Golf (yeah, golf)

[Vrede too]

The more these guys speak the more contempt I feel for them.

More LIV golfers destroy their reputations as they sports wash for MBS

With all the money the Saudis have and that the whole point is sportswashing, you would think they'd invest in PR coaching or at least emailing out talking points.

I think athletes have as much right to an opinion as anybody else, and it's often good if they use their notoriety to widen their effect. But do these reporters ask a player at a PGA event for comments on world events or whether they think Trump's immigration policy is cruel? Do they ask players at a PGA event to criticise the tour sponsors? Does the PGA or other sports league expect their athletes to use the mandatory media time to espouse world peace or decry the Supreme Court's abortion decisions? Seriously, what do they expect these guys to say? "The sponsor of this event, who is paying me millions to be here, is an international criminal who eats more babies than Hillary?"

I think the reporters' questions reflect the success of the anti-Saudi movement, and I'm okay with that. It's even a topic for us when we rarely post about golf otherwise. Idk about TRE45ON's immigration policy, but players have gotten griefed for playing with him or on his courses, and the pro orgs had mostly withdrawn their tourneys even before LIV.

If you were a golf reporter wouldn't you be desperate to write about anything other than the dogleg and green on hole 13, and rehashed player platitudes, anything at all?

See my words above about PR, or the players could just leave it at the honesty of: "The sponsor of this event is paying me millions to be here." The reason they respond is because they're feeling the public pressure and/or guilt, and I'm okay with that.

[O Really]

If you were a golf reporter wouldn't you be desperate to write about anything other than the dogleg and green on hole 13, and rehashed player platitudes, anything at all?

I might like to ask how in hell did Ricky Fowler get to go out with, much less marry ...

[Vrede too]

If you were a golf reporter wouldn't you be desperate to write about anything other than the dogleg and green on hole 13, and rehashed player platitudes, anything at all?

I might like to ask how in hell did Ricky Fowler get to go out with, much less marry ...

Well sure ...



... but there are limits to even that.

Everyone was asked about Augusta National's sexism until the policy changed.
2002 membership controversy
Before that, I remember racist courses being panned.

[GoCubsGo]

If you were a golf reporter wouldn't you be desperate to write about anything other than the dogleg and green on hole 13, and rehashed player platitudes, anything at all?

I might like to ask how in hell did Ricky Fowler get to go out with, much less marry ...

Whaaaaaat!!!??

GTFO!

[GoCubsGo]

We sold our souls by taking the money and running, now we want to have our cake and eat it too.

Took less time than I figured.

Bunch of entitled assholes.

Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau among 11 LIV Golf Invitational Series players filing lawsuit against PGA Tour

[Vrede too]

We sold our souls by taking the money and running, now we want to have our cake and eat it too.

Took less time than I figured.

Bunch of entitled assholes.

Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau among 11 LIV Golf Invitational Series players filing lawsuit against PGA Tour

This confuses me. Judge Vrede would rule that the private entity PGA can set any rules for entrants it wants, barring discrimination based on protected categories like race, age, etc. Maybe Phil and gang will have a case if they all convert to Islam.

I'm annoyed that the court is now going to have to pay for translating the plaintiffs' lawyers' statements from Arabic into English.

[O Really]

Womens' tour played today at Muirfield Scotland, beside the Firth of Forth. South African player was up 5 at the start of the round. South Korean caught up and it was tied after 18. Took 4 playoff holes to settle, with lots of good and some sorry shots. South African player managed to pull it off, though after South Korean chunked a putt.

Good golf, great scenery from the course, no Saudi drama.

[Vrede too]

Womens' tour played today at Muirfield Scotland, beside the Firth of Forth. South African player was up 5 at the start of the round. South Korean caught up and it was tied after 18. Took 4 playoff holes to settle, with lots of good and some sorry shots. South African player managed to pull it off, though after South Korean chunked a putt.

Good golf, great scenery from the course, no Saudi drama.

Sounds wild.

It's hard to golf in a burqa.

[GoCubsGo]

Not a huge golf fan these days, but yuck.

I cannot recall a Master's being played under such horrible conditions.

Even the galleries are mostly empty and the players look pretty miserable.

[O Really]

And a LIV guy leading, too.

[Vrede too]

And a LIV guy leading, too.

Current leader, Jon Rahm thru 12, -10, non-LIV
Phil Mickelson finished, -8, LIV
3 at -7
https://www.espn.com/golf/leaderboard

GoRahmGo

Edit:
Jon Rahm thru 16, -12
Brooks Koepka thru 16, -9, LIV
Phil Mickelson finished, -8

Edit:
Jon Rahm by 4!

FU LIV.

Judge pushes trial date for LIV suit vs. PGA back several months

A federal judge on Friday vacated the scheduled trial date for LIV Golf's federal antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour and indicated it might not start until May 2024 at the earliest, as the sides continue to work through discovery disputes involving Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and the fund's governor....

[GoCubsGo]

Phew emoji.

[O Really]

This is going to get fun! PGA, Euro Tour and LIV reach merger agreement.

https://www.espn.com.au/golf/story/_/id ... nce-merger

Lotta people who were just mad at LIV because they were Saudi are going to be very foul at this.

[Vrede too]

This is going to get fun! PGA, Euro Tour and LIV reach merger agreement.

https://www.espn.com.au/golf/story/_/id ... nce-merger

Lotta people who were just mad at LIV because they were Saudi are going to be very foul at this.

Dolt .45 will be pleased.

Note: I switched from the Australian ESPN edition to the US one. The article may be exactly the same.

PGA Tour, LIV Golf, DP World Tour unify 'under one umbrella'

... Another PGA Tour member reached by ESPN on Tuesday, questioned why the merger needed to happen when, in his opinion, the PGA Tour was beating the LIV Golf League on the course and in the courts.

"It's insanity," the PGA Tour player said. "The LIV tour was dead in the water. It wasn't working. Now, you're throwing them a life jacket? Is the moral of the story to just always take the money?"

... Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, will join the policy board of the PGA Tour, which continues to operate its tournaments. Al-Rumayyan will be chairman of the new commercial group, with Monahan as the CEO and the PGA Tour having a majority stake in the new venture. The (Saudi) PIF will invest in the commercial venture....

The PIF had dumped more than $2 billion into the LIV Golf enterprise, which critics have claimed is a form of sportswashing to repair the Saudi Arabian monarchy's history of human rights violations....

Golf world reacts to PGA Tour-LIV merger

... The deal's announcement caught players by surprise. One PGA Tour player, reached by ESPN on Tuesday, said: "No f---ing way." ...


(Canadian Professional Golfer & Kent State Alum)

Tweets:

It’s not good for the game of golf.

Talk about a swift kick to the shorts.

Insulting turn of events for the many top players who showed loyalty.

Hey man… there are more important things in life than golf. Like money.
- The PGA, probably

Revolt

On the bright side, you are now a spokesperson for a despotic regime!

I thought it was a hoax when I first saw it this morning.

Sorry man
This is heartbreaking for us fans
I can only imagine how you guys feel

[GoCubsGo]

Guess blood money is green.

Fuck golf.

[O Really]

The guys who got offered big bucks to join LIV and stayed loyal to PGA must feel totally betrayed - literally sold down the river. It's been a long while since corporations were generally loyal to their people, though, so one could argue the players' loyalty was misplaced and it's their own fault they were screwed.

[Vrede too]

Dolt .45 will be pleased....

When I'm right, I'm right.

The guys who got offered big bucks to join LIV and stayed loyal to PGA must feel totally betrayed - literally sold down the river. It's been a long while since corporations were generally loyal to their people, though, so one could argue the players' loyalty was misplaced and it's their own fault they were screwed.

When you're right, you're right. Have you got a side hustle going with TRE45QN?

The Trump Family Praises the PGA and LIV Merger

The Trump family, which has been the host of LIV tournaments in the United States and a big booster of the series’ efforts to break away from the PGA Tour, expects to continue to see tournaments played at its golf courses once the merger is complete....

The LIV series has been a boon for the Trump family, which lost major tournaments after the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the capitol, including one of golf’s four majors, the 2022 PGA Championship....

Last July, just before the first LIV tournament was played at Trump National Bedminster, Trump predicted that the series would ultimately merge and suggested that players that stayed loyal to the PGA Tour were making a financial mistake.

“All of those that remain ‘loyal’ to the very disloyal PGA, in all its different forms, will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and you will get nothing but a big ‘thank you’ from PGA officials who are making Millions of Dollars a year,” Trump wrote in July 2022 on Truth Social. “If you don’t take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place, and only say how smart the original signees were.” ...

When he's right, he's right.

[Vrede too]

Guess blood money is green.

Fuck golf.

This stain won't wash off. It's pretty bad when something is too offensive and unethical for the former chair of monopolistic, nuclear weapons contracting AT&T.

Stephenson resigns from PGA Tour board over 'serious concerns' about Saudi deal, according to report

Former AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson resigned from the PGA Tour's policy board over concerns about the tour's proposed partnership with Saudi Arabia's national wealth fund, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

... The Post said it obtained a copy of his letter that was dated Saturday and said the tour's framework agreement with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund “is not one that I can objectively evaluate or in good conscience support, particularly in light of the U.S. intelligence report concerning Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.”

... PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan stunned every corner of the golf world — including his own membership — when he announced on June 6 a partnership with the PIF, which had paid for the rival league LIV Golf and was part of antitrust lawsuits.

The agreement, which still requires PGA Tour board approval and is being looked at by the Justice Department, would create a for-profit company in which the PIF, the PGA Tour and the European tour would pool their commercial business and media rights....

“I joined this board 12 years ago to serve the best players in the world and to expand the virtues of sportsmanship instilled through the game of golf,” Stephenson said in his letter. "I hope, as this board moves forward, it will comprehensively rethink its governance model and keep its options open to evaluate alternative sources of capital beyond the current framework agreement.”

The 10-member PGA Tour board consists of five players and five independent directors. Two of them are board chairman Ed Herlihy and Jimmy Dunne, who joined Monahan in negotiating the deal over seven weeks with Al-Rumayyan.

... The resignation comes three days before Dunne and Ron Price, the tour's COO, are to testify before a Congressional subcommittee that wants more details on the partnership between the PGA Tour and the Saudi wealth fund....

[GoCubsGo]

Fuck golf.

This stain won't wash off. It's pretty bad when something is too offensive and unethical for the former chair of monopolistic, nuclear weapons contracting AT&T.

Stephenson resigns from PGA Tour board over 'serious concerns' about Saudi deal, according to report

Former AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson resigned from the PGA Tour's policy board over concerns about the tour's proposed partnership with Saudi Arabia's national wealth fund, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

... The Post said it obtained a copy of his letter that was dated Saturday and said the tour's framework agreement with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund “is not one that I can objectively evaluate or in good conscience support, particularly in light of the U.S. intelligence report concerning Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.”

... PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan stunned every corner of the golf world — including his own membership — when he announced on June 6 a partnership with the PIF, which had paid for the rival league LIV Golf and was part of antitrust lawsuits.

The agreement, which still requires PGA Tour board approval and is being looked at by the Justice Department, would create a for-profit company in which the PIF, the PGA Tour and the European tour would pool their commercial business and media rights....

“I joined this board 12 years ago to serve the best players in the world and to expand the virtues of sportsmanship instilled through the game of golf,” Stephenson said in his letter. "I hope, as this board moves forward, it will comprehensively rethink its governance model and keep its options open to evaluate alternative sources of capital beyond the current framework agreement.”

The 10-member PGA Tour board consists of five players and five independent directors. Two of them are board chairman Ed Herlihy and Jimmy Dunne, who joined Monahan in negotiating the deal over seven weeks with Al-Rumayyan.

... The resignation comes three days before Dunne and Ron Price, the tour's COO, are to testify before a Congressional subcommittee that wants more details on the partnership between the PGA Tour and the Saudi wealth fund....

[/quote]

Fuck golf.

[Vrede too]

Guess blood money is green.

Fuck golf.

This stain won't wash off. It's pretty bad when something is too offensive and unethical for the former chair of monopolistic, nuclear weapons contracting AT&T.

Stephenson resigns from PGA Tour board over 'serious concerns' about Saudi deal, according to report

Former AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson resigned from the PGA Tour's policy board over concerns about the tour's proposed partnership with Saudi Arabia's national wealth fund, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

... The Post said it obtained a copy of his letter that was dated Saturday and said the tour's framework agreement with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund “is not one that I can objectively evaluate or in good conscience support, particularly in light of the U.S. intelligence report concerning Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.”

... PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan stunned every corner of the golf world — including his own membership — when he announced on June 6 a partnership with the PIF, which had paid for the rival league LIV Golf and was part of antitrust lawsuits.

The agreement, which still requires PGA Tour board approval and is being looked at by the Justice Department, would create a for-profit company in which the PIF, the PGA Tour and the European tour would pool their commercial business and media rights....

“I joined this board 12 years ago to serve the best players in the world and to expand the virtues of sportsmanship instilled through the game of golf,” Stephenson said in his letter. "I hope, as this board moves forward, it will comprehensively rethink its governance model and keep its options open to evaluate alternative sources of capital beyond the current framework agreement.”

The 10-member PGA Tour board consists of five players and five independent directors. Two of them are board chairman Ed Herlihy and Jimmy Dunne, who joined Monahan in negotiating the deal over seven weeks with Al-Rumayyan.

... The resignation comes three days before Dunne and Ron Price, the tour's COO, are to testify before a Congressional subcommittee that wants more details on the partnership between the PGA Tour and the Saudi wealth fund....

Fuck golf.