2022 PGA Tour

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You shoot a 10 on the LIV Tour, you get a $100,000 performance bonus
 

cshea

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NLU put on their Big J Journo Hats and have a full rundown of the players only meeting at the BMW this week.

View: https://twitter.com/NoLayingUp/status/1561531129328553984?s=20&t=EoNLpLEPIrsP4ZqucTKKrQ


  • The players in the room- Tiger, Rory, JT, Scheffler, Xander, Spieth, Rahm, Cantlay, Hovland, Morikawa, Zalatoris, Fitzpatrick, Burns, Finau, Horschel, Young, Niemann, Homa, Lowry, Hatton, Kisner, Fowler, Scott
  • The only non-player in the room was a consultant who had been working with Tiger/Rory on forming the plan. No Tour reps, no agents, no caddies, etc. Just the 23 players and a consultant.
A few notes on the list. It's basically the top 20 in OWGR, with the exception of Cam Smith, Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim. We all know why Cam Smith wasn't there. On the recap pod, NLU confirmed that Hideki is committed to the Tour (Niemann too- lot's of smoke around him this year due to his connection to Sergio). Im pledged fealty a while ago so I think he's safe, but you never know. I kinda wonder if his exclusion was language based or something like that. We can chuckle at Rickie getting a seat, but in his/their defense, he's in the top 20 of career earnings on Tour so I think he deserves a seat at the table (whether they let him play in the elite ones or not is another story).
  • Tiger and Rory started having conversations with players about this at the JP McManus Pro-AM the week before the Open.
  • Plan is a Tour within a Tour for the elite players. Up to 15 limited field, big purse events. The fields will be a mix of exempt players, plus weekly qualifiers. Unclear on the field size of these events.
  • It's unclear which events will get the elevated status and which ones won't. The non-big money events will still retain their current purse size. The players who are exempt into the big purse events will also have to play a required number of non-elevated events.
  • NLU reports that the players are NOT recommending the Tour renounce non-profit status.
  • The plan is with Monahan/The Tour. They are reviewing for feasibility. Monahan has a state-of-the-Tour press conference tomorrow.
  • The meeting was players-only but Tiger/Rory have been working in conjuction with the Tour/Monahan.
 

cshea

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Zalatoris WD's from the Tour Championship and the Presidents Cup with two herniated discs.

Speaking of the Presidents Cup, the auto qualifiers were set after last week:

USA

Scheffler
Cantlay
Schauffele
JT
Finau

6 Captains picks. Next up:

Zalatoris (out)
Spieth
Morikawa
Homa
Horschel
Young
Hoge
Poston
Kisner

International

Cam
Hideki
Sungjae
Niemann
Tom Kim
Connors
Scott
Mito Pereira

4 Captains picks:

KH Lee
Van Rooyen
Munoz
Hadwin
Ryan Fox
MacKenzie Hughes
Anirban Lahiri

This is going to be a slaughter.
 

Senator Donut

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USA

Scheffler
Cantlay
Schauffele
JT
Finau

6 Captains picks. Next up:

Zalatoris (out)
Spieth
Morikawa
Homa
Horschel
Young
Hoge
Poston
Kisner
With Brooks and Bryson teeing it up for LIV, what an amazingly likeable top 12 group of golfers for team USA (and a lot of them are under 30 too).
 

cshea

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With Brooks and Bryson teeing it up for LIV, what an amazingly likeable top 12 group of golfers for team USA (and a lot of them are under 30 too).
Totally agree. They also aren't really any worse off without DJ, Bryson, Brooks and Reed. They are just as good, if not better. Hard to gauge the form of the LIV guys, but had LIV not occured there's a good probability that Bryson, Brooks and Reed wouldn't have sniffed qualifying based on their Tour starts before departing.

The US depth will be overwhelming. Spieth as #8 vs. Mito Pereira, yikes. For the Ryder Cup, the Euro's have the horses at the top but once you get past Rory, Rahm, Hovland it gets bleak in a hurry. Lowry and Hatton are solid but after them they're dipping into Thomas Pieters, Seamus Power, Sepp Straka, etc. No offense to those guys, but they aren't going to hold up against the Homa's, Morikawa's that are on the bottom half of the US lineup. Also, I think this was happening with or without LIV. Westwood, Sergio, Poulter, Casey were basically aging out and I don't think their inclusion would make much of a difference.
 
With Brooks and Bryson teeing it up for LIV, what an amazingly likeable top 12 group of golfers for team USA (and a lot of them are under 30 too).
Absolute addition by subtraction.
For the Ryder Cup, the Euro's have the horses at the top but once you get past Rory, Rahm, Hovland it gets bleak in a hurry. Lowry and Hatton are solid but after them they're dipping into Thomas Pieters, Seamus Power, Sepp Straka, etc. No offense to those guys, but they aren't going to hold up against the Homa's, Morikawa's that are on the bottom half of the US lineup. Also, I think this was happening with or without LIV. Westwood, Sergio, Poulter, Casey were basically aging out and I don't think their inclusion would make much of a difference.
How many times since 1985 have we seen inferior European rosters play much better than their talent levels and superior American rosters play much worse? Your general point is spot on - the American advantage on paper has noticeably increased - but the Ryder Cup is totally unpredictable, and the European team ought to have a pretty decent home course advantage in Italy next year.
 

Average Game James

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Some announcements out today from the tour... Tour sure is finding a lot of money. Among announced changes:

-Top players commit to 20 event schedule with 12 "elevated events" with $20mn+ purses, 4 majors, PLAYERS, plus 3 other events of player's choice
-Expanded PIP up to $100mn from $50mn and expanded to 20 players
-"Earnings Assurance Program" guarantees minimum $500k per player on Tour for any fully exempt member that plays 15 events
-$5k travel assistance for non-exempt players that play an event and don't make the cut

https://www.pgatour.com/news/2022/08/24/pga-tour-top-players-make-unprecedented-commitment-to-pga-tour-future-schedule.html
 

cshea

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Jay talking. The Woods/Rory plan detailed above is essentially being adopted.
  • In addition to the 8 previously announced elevated events, the Tour is adding 4 more that the top stars will play.
    • Sentry TOC
    • Genesis
    • Arnold Palmer
    • Match Play
    • Memorial
    • FedEx St. Jude
    • BMW
    • Tour Championship
    • Plus 4 more to be announced
  • The stars (defined as the top 20 by PIP; see below) commit to those 12 elevated events, plus the majors and Players giving fans a minimum of 17 events where all the stars will be in the field (cshea note- not sure how this all works with the playoffs being included. If someone like Rickie is in the PIP top 20, I guess he gets a free ride through regardless of performance?)
  • Those top 20 players will also committ to 3 other non-elevated events. So essentially Rory, JT, etc are commited to a 20 event season.
  • 2022 PIP is going from $50 million to $100 million and will be given to the top 20 players vs. 10 last year.
  • Every exempt player (just having card, not the elevated stuff) will get a guaranteed $500,000 each season. If I'm reading it correctly, it's essentially a loan against future earnings. If you make less than $500,000 in eanrings, the Tour will make up the difference. Rookies and lower ranked members can get the money up front to cover expenses.
  • Players will get $5,000 for an MC.
 

RedOctober3829

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The PGA Tour has made big changes effective immediately to it's schedule in light of what the players-only meeting discussed. Top players(defined as the top 20 under the current PIP and those who would finish in the top 20 under the revised PIP) have agreed to commit to 20 events per year.

There are now 12 Elevated events these top players must play. They also must play the Players Championship, all 4 majors, and any other 3 events they want.

The 12 Elevated Events are:
1. Genesis Invitational: $20 million
2. Arnold Palmer Invitational: $20 million
3. The Memorial: $20 million
4. WGC Match Play: $20 million
5. Sentry Tournament of Champions: $15 million
6-9. 3Fed Ex Playoff Events(BMW and St. Jude are $20 million purses and the Tour Championship is $75 million)
10-12. 4 events of $20 million purses to be named later.


--The enhanced PIP is now going to be a bonus pool money amount of $100 million which is doubled from what was previously announced for '22 and '23.
--They've created the Earnings Assurance Program. All fully exempt members of the tour will get $500k per year. Rookies and returning members get their money up front. All members must compete in at least 15 events to qualify for this money.
--They've also created the Travel Stipend Program for non-exempt members. These players will receive $5,000 for missing the cut in order to help subsidize travel and tournament-related expenses.
 
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cshea

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Some announcements out today from the tour... Tour sure is finding a lot of money. Among announced changes:

-Top players commit to 20 event schedule with 12 "elevated events" with $20mn+ purses, 4 majors, PLAYERS, plus 3 other events of player's choice
-Expanded PIP up to $100mn from $50mn and expanded to 20 players
-"Earnings Assurance Program" guarantees minimum $500k per player on Tour for any fully exempt member that plays 15 events
-$5k travel assistance for non-exempt players that play an event and don't make the cut

https://www.pgatour.com/news/2022/08/24/pga-tour-top-players-make-unprecedented-commitment-to-pga-tour-future-schedule.html
For like the 8 billionth time, they aren't hiding money and suddently finding it under the mattress. It's all tied to the new $6 billion TV deal that they are in year 1 of. They don't actually have the money in hand yet.

They announced over a year ago, before LIV shit hit the fan, that the purse sizes would be increasing significantly.
 

Average Game James

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PIP as a qualifier for the top events is interesting and a big shift from almost entirely performance based approach to qualification in the past (excluding sponsors exemptions). I get it, but at the same time is it right that because Rickie Fowler is popular he gets to play big events he might not otherwise qualify for which in turn keeps him in the spotlight and therefore he remains popular?

Edit: or am I misreading? Obviously PIP can't qualify someone into the Masters, but will top 20 PIP guys all get into the elevated events?
 

Comfortably Lomb

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PIP as a qualifier for the top events is interesting and a big shift from almost entirely performance based approach to qualification in the past (excluding sponsors exemptions). I get it, but at the same time is it right that because Rickie Fowler is popular he gets to play big events he might not otherwise qualify for which in turn keeps him in the spotlight and therefore he remains popular?
Yes. Popularity matters. A lot, really.
 

mostman

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PIP as a qualifier for the top events is interesting and a big shift from almost entirely performance based approach to qualification in the past (excluding sponsors exemptions). I get it, but at the same time is it right that because Rickie Fowler is popular he gets to play big events he might not otherwise qualify for which in turn keeps him in the spotlight and therefore he remains popular?

Edit: or am I misreading? Obviously PIP can't qualify someone into the Masters, but will top 20 PIP guys all get into the elevated events?
The tour needs ambassadors. This is the way to get them. I don’t have an issue with it. Popularity leads to awareness which leads to more fans which leads to more money.
 

cshea

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Meanwhile, the TGL is here starting in 2024.

It's a 15-event, tech based stadium series, partnered with the PGA TOur, featuring 6 teams of 3 players playing 18 holes in 2-hours in primetime.

View: https://twitter.com/TGL/status/1562446996178251776?s=20&t=u84bxbDBJZc0J_GtsGddSA


There's not much more detail. Sounds like mic'd up sim golf? I think that'd be better for TV than in-person but we'll have to see the finer details.
 

Average Game James

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For like the 8 billionth time, they aren't hiding money and suddenly finding it under the mattress. It's all tied to the new $6 billion TV deal that they are in year 1 of. They don't actually have the money in hand yet.

They announced over a year ago, before LIV shit hit the fan, that the purse sizes would be increasing significantly.
There is more TV money coming, yes, but the emergence of LIV clearly gave the players a lot more leverage than they would have had otherwise with the top players seeming to get a lot more influence over the outcome.
 

cshea

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There is more TV money coming, yes, but the emergence of LIV clearly gave the players a lot more leverage than they would have had otherwise with the top players seeming to get a lot more influence over the outcome.
LIV definitely spurred the stars to action to re-shape the Tour, but the perception that the Tour just "found" the money has been out there for a while and it's flat out wrong.

Anyways, I think this effectively stops the LIV momentum. They'll get their last batch of players, including Cam Smith, after this week or the Presidents Cup but that's it.
 

RedOctober3829

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LIV definitely spurred the stars to action to re-shape the Tour, but the perception that the Tour just "found" the money has been out there for a while and it's flat out wrong.

Anyways, I think this effectively stops the LIV momentum. They'll get their last batch of players, including Cam Smith, after this week or the Presidents Cup but that's it.
Did you(or anyone else) happen to catch the airing of the Payne Stewart Award ceremony last night honoring Billy Andrade? In his speech, he had a spirited response to the LIV guys. It was pretty powerful.
 

cshea

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I didn't see it, but I just think the LIV momentum is over based on recent events. They've got more than 48 players already, not including the next wave. So there's already more players than tournament spots available. The TRO motion in the Mickelson lawsuit was denied and a trial date was set for early 2024. So the guys who don't make the LIV main rosters are basically shit out of luck in pro golf unless they want to toil around on the Asian Tour. The Gooch's and Ancer's of the world have lit their major career's on fire, having no path back in. The top 30ish players on the PGA tour have united and revamped the Tour to their liking so unless something crazy happens, none of them will be leaving anytime soon.

LIV will get this last batch of guys, including Cam, but I think that's going to be the last newsworthy defection for a while. Maybe there will be a few unhappy rank and file PGA Tour members in the realm of a James Hahn who leave but I think the slow drip of stars bolting from the PGA Tour to LIV is over.
 

voidfunkt

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Picked up 3x LIV tickets for The International at the bargain basement price of $8. So cheap I don't even care if I end up not going because of weather/schedule/lack of interest.
 

The Needler

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For like the 8 billionth time, they aren't hiding money and suddently finding it under the mattress. It's all tied to the new $6 billion TV deal that they are in year 1 of. They don't actually have the money in hand yet.
You can say it 8 billion and one times, because this is an additional ~$100 million that Jay admitted in his press conference that will partially come from reserves, and partially he’s hoping to pull from as-yet-TBD partners.

The complaint of certain players, e.g., Phil, has been that the PGA Tour has been hoarding cash that was generated by players like him and Tiger, and put into investments and cash reserves and that will eventually be distributed to players in the future that didn’t earn that money. And those very chickens are roosting at the moment. Jay can talk all he wants about the reserves helping the Tour through COVID, but those amounts were barely touched on a percentage basis (if at all; PGAT had net revenues of $57 million in 2020), and the argument that 501c orgs, whether subsection (3) or (6) shouldn’t have those size reserves is widely made one throughout the nonprofit community. That money, it can be fairly argued, is meant to be spent/distributed as received.

Theres a reason the PGA Tour is so protective of its tax exempt status. It’s because it continues to keep (and not distribute as prize money) up to $100 million a year that would otherwise be taxable. And that’s why it was NBD for the NFL and MLB to renounce their 501(c) status — because they ran net zero to net negative every year by distributing their revenues to teams.
 
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cshea

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Lee Westwood has some...takes.

https://www.si.com/golf/news/its-just-a-copy-of-what-liv-is-doing-lee-westwood-blasts-pga-tour-enhancements

“I laugh at what the PGA Tour players have come up with,’’ Westwood said of the plan unveiled at the Tour Championship. “It’s just a copy of what LIV is doing. There are a lot of hypocrites out there. They all say LIV is 'not competitive.’ They all point at the no-cut aspect of LIV and the short fields.
“Now, funnily enough, they are proposing 20 events that look a lot like LIV. Hopefully, at some point they will all choke on their words. And hopefully, they will be held to account as we were in the early days.’’
“I’m not convinced by the strategic alliance because I’ve seen how the PGA Tour has behaved over the years,’’ Westwood said. “There’s not much “give.’ They have always been bullies and now they are getting their comeuppance. All the PGA Tour has done since Tiger (Woods) came on tour is up the prize purses. In turn, that has taken all the best players from Europe away from the European Tour.
“They’ve had to play in the States, taking all their world ranking points with them. That was their strategy: 'Put up the money. Get all the players. Hog all the world ranking points.’ Which becomes self-perpetuating. What we have seen over the last few months is just LIV doing what the PGA Tour has done for the last 25 years.’’
(he made close to $25 million in his career on thePGA Tour)
 

Average Reds

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He's not wrong
He’s completely contradicting the rationale that Mickelson articulated when LIV was being formed. Of course he’s wrong.

If you want to defend the LIV players that’s your right. But there’s no great principle at stake here. These greedy, amoral assholes have sold their soul to become employees of the Saudi government while playing meaningless exhibitions where the prize money they win is deducted from their guaranteed appearance money.
 

cshea

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The copying LIV thing is wrong. Short fields, large purse is about where it ends. It hasn't been announced, but I guarantee they'll play 72 holes and will not use a shotgun start. We'll see what happens with regards to a cut. There's also no team component.

Then the part about the Tour hoarding money is basically him being mad he had to travel to the US to get a piece of it. He somehow felt entitled to it by just playing on the Euro Tour. I mean, maybe the Tour could've invested more in the Euro Tour as a feeder league or done the alliance thing earlier, but he seems to think they should've taken the dollars Tiger brought in and just given it to the Euro Tour. It's rich that his complaint is that the Tour raised purses and put the Euro Tour in a tough spot, while the American LIV guys are yelling that the Tour just hoarded money and didn't raise purses.
 

cshea

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Scheffler up by 6. 52 holes left and what not but this is the main drawback to the format. Their "super bowl" could be a snoozefest.

Stroke play down to 4, then match play for the championship is probably the best, though it does have drawbacks.
 

voidfunkt

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I have absolutely no love for this format but Xander putting up a 63 today at least makes this very interesting and Rahm can still get hot as well.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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Just saw an LIV Facebook ad and clicked in out of a morbid curiosity. Under discounted ticket availability I, erm, saw this:

54735

Now the likelihood is you are not sending a military ID *direct* to the Saudi government, but maybe if you served it is ok to pay full price this time?
 

Senator Donut

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Just saw an LIV Facebook ad and clicked in out of a morbid curiosity. Under discounted ticket availability I, erm, saw this:

View attachment 54735

Now the likelihood is you are not sending a military ID *direct* to the Saudi government, but maybe if you served it is ok to pay full price this time?
Thanks for sharing. For some reason, I have to pick up the passes at the Saudi embassy, but it’s small inconvenience for free tickets!
 

BaseballJones

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The money must just be too irresistible for these guys, because the prestige of the PGA Tour is still far beyond LIV.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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If you transition from the PGA to LIV, doesn't that now mean you have Prestige Worldwide? Seems like the LIV has plenty of "boats and hoes" at the ready.
 
I have absolutely no love for this format
I'll go one step further than this: the FedEx Cup Playoffs have always been spiritual kindred to what is now LIV, the Saudi angle notwithstanding. You've got a bunch of people playing (after the first playoff event) in a no-cut format, and the only thing that's really on the line is money. Lots and lots of money. It used to be that the player who "won the money list" - or "the Order of Merit" on the European Tour, a much classier name - had by one very important metric the best season on the Tour. The playoffs cheapen that to the point where you can no longer say that because of the outsized impact the playoff events have on the regular season FedEx Cup standings. The revised format, with the leader coming into East Lake starting at -10 and so on down the rankings, at least more equitably distributes the big wad of cash at the end of the season towards players who did well over most of the season - relative to the old system where everyone in the Top 30 had an equal shot at the big jackpot - but the calculations for getting there are mystifyingly opaque.

I have a historical fondness for East Lake, insofar as I played a number of rounds there with my high school golf team - and I've played it once since the renovation as well. But I still really, really struggle to care about what happens in this tournament. I'll probably watch the final round today, but not with any real joy or anticipation.