19th Hole
Report: Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed agree multi-year deals with LIV Golf
American duo Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed have both joined the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series, according to the Telegraph.
Per the Telegraph’s report, DeChambeau and Reed have both agreed multi-year deals with the controversial LIV Golf Series with the signings to be announced imminently.
Earlier this week, Phil Mickelson confirmed that he had joined the breakaway tour, while it’s reported that Rickie Fowler’s signing is close.
Back in late February, Bryson said:
“While there has been a lot of speculation surrounding my support for another tour, I want to make it very clear that as long as the best players in the world are playing the PGA Tour, so will I. As of now, I am focused on getting myself healthy and competing again soon.”
While just last week, DeChambeau told media that he would be staying with the PGA Tour, saying
“I think that’s mostly – a lot of it is private. There’s not really any conversations that need to be made about that, other than the fact that, like, every person out here has their own opinion on it (LIV). Me, there’s obviously a lot of conversation. For me, I personally don’t think that at this point in time I’m in a place in my career where I can risk things like that.”
Yet just a week later, Bryson has reportedly made a stunning u-turn in news that is sure to reverberate through the world of golf.
More from the 19th Hole
- 86-year-old Gary Player shows off remarkable club head and ball speed numbers
- ‘Absolutely disgusting’ – LPGA pro blasts Augusta National for its role in major venue change
- ‘Get it out of my face, man!’ – Brooks Koepka snatches phone from fan during tense exchange
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Despite no LIV events being on this week, the breakaway tour continues to make headlines.
- Related: ‘Grow the game? Bullsh*t. They paid me a lot of money’ – Feherty on reasons why he joined LIV
According to Australian golfer Cameron Percy, both Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman have now signed contracts to join LIV Golf.
In an interview with RSN radio, which is a station based in Australia, Percy claimed that both of the Australian star’s departure from the PGA TOUR is a done deal.
- Related: PGA Tour accuses LIV rebels filing a lawsuit to play FedEx Cup of ‘fabricating an emergency’
It’s been rumored since the Open Championship that the winner of the Claret Jug, Cameron Smith would be joining LIV for somewhere around $110-125 million.
Percy also mentioned that Adam Scott could be joining as well. It’s likely that LIV would be looking to make an Australian team built around Smith, Scott and Leishman.
“Unfortunate, yeah, they’re gone (Smith, Leishman)” Percy said.
“I had a long conversation with Adam Scott and he was very interesting talking to about it, just where it is. He said he met with these guys (LIV) in 2017 (and) they were ready (to) do all this. So, the Tour has known for a long time that this stuff’s in the works.
“The more and more you look into it, some people don’t care, some people have got a conscience and do care.
“It really comes down to, you know, they just executed 80 people this week, just chopped their heads off. They’re not the nicest people in the world.
“Do you just look past that and go, ‘Oh well, I’m rich I don’t really care’. It’s a tough one, it really is.”
With all indications appearing as if the Champion Golfer of the Year has left the PGA TOUR for LIV, there is no doubt he is the most consequential addition for Greg Norman thus far.
The 28-year-old is in the prime of his career and is ranked number two in both the Official World Golf Rankings and the FedEx Cup standings.
More from the 19th Hole
- ‘Your tee times at Augusta are numbered’ – Wife of Masters legend lashes out at Bryson DeChambeau
- Why Phil Mickelson’s Open playing partner told Lefty that he’s hated him for 11 years
- YouTube sensation ejected by Brooks Koepka at Open Championship party
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19th Hole
PGA Tour accuses LIV rebels filing a lawsuit to play FedEx Cup of ‘fabricating an emergency’
The ‘LIV 11’ lawsuit was always going to make public the internal rows and wrangling between players, organizers and the various tours.
- Related: ‘Stay away in your fantasy land’ – Pro blasts LIV rebels over wanting to play PGA Tour events
Amongst the 11, three players – Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford – are seeking a TRO (temporary restraining order) in order to be able to play the FedEx Cup events, starting on Thursday.
- Related: ‘We just won’t play’ – Major champ says PGA Tour pros could strike if LIV ban is overturned
As reported last week, the complaint from the LIV players alleges that being denied access to the FedEx Cup Playoffs not only would prevent Gooch, Swafford and Jones from playing in those events but “also cripples their chances of qualifying for both the Majors and the Tour’s premier invitationals in future seasons. The punishment that would accrue to these players from not being able to play in the FedEx Cup Playoffs is substantial and irreparable, and a temporary restraining order is needed to prevent the irreparable harm that would ensue were they not to be able to participate.”
The PGA Tour yesterday issued its response to the accusation, the 30-plus page document stating that “the TRO plaintiffs waited nearly two months to seek relief from the court, “fabricating an emergency they now maintain requires immediate action.”
The PGA Tour continues:
“Despite knowing full well that they would breach Tour Regulations and be suspended for doing so, plaintiffs have joined competing golf league LIV Golf, which has paid them tens and hundreds of millions of dollars in guaranteed money supplied by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund to procure their breaches. TRO plaintiffs now run into court seeking a mandatory injunction to force their way into the Tour’s season-ending FedExCup Playoffs, an action that would harm all Tour members that follow the rules. The antitrust laws do not allow Plaintiffs to have their cake and eat it too.”
The tour uses several statements from the plaintiffs in its defence.
When asked if he knew the tour would ban him from the tour for playing without a conflicting event-release, Jones said, “you’ve got to expect” it and acknowledged the possibility of never playing on the PGA Tour again after his suspension. “I did come to this [LIV] series and this tournament with the understanding that could be the case.”
The tour also argues against Gooch’s statement at the Open Championship that he only intended to play a single LIV event before getting suspended, the tour believing that he was intending to play more than the inaugural event at the Centurion Club.
Alongside those objections, the PGA Tour object to the accusation of pressuring sponsors to cancel existing deals with LIV players, that it enlisted the more experienced players, such as Tiger Woods, to intimidate players from joining, and that it colluded with the DP World Tour in its reaction to the defections.
The document ends, “For the foregoing reasons, the PGA Tour respectfully requests that the court deny TRO.”
Elliot Peters of Keker, Van Nest & Peters, representing the PGA Tour, confirmed the stance being taken by the leading tour.
“The players’ participation in the LIV league is in violation of the PGA Tour’s Handbook and Tournament Regulations,” he stated.
“For enormous sums of cash supplied by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Plaintiffs willfully breached their agreements with the PGA Tour. The players’ purported harm is entirely self-induced. We will litigate this case vigorously to preserve the reputation of the PGA Tour and protect the benefits it offers to players.”
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19th Hole
‘Grow the game? Bullsh*t. They paid me a lot of money’ – Feherty on reasons why he joined LIV
In the past few months, the golfers who’ve chosen to join LIV Golf have faced extreme criticism by media, fans and fellow players.
The fact that the money is being sourced by the Saudi Government has been one of the main points of contention as well as the fact the events feel like more of an exhibition than a professional golf event.
However, one of the other criticisms that have been echoed quite often is the lack of honesty of those who have joined LIV Golf. Many have claimed their reason for joining was to “grow the game” or for a new and unique experience. Even those who have been supportive of LIV would have a hard time claiming that those were the most influential factors of those who’ve left.
David Feherty, who made his LIV Golf debut at Trump Bedminster two weeks ago isn’t among those who are sugarcoating their reasons for joining the Saudi-backed golf series.
In a recent interview with Gary Koch, the eccentric TV personality admitted money was his primary motivator when asked by the host why he made the move:
“Money. People don’t talk about it. I hear, ‘Well, it’s to grow the game. Bullsh*t. They paid me a lot of money.”
Feherty also expressed that the opportunity to be himself again was another reason he was excited to join LIV.
“It was an opportunity to be myself again,” he said. “It’s become more and more difficult, especially in sports broadcasting, to have any kind of character. Charles Barkley can say pretty much anything he wants, because it’s, ‘Oh, that’s just Charles.’ And it is just Charles. But I have become more and more guarded over the last few years.”
As for critics who Feherty feels are ‘hoping to be offended by something’, Feherty did not mince his words, saying:
“There are people waiting around every corner hoping to be offended by something. F*** those people. Our lives are being shaped by small groups of mean-spirited people who have no sense of humor. We’re in danger of losing our national sense of humor because of this.”
Feherty was also asked about the source of the money and Saudi Arabia’s ties to 9/11.
“The 9 /11 Commission said that the Saudi government wasn’t involved,” the 63-year-old said.
“People that criticize are doing business with China, doing business with Russia. China, in particular, is a country where they’re murdering Uyghurs left, right, and centre, and their human rights record is horrendous.
“You can point to various countries throughout the world. I wouldn’t want to behave like that, but wherever golf is, good happens, and I’m hoping this will do the same thing. [LIV] has said it’s going to donate $100 million to area charities.”
More from the 19th Hole
- ‘Your tee times at Augusta are numbered’ – Wife of Masters legend lashes out at Bryson DeChambeau
- Why Phil Mickelson’s Open playing partner told Lefty that he’s hated him for 11 years
- YouTube sensation ejected by Brooks Koepka at Open Championship party
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Airport luggage mess causes chaos for pros at Monday qualifier
Lexi Thompson’s behavior following Women’s PGA defeat sparks fierce debate
‘Your tee times at Augusta are numbered’ – Wife of Masters legend lashes out at Bryson DeChambeau
Major champ urges Cam Smith to turn down reported mammoth offer to join LIV
Phil Mickelson brutally heckled on opening hole of latest LIV event
‘You like apples?’ – Greg Norman takes bullish shot at PGA Tour over LIV poll numbers
‘You don’t mess with that guy’ – Bryson reveals the last golfer he would want to fight
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19th Hole2 weeks ago‘Your tee times at Augusta are numbered’ – Wife of Masters legend lashes out at Bryson DeChambeau
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19th Hole2 weeks agoPhil Mickelson brutally heckled on opening hole of latest LIV event
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19th Hole3 weeks agoYouTube sensation ejected by Brooks Koepka at Open Championship party
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19th Hole6 days ago‘We just won’t play’ – Major champ says PGA Tour pros could strike if LIV ban is overturned
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19th Hole1 week agoPhil Mickelson’s LIV heckler is revealed…and here’s what happened next
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19th Hole1 week agoLPGA major champ hits out at Bubba Watson and his wife over decision to join LIV
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19th Hole2 weeks ago‘Is there a cabal there?’ – Greg Norman fires ominous shot at Fred Ridley and The Masters
Let’s Go Brandon
Jun 13, 2022 at 11:24 pm
Yet no comments being made about the European ladies tour playing for a $1,000,000 purse in Saudi Arabia every year. Big wigs jumping ship from the PGA Tour and all hell breaks loose. And their will be more big names to come. Just wait and see. $ TALKS!
Bob G
Jun 12, 2022 at 1:17 pm
007 Brandon is meeting with the Saudis about gas prices. That gas crisis sort of follows this golf tour situation. Brandon’s gonna screw it up even more. He’s a loser just like those jumping to the LIV tour. We should make our own everything in the US. World domination again!
MhtLion
Jun 12, 2022 at 8:56 am
I watched the first event. It was good, and I. will continue to watch. For PGA,I have a lot of mixed feelings about how it handled the situation. Mostly negative. PGA is acting like grumpy old gang. Now I think of it, PGA always been grumpy old gang. A very few privileged individuals doing everything and anything they see fit. It never represented players, and it’s far from being an association.
Loving golfer
Jun 12, 2022 at 1:33 am
Looks like the PGA will have to ban a lot of their sponsors also.
Below you see some companies doing business with Saudi
3M First Union Bank Pfizer International
ABB FLIR Systems, Inc. Philip Morris
The AES Corporation Fluor Daniel Phillips Petroleum Company
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. Ford Motor Company PriceWaterhouse Coopers, L.L.P.
American International Group General Dynamics
Corporation Proctor & Gamble
Amoco General Electric Rand Financial Services
Arthur Andersen Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher Red Wing Shoe Company, Inc.
AT&T Guardian Industries Rock Creek Corporation
Bank of America Halliburton Company The SABRE Group
The Bank of New York Harris Corporation SAIC
Bechtel Holiday Inn SBC Communications, Inc.
Bell Atlantic IBM Samsonite
Black & Veatch LLP Ingersoll-Rand Company Shell Chemical Company
The Boeing Company J.F. Jelenko & Co. Sikorsky Aircraft
Caltex Petroleum
Corporation J.P. Morgan Teledyne Brown Engineering
The Carlyle Group Jones Lang LaSalle Templeton International, Inc.
The Chase Manhattan Bank LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene &MacRae, L.L.P. Texaco Inc.
Chevron Chemical
Company Litton Industries Tracor Aerospace Inc.
Chicago Bridge & Iron Lockheed-Martin Trust Company of the West
CIGNA Corporation Lucent Technologies Inc. TRW, Inc.
Citicorp Marathon Oil Company Unocal International Ventures Ltd
The Coca-Cola Company Marsh & McLennan Union Carbide Corporation
COLSA International Merck & Co., Inc. VeriFone Inc.
Conoco Inc. Mobil Corp. Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard,
McPherson and Hand
Deloitte & Touche Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Wamar International
Delphi Energy & Engine Management Systems Motorola Westinghouse
Duke Engineering &
Services M.W. Kellogg Company Whittaker
Eastcom, L.L.C. Navistar International
Corporation WorldSpace Corporation
Eastman Chemical E.M.E.A Occidental Petroleum
Corporation
Eli Lilly and Company PACCAR International
Enron Corp. Parsons Corporation
Exxon Corporation Pepsi Cola International
They Live
Jul 12, 2022 at 11:49 am
Looks like a who’s who of the Tribe. Guess we know (((who))) actually controls the PGA Tour. Also using their media to badmouth everything Liv.
David
Jun 10, 2022 at 7:56 pm
I just watched the last 2 rounds on YouTube and it’s actually pretty cool. Nothing against the PGA but I grabbed tickets for next weeks event in Portland. Excited to see this new event and watch some great golf. With the payouts what they are more and more players will be making the switch and if this keeps up LIV will be the tournament with the majority of the best players. Time will tell but the prize money will attract the best.
Brett
Jun 14, 2022 at 8:09 am
Nice plug for the Bonesaw Tour. That was charming. Here’s 3.50.
Jesse
Jun 10, 2022 at 12:23 pm
PGA tour, the retirement home. Boring broadcast and mossy. Just worth watching some sat sun outside majors.
Brooksy
Jun 10, 2022 at 7:28 pm
Brooksy
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Radim
Jun 9, 2022 at 4:00 am
I rarely watch anything outside majors. But it sucks if they dont allow Bryson od DJ to play at Augusta.
Green jacket
Jun 10, 2022 at 7:31 pm
It suck not to be able to buy your way into Augusta tournament with all the Saudi money
For clueless green jacket fans
Jun 12, 2022 at 7:30 pm
It would suck to make up a dumb nickname so you can simp for the pga tour on an unofficial pga tour promo site. Do you have any thoughts of your own?
Brandon
Jun 8, 2022 at 10:09 pm
Of course they are all about the money. Golf is their job. The entire point of having a job is to make as much money as possible while you can. Everyone needs to get off their high horse and stop acting like they wouldn’t do the exact same thing given the opportunity.
Jon
Jun 9, 2022 at 3:18 pm
Bravo! Let’s take a look back in history to refresh everyone’s memory about the professional game and money:
https://vault.si.com/vault/1968/09/02/the-revolt-of-the-touring-pros
Roy
Jun 15, 2022 at 2:49 pm
Yeah – Ironic when the Tour talks of loyalty and you see how loyal they were when it came to $$$ historically
Donkey
Jun 10, 2022 at 7:35 pm
Sir, your high horse is a donkey and so are you. Tiger had turned down close to a billion and so have other big names. Your justification is as shameless as all those greedy donkey
kurt
Jun 8, 2022 at 6:27 pm
This is great for golf almost every one of these guys are colossal douchebags. Reed, DEchabeau, Na, Johnson, even Phil. We wont miss them at all
geohogan
Jun 8, 2022 at 9:02 pm
@kurt, couldnt agree more. When LIV goes tits up, we will see those douchebags outside looking in.
Dj
Jun 10, 2022 at 7:38 pm
YeH, when the president and the Ryder cup are played, Those liv douchebags will be outside the rope watching
The Truth
Jun 22, 2022 at 11:29 am
From their private island*
Bob
Jun 8, 2022 at 6:12 pm
The US government is dealing freely with Saudi Arabia. Do you expect American golfers to fight the moral battle?
MhtLion
Jun 12, 2022 at 9:00 am
Every presidents of United States were close friends with Saudi throne. Just what are you talking about? Do you apply more strict moral standards to professional players than the politicians?
Jerry's Rice
Jun 22, 2022 at 11:29 pm
You’re a dumb horses a$$. You can’t compare politic and nations with sports. Sports is a personal choice that affects you and your fans. Countries have to exist on a world stage. Example: you’re daughter probably strips for a living. That’s fine … but I don’t want mine to.
Bob
Jun 8, 2022 at 4:15 pm
If it was on TV I’d watch it. I’m not watching some social media channel to see it.
Big Woman Ruthie
Jun 12, 2022 at 2:15 pm
We know you did Bob. Its not that big a deal.
Allison S
Jun 8, 2022 at 3:50 pm
I am glad to see it, they get paid more and play less
Thunder Bear
Jun 8, 2022 at 12:36 pm
Does everyone here work for the PGA Tour? I don’t get why people are so PGA Tour or die. And don’t virtue signal me as you type on your computer with Chinese parts, wear your clothes made in sweatshops, and drive your car with Saudi oil. You are no better than these golfers.
Thomas
Jun 8, 2022 at 3:26 pm
What the PGA did to Phil plus the BS with the sleazy reporter(s) is unforgiveable. I will never buy any PGA Tour clothes or stuff or shop in their SuperStores. I do not like Greg Norman either but Phil has been a fan favorite for 30 years. My only gripe with Phil is he needs to join gamblers anonymous. Losing money gambling is for losers and scum. Seems like LIV has signed a lot of guys. Losing DJ is a bog loss for the PGA.
Jimbo
Jun 8, 2022 at 3:59 pm
Agree w/ T-Bear!
If it is the better league it will survive, if it isn’t it won’t. SOunds like business to me. Lets see how it plays out, I hope more leave and it gets bigger and bigger.
Psarro
Jun 8, 2022 at 7:52 pm
Don’t have much of a choice with all you are saying, but these guys do have a choice. They are making quite a nice living from p.g.a. Tour they don’t need this
PJ
Jun 8, 2022 at 10:44 pm
Amen brother you hit the nail on the head. I heard Michael Breed this morning on XM and he was so mad it sounded like he was going to cry. If it doesn’t affect you and your family then who cares? I’m all for these guys making as much money as they want. You are right about China. Rory took $250M from Nike and their sweat shop money. Not one word was said.
golfmajor
Jun 8, 2022 at 12:28 pm
I won’t miss any of them as I will continue to watch and support golf no matter what tour, university or high school they compete for…golf is a great game and should be free of politics.
Imafitter
Jun 8, 2022 at 12:09 pm
It’s all about the $$$$$$. Glad to see Reed gone.
Mike
Jun 8, 2022 at 11:49 am
LIV, short for Loser’s Invitational.
As a golf fan I have no interest in watching.a group of guys play three rounds of golf with nothing at stake. They should fire their caddies and use an electric golf cart fill it up full of beer and have a blast. Oh wait, then that would be just like the rest of us. Hey Greg, I’ll give you a deal and play your eight tournaments for an even 2 million.
The King
Jun 8, 2022 at 2:34 pm
You’ll watch it loser.
John
Jun 8, 2022 at 11:29 am
At least something good is coming of it. Reed and De Chambeau no great loss as far as I’m concerned. Same with Na.
Nobody
Jun 10, 2022 at 1:00 am
Nobody cares [email protected]
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