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LIV Golf is a blessing. It’s entertaining and gamers have a proper to play anyplace they want. It was a essential challenger to a PGA Tour that has monopolized the sport and is run by a dictator.
LIV Golf is nothing greater than an exhibition with washed up gamers and those that won’t ever succeed on the Tour, all of whom are searching for a cash seize and not wish to compete in opposition to the perfect. To not point out it’s being utilized by Saudi Arabia as a type of “sportswashing” its horrific human rights historical past.
We’re three occasions into this new enterprise headed by Greg Norman and one factor we all know: LIV Golf is as polarizing as something we ever have seen in sports activities.
You both find it irresistible or hate it. There isn’t a center. Not in contrast to the course this nation has gone within the final decade. We’ve grow to be two Americas: Proper and Left. Purple and Blue. Conspiracy theorists and realists.
Who’s subsequent to leap?:Hypothesis facilities on Cameron Smith, three former Masters champions leaping to LIV Golf; What about Rickie Fowler?
Unique Q&A:Greg Norman’s imaginative and prescient for LIV Golf, PGA Tour gamers creating ‘firestorm of controversy,’ and extra
And LIV has seized the chance to leap into the political divide. Simply have a look at its final occasion, held at Donald Trump’s membership in Bedminster, N.J. The week become a mini Republican Conference with Trump main the circus and making the week all about him.
LIV seems to be right here to remain — Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund is just not going bankrupt. They’ve 5 occasions remaining this 12 months, culminating with a $50 million purse at Trump’s property in Doral in October.
Norman informed The Palm Seashore Put up the sector of 48 — which will likely be divided into 12 groups — is about for subsequent 12 months, when LIV rebrands itself because the LIV Golf League. LIV’s plan is to promote the groups with every being run as an unbiased enterprise.
And extra defections are coming. Rumors proceed to swirl round Open champion Cameron Smith in addition to Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott. Some, might be a part of earlier than the following LIV occasion to be performed exterior of Boston on Labor Day Weekend.
Following is a sampling of the response The Put up has obtained from its protection of this startup league (letters have been edited for content material):
LIV unfit of protection
Samuel Ray Henry doesn’t consider LIV is worthy of area within the sports activities pages and believes the league will meet its demise quickly. He questioned The Put up protecting the LIV occasion exterior of Portland, Ore., at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Membership.
“Unsure why you set LIV golf on web page certainly one of your sports activities web page,” he wrote. “I noticed nothing or no certainly one of curiosity within the article at Pumpkin Patch. Most honest golf followers actually might care much less about LIV golf. They offered out conventional good golf competitors for ‘filthy lucre.’ They don’t care what occurs subsequent to themselves or the PGA tour.
“I actually can not see any legitimate motive a professional golfer would defect to this league or any journalist writing about them or their tournaments. I see the entire LIV petering out in two years.”
Henry agrees with the choice made by Martin Slumbers, chief govt of R&A golf at St. Andrews, to shut out Norman from occasions main as much as the Open. Additionally, Slumbers’ opinion that LIV “is just not the perfect long-term pursuits of the game as an entire and is fully pushed by cash. We consider it undermines the merit-based tradition and the spirit of open competitors that makes golf so particular.”
Kevin Biddle needs harder questions requested of Norman like: “What enterprise mannequin permits you to spend over half a billion {dollars} to accumulate staff? The place’s the return on funding? What his concepts are for coexisting with the Tour?”
Mike Baker want to ask Norman: “After watching the Open and watching the golfers drive 6 or 7 par 4’s, do you suppose the LIV golf tour will lastly step up and begin limiting the golf ball? Clearly the PGA Tour doesn’t have the spine to do that.”
John McAuley of Jupiter predicted the lawsuit that was filed by gamers not allowed on the PGA Tour. Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau are amongst 11 LIV golfers suing to problem their PGA Tour suspensions.
“When you get the Justice Dept. concerned, it does not bode effectively,” he wrote. “However even when the courts say these gamers can’t be banned from PGA tournaments, these gamers will in all probability not be welcomed again by those that stayed with the PGA and be handled as outcasts.”
Robert Shea is just not excited by studying something about LIV. As an alternative, he needs extra protection of the Honda Basic, which is held in February at PGA Nationwide in Palm Seashore Gardens.
“The story ought to help the native PGA match and never the soiled, soulless cash seize,” he wrote.
Followers will profit from LIV
In the meantime, Sam Chester of Naples doesn’t agree with the time period “cash seize” to explain gamers who defected to LIV.
“They aren’t staff of the Tour and as unbiased contractors made their selection. For those who have been supplied a place as press director for LIV for $4,000,000 per 12 months plus all bills paid, chances are you’ll probably settle for it in a heartbeat. Would that be a ‘money-grab’ in your half? … Golf is a recreation, a sport, not a life or dying matter. There’s loads of $ for everybody and the thousands and thousands of golf followers, like myself, can solely profit from the elevated competitions.”
Peter Degen believes “the PGA and LPGA will evaporate. Cash will rule and the gamers will all seize the Saudi cash.” He believes the rise of LIV is said to “the disintegration of the USA because the eminent chief of the World.”
Mike Boyd is just not pleased that gamers like Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy have spoken out in opposition to LIV Golf. Thomas stated any lawsuit by LIV gamers in opposition to the PGA Tour is an assault in opposition to each participant at present on the Tour.
“Why can’t gamers play on a number of excursions? Does anybody query when JT backs out of a match or Rory takes a month off from the tour?” Boyd wrote. “I imply if the PGA and gamers are going to stay their chests out let’s maintain these gamers accountable and demand they play ALL the PGA occasions and if that’s too exhausting then possibly the PGA ought to have much less occasions!! Oh yeah that may by no means occur as a result of it’s going to price them means an excessive amount of cash!!!”
Frederick Moore agrees with Trump, who’s urging Tour gamers to defect and predicts a merger is coming between LIV and the PGA Tour.
“Trump is spot on when he stated that there will likely be an eventual merger. LIV just lately added Howell, Kokrak and announcer D. Feherty, who has an enormous golf following. Even Henrik Stenson gave up his Ryder Cup captaincy to affix! As Trump stated, it’s solely a matter of time earlier than the merger.”
Gary Weiss believes each golfer has a proper to play anyplace they need, however they need to settle for penalties.
“I harbor no sick will for these struggling professionals who, in any other case, usually are not able to incomes a residing on any of the ‘standard’ excursions,” he wrote. “And, for many who are already multi-millionaires and know that they will not compete they, too, have a proper to promote their souls to the satan for some hefty ‘look charges’ and the hope that they will beat some beginner ‘wannabe’ and choose up a $4,000,000 test or two.
“However, in return, they have to all be stripped of PGA/USGA/DP memberships. Forfeit any pension cash accrued. … They are going to have chosen their lot in life and plenty of, if not all, will profit handsomely. I want them nothing however heartache on account of their choices, I hope the checks bounce … although unlikely.”
Tom D’Angelo is a journalist on the Palm Seashore Put up. You’ll be able to attain him at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
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