LIV Tour Discussion Thread (*** NO POLITICS ***)

[TiScape]

19 hours ago, bscinstnct said:

 

I haven’t had subway since

 

🤔

 

2008!

 

I remember I got some for lunch and was like, “this isn’t food” 🤣

U ain’t wrong!! Haha 

[johnseg]

4 minutes ago, TiScape said:

U ain’t wrong!! Haha 

[Danielson]

3 hours ago, WesternRacing said:

 

And therein you proved my point. We know who the best are by their performance in the Majors.  So why not have a separate ranking system that just uses the Majors?  Maybe a subset of the OWGR called OWGR Majors?  I bet that the top 15 in that list versus the broader OWGR would give a more accurate picture.

 

Again, what is the point? The only point of the rankings now is to determine who gets into majors. If your ranking is only performance in the majors, what do we use that for? 

[WesternRacing]

4 hours ago, Danielson said:

 

Again, what is the point? The only point of the rankings now is to determine who gets into majors. If your ranking is only performance in the majors, what do we use that for? 

 

To get a better ranking of the top players in the world.  While the point of OWGR is to determine eligibility for events, fans constantly reference it as a ranking of the top players in the world.  My point is that it’s not great at that last part and a ranking based solely on the Majors would be more informative if one really wants to see a rank order of the best players in the world.

[billyspan]

12 minutes ago, WesternRacing said:

 

To get a better ranking of the top players in the world.  While the point of OWGR is to determine eligibility for events, fans constantly reference it as a ranking of the top players in the world.  My point is that it’s not great at that last part and a ranking based solely on the Majors would be more informative if one really wants to see a rank order of the best players in the world.

I, for one, would love to see this data point!   🙂

[billyspan]

On 7/21/2025 at 1:59 PM, bscinstnct said:

Here are the top US Open finishers.

 

You really think OWGR should be based on just 4 events?

 

 

 

Now do the other 3 and see who is in that top 20.  Genuinely curious.  The majors and players are a different test than everything else IMO.

[mosesgolf]

Gotta hand it to some of the LIV boys like Terrell, Rahm, and especially Bryson. They show up at majors.  They should also be included in Ryder Cups.  

[billyspan]

On 7/21/2025 at 11:42 AM, WesternRacing said:

Golf is about the Majors and The Players.  Everything else is just a traveling corporate marketing tent show filling time between the majors.  IMO, OWGR should just be based on performance in those five events.  And if you can’t qualify for them, you shouldn’t be in the ‘world ranking’ conversation anyway.

I'm a bit of a sucker for courses and history.  I make it a point to watch The Majors, Players, Kapalua, Los Angeles, Canadian Open, Scottish Open, Irish Open, British PGA, Spanish Open and Australian Open.  I don't really care about the purse size or even the field strength...

[Dutch1008]

52 minutes ago, WesternRacing said:

To get a better ranking of the top players in the world.  While the point of OWGR is to determine eligibility for events, fans constantly reference it as a ranking of the top players in the world.  My point is that it’s not great at that last part and a ranking based solely on the Majors would be more informative if one really wants to see a rank order of the best players in the world.

 

Well for $20/month you can build a custom querie on datagolf and do exactly that. The world is your oyster. 

[Holy Moses]

37 minutes ago, mosesgolf said:

Gotta hand it to some of the LIV boys like Terrell, Rahm, and especially Bryson. They show up at majors.  They should also be included in Ryder Cups.  

They will be

[Frankensteins Monster]

A man of the people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMapFw6sfXL/

Edited July 22 by Frankensteins Monster

[CDM]

On 7/21/2025 at 9:02 AM, betarhoalphadelta said:

 

Page 143...

 

 

That's the 2025 handbook BTW. Similar/identical language to what I remember from a couple years ago when it was discussed in these LIV threads.

 

So basically anything that's not wholly instructional, which one would think would be the case of most golf-related programming on YouTube (with the exception of things like Paddy's Golf Tips), require the PGA Tour's written consent. The PGA Tour may not in all cases require the player to pay a "right's fee" to get said consent, but as we know with The Match if Phil is to be believed, it's a right they've exercised in the past.  

100% fact..  PGAT will get a cut ine way or another.  

 

Edit: just nit Phil, Tigwr and Phil each paid the PGAT 1 million apiece to just play in the fist match.

Edited July 23 by CDM

[StoutKing]

47 minutes ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

A man of the people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMapFw6sfXL/

He's just awkward

[jdl]

9 hours ago, WesternRacing said:

 

You don’t need 60+ events, particularly when many of them are weakened fields, to determine who the best players in the world are at a point in time.  It’s patently obvious just looking at a player’s performance in the majors over the past 12-36 months.

Actually, you do need as much data as possible. 

 

If accuracy is a criteria.

[Hawkeye77]

19 minutes ago, StoutKing said:

He's just awkward

 

It's really what he says after the guy moves that is the reveal - guy helps him locate the ball, and it's a snide comment literally behind the guy's back about the guy standing right in front of "me" when there was nothing Bryson needed to be doing or did do at that moment.  No reason not to be nice to the guy, no reason to be dismissive, no reason to be a jerk.

[bcjim]

47 minutes ago, CDM said:

100% fact..  PGAT will get a cut ine way or another.  

 

Edit: just nit Phil, Tigwr and Phil each paid the PGAT 1 million apiece to just play in the fist match.

The promoter of the event paid the $1M apiece. Directly or indirectly.  And this is exactly how you build a strong operation for your entire membership. You leverage your stars in events like this that greatly benefits the stars individually and the organization as a whole. If a major part of the tour income is media rights (and it is, to be sure) you have to protect those media rights. You can't charge NBC a billion dollars and at the same time give away content to producers of things like the match so they can sell it with much less skin in the game.

Business 101.

[Frankensteins Monster]

1 hour ago, StoutKing said:

He's just awkward

He’s a douchebag. Always has been. Always will be. His fake persona rivals that of deadbeat Phil.

[Dutch1008]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye77 said:

It's really what he says after the guy moves that is the reveal - guy helps him locate the ball, and it's a snide comment literally behind the guy's back about the guy standing right in front of "me" when there was nothing Bryson needed to be doing or did do at that moment.  No reason not to be nice to the guy, no reason to be dismissive, no reason to be a jerk.

 

Bryson hasn't changed, only his public perception. 

[CDM]

2 hours ago, bcjim said:

The promoter of the event paid the $1M apiece. Directly or indirectly.  And this is exactly how you build a strong operation for your entire membership. You leverage your stars in events like this that greatly benefits the stars individually and the organization as a whole. If a major part of the tour income is media rights (and it is, to be sure) you have to protect those media rights. You can't charge NBC a billion dollars and at the same time give away content to producers of things like the match so they can sell it with much less skin in the game.

Business 101.

 

100% none of money went to the players.  It was bonuses to the brass guaranteed.

 

It was not planned on the books for revenue that year and when it came up the PGAT evoked the clause.  It was Beman who did it, not Jay. Who paid it is irrelevant... they used them to line pockets via a contract that was shady for even then.

 

It also coincided when Tiger called a "meeting" with Beman about that aspect plus the Nike adds he did as the PGAT  wanted Nike to pay the PGAT to allow Tiger to do them.  

 

30 years later and nothing has changed technically in the contract 

Edited July 23 by CDM

[Shilgy]

On 7/21/2025 at 11:37 AM, SnowbirdTom said:

Dunno what. the fascination is with Data Golf.  

Agreed…any ranking that currently has Rahm at #3 is very suspect.

 

You can’t just compare course to course and claim they can rank LIV.  Definitely do not have as difficult tourney course setups as PGA Tour.  Which might go a long way to explaining why most have struggled in majors.  Well…that and apathy.

[Shilgy]

14 hours ago, WesternRacing said:

 

You don’t need 60+ events, particularly when many of them are weakened fields, to determine who the best players in the world are at a point in time.  It’s patently obvious just looking at a player’s performance in the majors over the past 12-36 months.

So Cam Smith is still a top 10 player because he had a 4th in the 2023 US Open? Or maybe Detry would be because he had a t4 at the 2024 PGA?
 

And talk about a closed shop!  If they only ranking was for your 5 events the guys that play in them would be the same field for the next 40 years.  No one else would ever have a way to get into the events.  

[Dave230]

7 hours ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

A man of the people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMapFw6sfXL/

I hate that sort of attitude, comes across really badly. Spotters do god’s work at an Open, if there were none/no fans, bombers like Bryson would lose 5 balls a week.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

11 hours ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

A man of the people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMapFw6sfXL/

Thanks for posting. Just reconfirms why I can't stand this fake. Amazing how many gullible people exist that think otherwise. 

[Hawkeye77]

8 hours ago, CDM said:

 

100% none of money went to the players.  It was bonuses to the brass guaranteed.

 

It was not planned on the books for revenue that year and when it came up the PGAT evoked the clause.  It was Beman who did it, not Jay. Who paid it is irrelevant... they used them to line pockets via a contract that was shady for even then.

 

It also coincided when Tiger called a "meeting" with Beman about that aspect plus the Nike adds he did as the PGAT  wanted Nike to pay the PGAT to allow Tiger to do them.  

 

30 years later and nothing has changed technically in the contract 

Beman retired after the '95 season - Tiger's issues I believe were raised with Finchem?

 

It was a hot issue sometime after '96.  https://www.espn.com/golfonline/tours/s/2000/1109/867622.html

Edited July 23 by Hawkeye77

[smashdn]

15 hours ago, WesternRacing said:

 

To get a better ranking of the top players in the world.  While the point of OWGR is to determine eligibility for events, fans constantly reference it as a ranking of the top players in the world.  My point is that it’s not great at that last part and a ranking based solely on the Majors would be more informative if one really wants to see a rank order of the best players in the world.

 

Data gets more accurate/representative with more points.

 

If you use the OWGR ranking method with just majors you would look at it currently and see JJ Spaun pretty daggone high on the list.  God bless JJ Spaun, but I believe if that list existed as you want to see it, it would have him much higher ranked by virtue of his US Open win than what is likely true.  Same for Robert Macintyre.  He put up a 2 and a T7 in the last two majors.  In those two most recent ones he has a better record than Rory.

[jdl]

 

[bscinstnct]

8 minutes ago, jdl said:

 

 

“The good guys are winning, in other words.

 

Why is LIV the bad guy? Because it fractured golf for the sole purpose of enriching already wealthy golfers who were willing to sell out.“

 

 

Edited July 23 by bscinstnct

[cassel191919]

18 hours ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

A man of the people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMapFw6sfXL/

Must have missed the camera and forgot to turn on the acting.

[Holy Moses]

33 minutes ago, bscinstnct said:

 

“The good guys are winning, in other words.

 

Why is LIV the bad guy? Because it fractured golf for the sole purpose of enriching already wealthy golfers who were willing to sell out.“

 

 

He had me until this: “Not saying that I wouldn’t have taken the money, were I in their spikes.” It takes two to tango and LIV/PIF and the LIV players are all at fault. 

[chisag]

On 7/21/2025 at 1:36 PM, smashdn said:

I'll point out that LIV golfers have been competing in the majors.  So, like it or not, you sort of have to care, even just a little, when they are in contention.

 

 

... But we don't. We really don't. Kinda like getting a bread basket with dinner. We don't have to eat it or pay any attention to it, even though it is there and ostensibly a part of the meal, it is easily ignored.