we're now seeing and Bryson an idiot too so won't miss them. The mid tier europeans being linked like Poulter and Fleetwood says more about them than anything else.
I'd be concerned about Lowry, his comments and attendance in Saudi this year weren't exactly inspiring. All the other top players have already said they aren't leaving so the PGA tour will remain where the best players are. Hopefully it does get the PGA to improve the quality of their coverage though because it is brutal and has been getting worse if anything.
It mostly sounds like Bryson and a load of older players who add little value at this point anyway. Maybe DJ, but if it's just him and Bryson from the younger group that go then I don't think there will be too much interest in it or too many tears shed for them when they leave. Will also free up space on the PGA tour for up and coming younger players.
Reminds me a bit of footballers who go to asia for one last big pay day in their 30s before they retire. Let them off, I won't be tuning in to watch Charlie Hoffman plodding around Asia on Premier Sports.
In fairness a good few of the top players are definitely against it, look at Rory, Rahm, Morikawa, so the fragmentation is well and truly on course
I like the idea of the top players going head to head every week as opposed to the fragmented style we have now. Wonder would we get an Irish open on it? Hopefully either all or none of the top players join, less fragmentation the better.
It’s hard to know what the impact of this will be - NLU’s latest podcast suggested that there would be 10-12 teams with four players on each, and three of the captains being Phil, DJ and Bryson so not necessarily a “pre-Champions Tour” feel across the board. I suspect that the players who recently played in the Saudi Invitational are the ones most likely to make the jump over (which was a pretty mixed profile and age range as well).
Interestingly, there are reports this morning that the PGA Tour are looking to replace the post Tour Championship events with a team event played across the US, Europe and Asia - possibly in response to the Saudi league as well as the PGL.
It’ll be interesting to see how all of this shakes out!
That would make sense regarding waiting for the headline names alright. If it is a style of pre-champions tour ultimately then I don't see it being such a huge issue. Not until younger/top players jump ship
I was reading online that apparently they are waiting until they have 20 headline players signed up before announcing the developments and plans going forward. The plan is to announce the week of the Players to basically overshadow the PGA Tour's flagship event week, which is pretty petty in fairness. I imagine with the likes of Scott and Mickelson signing up, it will be a pre Champions Tour feel, in terms of who's signed up?
Talk on this Saudi tour appears to be ramping up, I see Adam Scott talking it up now, and shortly after Hoffman had his little hissy fit agreed by certain linked players too it seems like it may actually happen.
Has anyone heard of a timeline for this becoming a thing? Or all up in the air still? Or will the PGA cave in to the moaning
Yea i thought it was a brilliant tournament too.
I think the crowd has left 16 by the time a play off was on so wouldn't have been the same.
Really i think they should look at the layout of the course and make the 16th the 18th, could you imagine the mayhem, would be brilliant TV.
As regards the 16th, it's different to anything else in golf. It's one hole in one tournament annually. It's to be enjoyed for what it is.
They clean up immediately after everything that's thrown from the stands. It doesn't affect the greens or anything else because the place is rock hard.
It's very different and I think it's actually good for every golfer to face a cauldron like that.
I think Lowry's was more due to his slow play, didn't notice anything between the the two of them last night. JT was quite literally the opposite of not impressed, he was egging the crowd on after he chipped in. But I agree too much for a chip in but it's a welcome change to some of the duller smaller events, the two aces were incredible scenes.
Don't think Holmes is suited to commentary, gave some good swing tit bits but jesus was miles off on some calls. He said Koepka is more suited to courses where he can bully and overpower the golf courses. What is he smoking? Koepka thrives on being patient and does far better the harder the courses are, just look at his major record. Absurd call
Great tournament to watch in fairness. Happy for Scheffler to win. What's the deal with Cantlay though? There's a lot to admire about his swing and putting, but he's not the most endearing. He seems like a really cold fish with the derisory handshake at end with Scheffler. Hardly magnanimous. He seemed to get under Lowry's skin at the Ryder Cup and Lowry barely shook his hand, and I remember it was the same in the play-off with DeChambeau last year. I could be doing the guy a complete disservice though.
As for the scenes at the 16th, I'm not sure about that. You can't be setting precedents for those drunk muppets throwing plastic beer containers onto the green, not just for holes in one, but also for a chip-in for JT who was not impressed. It messes up the green for the other players in the group and causes a delay back on the tee. They'll have to erect netting for next year I reckon. And the majority of those idiots are not golf fans. I saw a compilation of interviews with some of them, and it was serious cringe.
Other thoughts:
Koepka really should have won that - if he'd had his iron play sorted he could have been 2 or 3 ahead at the end.
Felt really sorry for Theegala who gave it a great shot and was a breath of fresh air.
Schauffele really bottled his putt on the 72nd hole! He is a guy who should be winning more tournaments.
Simon Holmes on Sky is a really good commentator and analyst. He has some great insights He's better than Coltart and Beem who were on with him last night.
Surely they could've used 16 or 17 for the playoff?
Overall I thought it was an excellent tournament though
Looking forward to Riviera next week
Got the win in the end! Did it the hard way but delighted for him to finally get it over the line. Great putt to finish!
Was hoping Scheffler would make that, poor effort though
Play off
Exciting final round swinging every way
Can scheffler finally win!
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