The Swamp

I really am perfectly happy with the way it is. I just wish the 37th through 63rd best players in the world weren’t so friggin good.

Also, they could try to incorporate match play history into the seedings a little. Does anyone think Ian Poulter is the 61st best match play player in the world? I’m sure Vegas didn’t have it that way.

The way DJ walks bothers the shit out of me.

Pay me enough and I'll go tell him you said so in person.

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 1:50 pm Pay me enough and I'll go tell him you said so in person.

Oh are you there?

Jerloma wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:23 pm

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 1:50 pm Pay me enough and I'll go tell him you said so in person.

Oh are you there?

No, but I can be for the right price.

How about a golf Premier League? Without Tiger Woods now, you might need more of a guarantee that more star golfers are in contention every Sunday. The Saudi prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is really pumping money into sports in general, and golf in particular.

The Premier Golf League, which was promising multimillion-dollar guarantees to top-ranked golfers to break away from the PGA and European Tours, has reemerged with big offers to Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the "World Tour'' would begin in September 2022, likely forcing players to choose between the PGA Tour and the circuit that is backed by Saudi Arabia money interests.

Two agents who wished to remain anonymous confirmed to ESPN that the Premier Golf League is again courting players.

"It's still alive, and players and agents are just listening to their pitch," one agent told ESPN. "That's about it at this point. Just a lot of listening.''

According to the Telegraph story, there is plenty to consider.

The idea for a rival golf tour gained traction early in 2020, with talk of big guarantees and a team structure to create a star-driven tour that would play around the world. Originally, plans were for an 18-event schedule from January to September with 48-player fields and $10 million purses each week, with a season-ending team championship.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Phil Mickelson stands to gain $100m as a potential ring leader while others thought to have been approached include US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, and major winners such as Books Koepka, Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson.

Beats playing on the Senior Tour

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/56995973

Baloney wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 11:46 am The Daily Telegraph reported that Phil Mickelson stands to gain $100m as a potential ring leader while others thought to have been approached include US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, and major winners such as Books Koepka, Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson.

Beats playing on the Senior Tour

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/56995973

They could call it The Super League!

sancarlos wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 11:54 am

Baloney wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 11:46 am The Daily Telegraph reported that Phil Mickelson stands to gain $100m as a potential ring leader while others thought to have been approached include US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, and major winners such as Books Koepka, Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson.

Beats playing on the Senior Tour

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/56995973

They could call it The Super League!

Welcome to the Super League of Golf! It's a SLOG out there!

Don't forget about the $40m Impact Slush Fund just to reward popularity

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/56898277

A_B wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 12:19 pm

sancarlos wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 11:54 am

Baloney wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 11:46 am The Daily Telegraph reported that Phil Mickelson stands to gain $100m as a potential ring leader while others thought to have been approached include US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, and major winners such as Books Koepka, Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson.

Beats playing on the Senior Tour

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/56995973

They could call it The Super League!

Welcome to the Super League of Golf! It's a SLOG out there!

The majority of golf fans would have the exact opposite reaction. Blatant money/power grab? Cool!

The thing that is different from the ESL is that whatever they end up creating is still not going to be the most prestigious event in the sport, and can’t be. I mean, that’s the very thesis of this thread. There’s the Masters, then maybe the other majors, then everything else.

Giff wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 12:26 pm

A_B wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 12:19 pm

sancarlos wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 11:54 am

Baloney wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 11:46 am The Daily Telegraph reported that Phil Mickelson stands to gain $100m as a potential ring leader while others thought to have been approached include US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, and major winners such as Books Koepka, Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson.

Beats playing on the Senior Tour

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/56995973

They could call it The Super League!

Welcome to the Super League of Golf! It's a SLOG out there!

The majority of golf fans would have the exact opposite reaction. Blatant money/power grab? Cool!

Well put me in the minority because it's stupid. Of course Mickelson wants in, he can't compete these days the way he used to. Not saying he can't get hot and win an event, but he's not going to make $100M on course money over the duration of his career.

Yeah, same.

These guys are going to ditch playing at Augusta? The other majors?

If you've read any bios of golfers, they are almost insanely focused on total numbers of wins on the tour, participating in the majors, their legacy, etc. The guys at the top are all doing just fine with their endorsements.

I just don't see a pure money grab as being enough incentive to rip apart the sport.

Other thing... What would this do to Ryder Cup eligibility?

Rex wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 12:38 pm The thing that is different from the ESL is that whatever they end up creating is still not going to be the most prestigious event in the sport, and can’t be. I mean, that’s the very thesis of this thread. There’s the Masters, then maybe the other majors, then everything else.

Sorry, I got distracted and didn't see this.

What you said.

So Phil is Arsenal?

mister d wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 12:51 pm So Phil is Arsenal?

More likely Madrid. You know a chunk of this payment is going to a usurious bookie.

The Masters is an invitational, these guys will probably still get invited. The PGA Tour in fact might have to make a stand and cut ties with Augusta if this is the case. Obviously these renegades would not play the PGA Chsmpionship or the Players or US Open or British Open. Not the Ryder cup either that is also run by the associations. Again, the tours would have to apply some pressure.

If you were Augusta? What would you do?

I mean... It's an invitational with a shitload of very public criteria, almost all of which are tied to PGA sanctioned events and rankings. It's not like they look at big list and choose their favorites every year.

You either win certain PGA tournaments or you're in the top 50 in the world rankings, which is a system built entirely around the international PGA federations... Fat fucking chance they'd be brought into that.

So... Masters could very easily STICK TO TRADITION and tell those guys who join this new league to pound sand.

This is tournament started by a very famous amateur which is why they remain such a big part of the proceedings. They're famously backward looking and thinking. They wouldn't let TV shoot the front 9 for decades. They control the flow of commercials during the broadcast.

They aren't fucking with some Saudi prince's bullshit money grab.

ETA - Just to be clear, they don't need the money. Not just because they're all rich and the club is rich, but because they historically have told just about everyone to stuff it when told they "had to change." It took decades to allow blacks on the course, same with women. I know you know this, but it's just another part of their tradition not to bend to outsiders or be pressured into anything.

A_B wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 12:39 pmOf course Mickelson wants in, he can't compete these days the way he used to. Not saying he can't get hot and win an event, but he's not going to make $100M on course money over the duration of his career.

What kind of sorcery is this?

Augusta National is going to give zero fucks about this. Nobody is going to tell them how and when to run their tournament because it is the best tournament in the world. They could care less about what the top players do for the rest of the year because anyone they invite to the Masters will be there.

Likewise, the R&A and the USGA will know that their opens are much higher on the pecking order than anything the Saudis can come up with, so they won’t care either.

Perhaps there is money to be made from streamlining the rest of the calendar and making it more global, but I think the starting point for this tour is that it will be running the fourth biggest golf competition in the world, at best.

Big on the sunshine tour?

(Or did you mean the lpga. I could get that)

Rex wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 5:12 pm Augusta National is going to give zero fucks about this. Nobody is going to tell them how and when to run their tournament because it is the best tournament in the world. They could care less about what the top players do for the rest of the year because anyone they invite to the Masters will be there.

Likewise, the R&A and the USGA will know that their opens are much higher on the pecking order than anything the Saudis can come up with, so they won’t care either.

Perhaps there is money to be made from streamlining the rest of the calendar and making it more global, but I think the starting point for this tour is that it will be running the fourth biggest golf competition in the world, at best.

That may be true but the R&A and the USGA shouldn't assume that such a Tour could never get big. They should get out in front and put a plug in it now and ban anyone going to this tour like what FIFA did. You don't want to be left holding the bag 5-10 years from now if this explodes.

OPEN championships. Come on.

The majors are least affected by this.

A_B wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 12:39 pm

Giff wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 12:26 pm

A_B wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 12:19 pm

sancarlos wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 11:54 am

Baloney wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 11:46 am The Daily Telegraph reported that Phil Mickelson stands to gain $100m as a potential ring leader while others thought to have been approached include US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, and major winners such as Books Koepka, Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson.

Beats playing on the Senior Tour

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/56995973

They could call it The Super League!

Welcome to the Super League of Golf! It's a SLOG out there!

The majority of golf fans would have the exact opposite reaction. Blatant money/power grab? Cool!

Well put me in the minority because it's stupid. Of course Mickelson wants in, he can't compete these days the way he used to. Not saying he can't get hot and win an event, but he's not going to make $100M on course money over the duration of his career.

It's super stupid. Why the fuck would I give a shit about this?

Oh Bryson. Shot 70-74 the first two rounds (+2) and thought he missed the cut. Flew home to Dallas only to find out he made the cut on the number. Tough Friday afternoon conditions knocked a lot of guys out. He flies back to Charlotte in the middle of the night for an 8:00am Saturday morning tee time. Shoots 68-68 and will probably finish T10.

Why am I not surprised he lives in Dallas?

Giff wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 10:22 am Why am I not surprised he lives in Dallas?

Well, he went to SMU

Even thought TIL that, still not surprising.

What do they mean when they call someone a great ball striker, as if that's something not inclusive of anyone on the PGA tour? Isn't there a relatively direct correlation between ball striking and scoring well?

Jerloma wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 4:02 pm What do they mean when they call someone a great ball striker, as if that's something not inclusive of anyone on the PGA tour? Isn't there a relatively direct correlation between ball striking and scoring well?

It usually means they are a streaky putter. So guys who hit a lot of fairways and greens, but generally doesn’t score as well as you would think.

J-lo missing subtext related to someone getting it in the hole? Inconceivable!

LOL. Jon Rahm costs himself $1.7MM by not getting vaccinated.

mister d wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 8:37 pm LOL. Jon Rahm costs himself $1.7MM by not getting vaccinated.

I’m struggling with this. If they knew he tested positive while on course shouldn’t they have removed him immediately?

A_B wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 8:46 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 8:37 pm LOL. Jon Rahm costs himself $1.7MM by not getting vaccinated.

I’m struggling with this. If they knew he tested positive while on course shouldn’t they have removed him immediately?

The way I read the story they needed to verify the original test by re-testing the sample which they did but that was immediately as his third round ended.

brian wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 9:02 pm

A_B wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 8:46 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 8:37 pm LOL. Jon Rahm costs himself $1.7MM by not getting vaccinated.

I’m struggling with this. If they knew he tested positive while on course shouldn’t they have removed him immediately?

The way I read the story they needed to verify the original test by re-testing the sample which they did but that was immediately as his third round ended.

I guess I missed that. What I saw was they got result when he had just made turn. I guess I can see rechecking to make sure. But shit did they have to tell him as he walked off 18?

And I guess when he got notified of close contact he got his first vaccine dose at the tournament site? Just a mess.

A_B wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 10:37 pmBut shit did they have to tell him as he walked off 18?

I think it was great. Maybe it didn't change anyone anywhere's mind, but I'd be more certain no one who had an appointment saw that moment and cancelled.