Not seen anyone discussing this. Not a big golf fan/follower, but was pretty shocked to see the LIV merger announcement today, after everything that's previously been said/done by PGA & DP. Impression I get is this doesn't have too much to do with the players, but is huge evidence that Saudi have finally succeeded in buying the sport, and more sports washing on a global scale. I'm sure there are far more informed golf enthusiasts out there though, who could provide a different angle. What's the verdict among you lot?
Well that's a shock. I was anti LIV but never saw the fall out as good versus evil. Golf sold its soul to the devil many years ago and this was all about a struggle for money. I stopped watching golf, which is a sport I love, over 15 years ago when I got shut of Sky. It was a circus then. Most of the great courses in the world had been sidelined in terms of hosting big tournaments as they were too small, short to accommodate the big hitting drivers. It's still a wonderful game steeped in fabulous courses and dripping with history and most of those courses are available for Joe Bloggs to play. For me there'll just be an even bigger disconnect between amateur and professional golf. My complete distaste for everything the Gulf states continue to debase and vulgarise grows even more. They tarnish everything they touch.
Money talks mate as in all sports and Saudis seem to get what they want eventually since they have the most brass. On a positive however it means we will get to see all the top golfers competing against each other regularly again.
The way this has been done has absolutely shocked me. No player engagement, after the last 12 months of those players standing up against LIV and Sportswashing will no doubt leave a very sour taste for the likes of Rory, Tiger, Rahm etc who all turned down huge offers. This isn't the end of this tale and it wouldn't surprise me if those elite players break away and create another Tour, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Open & US Open follow them. This would be a PR disaster for them to be linked to LIV in any way.
I don’t think anyone expected this merger even though discussions must have been taking place for a while. We’ve got to accept that all top global sports are and will be affected by money and internal politics. It’s not good ethically but at least we’ll get to see all the top players in direct competition. I like watching top class football and golf and even darts … and it makes sense to see the best competitors all in one family.
Have to wonder if Rory’s approach recently if not wanting to discuss it any more was because he knew this was in pipeline or discussions at least. Until recently he was very vocal
Think those on both tours who didn’t take the LIV money will feel they’ve been stabbed in the back . I don’t know how Jay Monaghan CEO of PGA dare come out in public after his comments about 9/11 families and not betraying them by taking Saudi money
Given everything that's been said & done, I'm sceptical that literally none of the top players knew what was going on. Like you say, looking back now, the top voices do seem to have gone quiet. Coincidence or not, dunno. I'm sure I'm massively oversimplifying - and may even be just plain wrong - but it seems very much to me like the PGA/DP have crumbled, under the weight of 'well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'. Which obviously makes an absolute mockery of everything that they've said from Day 1. If I was a player, who stood my ground and refused huge blood money on principle, I wouldn't be happy right now.
There might have been the odd few top players that knew but judging from some of the reports coming out about the meeting Monihan had with the players at the Canadian Open on Sunday most knew nothing and there were calls for his resignation
see if we can get him on loan to replace Anderson as he cant get a game for them have you sen size of him
Talksport ( Rupert Bell ) has just stated that Greg Norman wasn’t even aware of what was happening. PGA , Liv and DP tours will be merged to form a World tour so Norman, as a figurehead/diplomat may not be needed any more
That wouldn't surprise me either. Norman was just the mouthpiece at the end of the day. He rattled the right cages and was completely immovable. Done his job. Completely expendable to the Saudis I would imagine.
I don't think there is one, is there? Golf is already a collective noun, so a plural isn't applicable. I think. You would only ever use an apostrophe and say 'golf's', e.g. "Golf's bigwigs have just completely sold out the game to Saudi murderers". I think.
