But what is the LIV Golf series, the new venture that threatens to shake the foundations of the sport to its core? It is a new tour organized by LIV Golf Investments, which consists of eight events around the world, which started in London on Thursday. In front of former No. 1 Greg Norman in the world, the team series runs from June to October with the goal, he says, of “holistically improving the health of professional golf on a global scale to help unlock the sport” (sic) untapped potential. “ Supported by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) – a state-owned investment fund headed by Mohammed bin Salman, the successor to Saudi Arabia and the man named in a US intelligence report that led to the approval of the company that led in 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Kasogi. Bin Salman has denied involvement in Kasogi’s assassination. The PIF has pledged $ 250 million in total prize money. Each of the first seven events will have a total prize pool of $ 25 million, with $ 20 million being split between individual players and the remaining $ 5 million being split between the top three teams at the end of each week. In view of the first event in London, the 12 teams were announced, as well as their leader. On Tuesday, the leaders selected the rest of their teams in a draft format similar to the NFL and NBA drafts. Unlike standard golf courses, the London event lasts more than three days, not four, with the 48-person court starting with a shotgun – all at the same time – in the hope of being a more exciting, action-packed game. style event. If you compete in a traditional form of play, the lowest score will be the winner. While in the first two rounds, the two best scores will count for each team, in the final round the three best scores will count, with the lowest overall team score after 54 holes being declared the winning team. For the final – a team championship – the format changes to a four-round knockout tournament.
Which golfers are registered?
The impressive money on offer has attracted a mix of golfers to sign up for the London kick-off event, for all ages, backgrounds and golf successes. Six-time winner Phil Mickelson and former No. 1 in the world Dustin Johnson are among those who will lead the tournament, with other top winners including Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaimer, Graeme McDowell, Louise Oshaw. Ryder Cup fixtures Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood were also part of the first cohort registered, and the field includes 18 players ranked in the top 100 in the world. On the other hand, it also provided a platform for other golfers just taking their first steps in the sport, including 15-year-old Ratchanon Chantananuwat from Thailand. 2020 US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau was the next success name to be registered, adding his name on Friday to a growing list of participating players. And according to many reports, the 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed will be the next big name to be registered in the split tour.
Why is it so controversial?
The LIV Golf series was not left without questions. The source of the money, Saudi Arabia’s PIF, has led to questions and criticism from organizers and players over their choice to play for money from the country, given its human rights record. The country has been criticized by human rights groups for years. In March, Saudi Arabia executed 81 men in the largest mass execution in decades. Human rights groups have criticized the country for executing minors at the time of the crimes for which they were convicted. Another avenue of controversy around the league is the break from standard golf trips. The PGA Tour and the DP World Tour – formerly the European Tour – have long been where players traded on the golf calendar, in addition to the big four. However, giving as excuses monetary and life balance issues, the decision of a faction of players who escaped to play in the LIV Golf series met with mixed reactions from their fellow tour members.
What do the players say?
On the eve of the series, the most lucrative golf event in the world, the contestants were chilled by reporters at an often tense press conference in St Albans, England. Mickelson has been the main focus of attention, mainly because he is one of the sport’s biggest stars but also because this will be his first racing event since his controversial comments on Saudi-sponsored events were published earlier this year. by his biographer. The six-time big winner was mentioned in a 2021 interview with author Alan Shipnuck for his upcoming book, “Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Superstar,” saying he would consider joining the cast. Super League because it is a “once in a lifetime opportunity to reshape the operation of the PGA Tour.” Shipnuck said Mickelson had said derogatory things about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and claimed that the kingdom had killed journalist Kasogi. In his opening remarks at Wednesday’s press conference, when asked about the human rights record in the country funding the project, Mickelson seemed to regret it. “I do not approve of human rights violations at all,” he said repeatedly. Johnson – the highest ranked player in the competition at 15 in the world – resigned from the PGA Tour and said on Tuesday: “I do not want to play for the rest of my life, this gives me the opportunity to I do what I want to do. “ Ryder Europe Cup senator Graeme McDowell was also asked about Kasogi’s murder during his press conference. “We all agree that it was reprehensible. No one is going to question that, but we are golfers. We are not politicians. “If Saudi Arabia wants to use the game of golf as a way to get where they want to go, we are proud to help it on this journey, using the game of golf and the skills we have to help develop the sport.”
What about those who do not participate?
The first LIV event takes place at the Centurion Club. This and the Canadian Open of the PGA Tour take place almost simultaneously and is the first confrontation between the two tours. Centurion’s $ 25 million wallet nearly triples the $ 8.7 million Canadian Open. Rory McIlroy, No. 8 in the world, will defend his title in Canada. “Any decision you make in your life that is purely for money usually does not end up going the right way,” McIlroy said Wednesday, according to Reuters. “Obviously, money is a decisive factor in many things in this world, but if it is pure for money, it is not, it never seems to go the way you want.” In terms of star power, the Canadian Open will easily surpass the Centurion lineup. Among the headliners in Toronto will be No. 1 in the world Scottie Scheffler and PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas. “People have the right to choose as they please,” Thomas said. “I do not dislike the DJ now. I do not think he’s a bad guy. I’m not going to treat him any differently. “She has the right to choose as she pleases. “Now, I’m disappointed and I wish he and others had not done it, but that’s their decision.”
What does it mean for the future of golf?
It is not clear what this will mean for the future of golf and where players will choose to trade in the future. Many of the players affected by the ban – Mickelson, Westwood and Poulter – are at the twilight of their careers, perhaps reducing the severity of the penalty. Some players, including Johnson, Garcia and Kevin Na, resigned from the PGA Tour before the game started on Thursday in London. But for the six-time big winner Mickelson, who has already earned life status on the PGA Tour, he is questioning his long-term commitment to the tour. In a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the LIV Golf series’ inaugural event, he said he did not want to give up his lifetime participation in the PGA Tour, saying: “I have won it and I do not intend to give it up.” And for the young talent in the game, suspension offers a puzzle. The PGA Tour is the top golf tour in the world right now, and is therefore considered the highlight. However, the new multi-money tour offers a significant profit opportunity for players around the world, especially emerging talents. Do younger players decide to commit to the LIV Golf series, thus ruining their chances of playing in the PGA Tour, or do they follow the “traditional” route and play in the PGA Tour and potentially reduce their chances of winning? The DP World Tour – the current second largest tour of the sport – has not yet announced possible sanctions on players. When he contacted CNN, he said he “had no comment” on the LIV Golf series. As for the four big golf companies, the appearances of the players in the LIV Golf series have also brought disorder to their participation in them. Although next week’s US Open said players are free to play if they qualify, next month’s Open in St. Louis. Andrew’s has not yet made a public decision. Shortly after the announcement, LIV Golf published a strongly worded response, calling the suspension “vengeful.” “Today’s announcement of the PGA Tour is vindictive and widens the gap between the Tour and its members,” he said. “It is disturbing that the Tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity that prevents golfers from playing. This is certainly not the last word on this issue. free agency starts as we are proud to have a full field of players coming with us to London and beyond ”.
