A highly debated topic among media and fans has been whether or not prize money is counted against the upfront bonus players received when joining LIV Golf.

• Related: Report: Cam Smith set for LIV debut in Boston after accepting mega sign-on fee

Originally, Brandel Chamblee of Golf Channel tweeted (now deleted) that prize money was counted against the signing bonus.

His tweet was met with plenty of backlash, and a LIV spokesperson came out and denied those claims during a press conference.

“I just wanted to address Alex’s question earlier when you were asking about the prize purses and if they are in addition to the contracts,” she said. “The prize purses are in addition to. There is no draw at LIV Golf on any finances. We just wanted to, on the record, it’s in addition to. And while you guys have, this is your first event, but you should know that from your contracts. You can attest to it. Thank you guys.”

According to the LIV attorneys during yesterday’s trial surrounding three LIV golfers who were attempting to be allowed in the FedEx Cup playoff field, Chamblee may have been correct in his initial claim.

The LIV lawyer just said that the money won in tournaments is "recouped against the LIV contracts".

— Rick Gehman (@RickRunGood) August 9, 2022

Chamblee took the opportunity to remind Twitter that he was right all along.

I didn’t need to hear a lawyer confirm what was widely known and never fully and undeniably controverted. https://t.co/P9D1SSkRdO

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) August 10, 2022

For what it’s worth, LIV still claims that contract money is separate from prize money.

From a LIV spokesman, who denies that prize money counts against contracts:

“Our counsel was responding to a different question about recouping or offsetting FedEx cup earnings.

“We maintain that every player’s contract is separate from prize money.”

— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) August 9, 2022

After all is said and done, nothing appears to be any clearer.

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

 

Rickie Fowler is getting ready to compete at this week’s Playoff opener after squeezing into the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings.

• Related: Report: Cam Smith set for LIV debut in Boston after accepting mega sign-on fee

The 33-year-old is looking to overcome a poor run of form that has seen his star fade, with the former World Number 4 now languishing outside the top 150 in the world.

• Related: LPGA major champ hits out at Bubba Watson and his wife over decision to join LIV

Ahead of this week’s FedEx Cup opener, Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis first reported that Fowler had split from longtime caddie Joe Skovron who had been on Fowler’s bag since Rickie turned pro in 2009.

Speaking on the split, Fowler told Lewis:

“It happened Friday night when we finished up in Greensboro. Told Joe I wasn’t really gonna go into details on who brought up the decision or who made the decision or anything like that. We’ve always been a team, we always will be a team, he’s like a big brother to me. Friendship and all that comes first.

No hard feelings or anything like that, I just thought it might be the best option for the current time, but by no means does this mean we’re not gonna rekindle the flame in the future or anything like that, but I know it’s been tough on both of us.” 

Ben Schomin, the tour operations manager for Cobra Puma Golf, will caddie for Fowler this week in Memphis. Schomin filled in for Bryson DeChambeau last summer following his own split with his caddie, and per Fowler, nothing is decided yet on a long-term replacement.

“Still don’t know where I’ll end up,” Fowler told Lewis. “I got Ben on the bag for me this week. I thought about who I am gonna bring in for kind of a one-off, or this could kind of be next week as well, just depending on how we play this week.”

Fowler has competed in 17 events this season, missing the cut in eight and failing to register a top-20 finish in any.

On a dramatic day off the course in the world of golf, a federal judge denied Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones’ application for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the PGA Tour.

The result means that the trio will now miss out on this year’s FedEx Cup Playoffs that get underway this week.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs made the case that the three golfers were being unfairly blocked from competing in the FedEx Cup playoffs. On the other side, attorneys for the PGA Tour argued that all the golfers stood to suffer was solely money related, therefore not meeting the standard for “irreparable harm.”

After almost two and a half hours, Judge Freeman ruled in favour of the PGA Tour and denied the trio a TRO, concluding that the three players had “not established irreparable harm.”

Following the verdict, LIV Golf released a short statement saying they were disappointed that the trio “won’t be allowed to play golf.”

Gooch, Swafford and Jones are due to return to the courtroom along with seven others for the bigger antitrust suit filed against the PGA Tour. The suit alleges that the PGA Tour has been unlawfully sanctioning them for signing on with LIV Golf. 

At the close of Tuesday’s case, Judge Freeman indicated that the larger antitrust lawsuit could be heard in the fall of 2023.