Golf
News
News
PGA
announces bombshell merger with LIV Golf, stunning
players
World golfs bitter two-year rift is over after
the PGA Tour announced it will merge with Saudi-backed
LIV Golf.
The
PGA Tour and DP World Tour announced they have merged
their commercial operations with the Saudi-backed
LIV Golf and ended all litigation, bringing to a close
the sports bitter two-year rift.
In
a bombshell agreement that caught the golf world by
surprise, the US-based PGA Tour said they had signed
an agreement that combines its activities with the
Saudi financiers golf-related businesses and
those of the DP World Tour to form a new collectively
owned, for-profit entity.
LIV
Golf was launched in October 2021 and lured top PGA
Tour talent with record $25 million purses and money
guarantees. The competition is currently in its second
season.
The
PGA Tour responded to the emergence of a rival tour
by banning LIV players while the DP World Tour has
handed out heavy fines to its players.
The
rift had led to a series of lawsuits and caused acrimony
between players such as major winners Phil Mickelson
and Brooks Koepka, who signed lucrative deals with
LIV, and those such as Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods,
who remained loyal to the PGA Tour.
After
two years of disruption and distraction, this is a
historic day for the game we all know and love,
said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
This
transformational partnership recognises the immeasurable
strength of the PGA Tours history, legacy and
pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP
World Tour and LIV including the team golf
concept to create an organisation that will
benefit golfs players, commercial and charitable
partners and fans, he added.
The
deal was given swift backing by six-time major winner
Mickelson, the most prominent of the defectors to
the LIV Tour.
Awesome
day today, tweeted Mickelson above a link to
a news story on the merger.
But
PGA Tour players were clearly taken aback by the news
taking to social media to express their surprise.
Nothing
like finding out through Twitter that were merging
with a tour that we said wed never do that with,
wrote Canadian Mackenzie Hughes.
The
name of the new merged entity and the precise structure
of the tours has yet to be announced but the PGA Tour
said that the parties had agreed to establish
a fair and objective process for any players who desire
to reapply for membership with the PGA Tour or the
DP World Tour following the completion of the 2023
season.
The
Board of Directors of the new commercial entity will
have the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) governor
Yasir Al-Rumayyan as chairman and Monahan as Chief
Executive Officer.
There
was noticeably no mention of LIV chief executive Greg
Norman in the statements. Normans combative
approach to the conflict had seen him recently snubbed
by Augusta National who did not offer him an invite
to Aprils Masters tournament.
In
November, McIlroy, who was the most prominent backer
of the PGA Tour among the players, said that Norman
was an obstacle to any deal between the two parties.
I
think Greg needs to go. I think he just needs to exit
stage left, said the Northern Irishman.
No
one is going to talk unless theres an adult
in the room that can actually try to mend fences.
It
was unclear if the announcement would impact on LIVs
current season. The tours next event is on June
30 at Valderrama in Spain. The PGA Tour statement
said that the team element, introduced by LIV, would
be part of the future plans.
Today
is a very exciting day for this special game and the
people it touches around the world, said Al-Rumayyan.
We
are proud to partner with the PGA Tour to leverage
PIFs unparalleled success and track record of
unlocking value and bringing innovation and global
best practices to business and sectors worldwide.
There
is no question that the LIV model has been positively
transformative for golf.
We
believe there are opportunities for the game to evolve
while also maintaining its storied history and tradition.
This partnership represents the best opportunity to
extend and increase the impact of golf for all.
LIV
Golf: Timeline of a civil war
LIV
Golf unveiled details of its inaugural season in March
2022, announcing eight events and a staggering $255
million in prize money.
I
want golf to grow, players to have additional opportunities,
and fans to have more fun, said LIV Golf Investments
CEO Greg Norman, a former world number one.
The
names of players who had signed up to the 54-hole,
no-cut events that feature team and individual competition
were not revealed.
The
following month six-time major winner Phil Mickelson
applied for a release from the US-based PGA Tour that
would allow him to play in the first LIV event, to
be held in June at the Centurion Club, near London.
At
that stage he had not confirmed his participation.
The
American had previously described the Saudi financial
backers of the proposed league as scary
with a horrible record on human rights
but said he was willing to deal with them in order
to gain leverage to reshape the PGA Tour.
He
subsequently apologised for his comments.
Speaking
at the Centurion Club in May 2022, Norman batted away
concerns over Saudi Arabias rights record and
the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by saying
weve all made mistakes as he defended
the LIV tour.
A
US intelligence assessment found that Saudi Arabias
de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,
approved an operation to capture or kill
critic and columnist Khashoggi.
Saudi
officials deny this and say that his murder and dismemberment
in the kingdoms Istanbul consulate in 2018 --
which sparked worldwide outrage -- was a rogue
operation.
This
whole thing about Saudi Arabia and Khashoggi and human
rights, talk about it, but also talk about the good
that the country is doing in changing its culture,
Norman said, in comments that drew criticism.
LIV
Golf announced at the beginning of the following month
that former world number one Dustin Johnson would
head the field for its first $25 million event.
Other
major winners Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel,
Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer were
also in the field.
Johnson
quit the PGA Tour days later, effectively ruling himself
out of the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy.
The
two-time major winner was crowned the inaugural LIV
Golf individual champion later in the year.
The
PGA Tour slapped a ban on 17 players competing in
the LIV Golf series just minutes after the first event
teed off on June 8.
These
players have made their choice for their own financial-based
reasons, said commissioner Monahan.
Later
in the month the DP World Tour, formerly known as
the European Tour, banned and fined its own members.
PGA
revamp Monahan announced a sweeping overhaul of the
US-based circuit later in June in a move designed
to dissuade players from defecting, including a significant
boost in prize money.
Former
US President Donald Trump urged golfers to take
the money and sign with the Saudi-backed LIV
series in July 2022.
Trump,
who hosted LIV events at two of his golf courses last
year, said in a post on his Truth Social network that
players should not hesitate to abandon the PGA Tour,
which he branded disloyal.
Stenson
loses Ryder Cup captaincy Henrik Stenson was stripped
of the captaincy of the European Ryder Cup team in
the same month, hours before it was confirmed he had
signed up to play on the LIV Golf circuit.
The
Swede said he was hugely disappointed
not to be able to maintain his role as captain for
the next Ryder Cup.
Legal
fights A group of LIV Golf players filed an anti-trust
lawsuit in August against the PGA Tour, with the LIV
series joining the action.
It
was alleged that the PGA had used a monopoly position
to restrict competition and unfairly ban those who
left for LIV Golf.
The
case was scheduled to be heard in 2024.
In
April this year the DP World Tour won a legal battle
against a group of rebel golfers who committed serious
breaches of its code of behaviour by playing
in LIV Golf events without permission.
News
LIV
Golf announces new pay-per-view option - 26th May
2023
"The
hope for LIV is to grow off the success first seen
on YouTube in 2022, where the league attracted tournament
audiences of several hundred-thousand views in the
U.S. and abroad."
Going
forward, LIV Golf Series events will be available
via a pay-per-view option on YouTube.
The
new deal was detailed by James Colgan of Golf.com.
Less
than six months after signing a media rights agreement
with the CW, LIV announced Friday that it has created
a new, pay-per-view broadcast option to run on YouTube,
Colgan reported. The PPV broadcast will cost
$3 per tournament day, LIV said in a release announcing
the decision, and will run in addition to the leagues
agreement with the CW.
Colgan
also detailed that A LIV source indicated that
the CW is aware of the decision to introduce a pay-per-view
model, and that the decision does not violate any
of the leagues preexisting broadcast agreements.
The
hope for LIV is to grow off the success first seen
on YouTube in 2022, where the league attracted tournament
audiences of several hundred-thousand views in the
U.S. and abroad. The league already has its own direct-to-consumer
subscription platform, LIV Golf Plus, which the PPV
channel will run counter to. LIV broadcasts will continue
to be streamed for free on the CW app.
This
announcement comes less than two weeks after a rather
embarrassing moment for the tour. One week before
LIVs Brooks Koepka triumphed at the PGA Championship,
the Saudi-backed golf series was in Tulsa.
On
one hand, it was a perfect showcase event for LIV.
Two of its most high-profile players, Dustin Johnson
and Cam Smith, went to a three-way playoff (along
with Branden Grace). But most of the people watching
did not get to see Johnsons eventual triumph.
The
CW, the leagues primary broadcast partner, went
away from coverage in the vast majority of its markets,
showing regularly scheduled programming.
Jim Nantz was quick to make a joke at LIVs expense
on the matter at the PGA Championship. The CW also
announced a change, saying that all events will be
shown to their conclusions going forward.
[Golf.com]
News
Golf
icon Phil Mickelsons staggering wealth after
escaping gambling hell
Golf cult hero Phil Mickelson has revealed a staggering
detail about his vast fortune after losing $50 million
to a bad habit.
Phil
Mickelson says that he has managed to shed one of
his vices, and that his net worth is nearing $1 billion
(more than $1.5b Australian dollars).
The
revelation came amid a Twitter flurry from Mickelson,
and this particular thread started with Golf Channel
analyst Eamon Lynch writing an op/ed for USA Todays
Golfweek that accused Mickelson of being a shameless
pawn for the Saudi regime after joining LIV
Golf on a deal reportedly worth about $200 million.
Lynch
and his fellow Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee
have been beating this drum for quite some time, and
recently Brooks Koepkas coach, Claude Harmon
III, ripped them for hypocrisy in working for NBC,
which aired recent Olympics from Russia and China.
I
was right (again), Mickelson responded to Lynchs
op/ed, Eamon comes to Brandels defense.
You both have an obsession with me (and LIV) that
requires professional help. Wishing you both all the
best with that.
A
parody account for disgraced former Enron CEO Jeffrey
Skilling interjected, Speaking of professional
help, how is your gambling addiction?
To
this, Mickelson responded, Havent gambled
in years. Almost a billionaire now. Thanks for asking.
Another
Twitter user didnt believe Mickelson, writing,
Gotta call bs here. This means Phil doesnt
play for money on practice rounds and casual rounds.
That is gambling.
Mickelson
acknowledged there was an asterisk.
There
is an * then. We cap it at 1k. I would argue thats
creating competition. But certainly you could argue
otherwise, Mickelson tweeted.
Last
year, Mickelson opened up about the depths of his
gambling problem.
My
gambling got to a point of being reckless and embarrassing.
I had to address it. And Ive been addressing
it for a number of years. And for hundreds of hours
of therapy. I feel good where Im at there. My
family and I are and have been financially secure
for some time, Mickelson told Sports Illustrated.
Gambling
has been part of my life ever since I can remember.
But about a decade ago is when I would say it became
reckless. Its embarrassing. I dont like
that people know.
The
fact is Ive been dealing with it for some time.
Amy has been very supportive of it and with me and
the process. Were at a place after many years
where I feel comfortable with where that is. It isnt
a threat to me or my financial security. It was just
a number of poor decisions.
Mickelsons
biographer Alan Shipnuck claimed that the golfer had
lost $40 million in a four-year stretch between 2010
and 2014.
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