19th Hole

LIV Golf signs Spanish Amateur star David Puig

Published

2 years ago

Sep 13, 2022

Matt Vincenzi

David Puig has elected to forego his senior season at Arizona State University to turn professional and join LIV Golf.

Related: Patrick Reed hits out at ‘insulting’ Rory McIlroy

The Spaniard has already played in two LIV events but as an amateur. Puig has earned $268,000 in prize money in those starts but the maximum he was able to take home was $1,000 per event due to his amateur status.

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman spoke about the acquisition and praised Puig’s “long term” prospects.

“LIV family is a bond, growing and forever strong and giving an additional pathway for the next gen,” he said, while adding that Puig was a “great long-term addition.”

The two time All-American announced his decision via his Instagram page, saying:

“Although it has probably been the hardest decision that I’ve ever made, I’ve decided to turn professional this week,” Puig said in a statement. “However, I’m still an ASU student and plan to graduate in the next year. My base will be in Tempe, hopefully forever. What a great place to live and become a champion golfer.

“I’ve been lucky enough to represent Spain on many occasions and it’s been a real honor. Today is a day where even though I stop being an amateur and change to a professional player, the love and respect I have for this federation will never change.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Puig Corrius?? (@davidpuigcorrius)

Puig will be playing in LIV Chicago this week and will be joining his third team in as many events. He played with Fireballs GC captained by Sergio Garcia in London and Cleeks GC captained by Martin Kaymer in New Jersey. In Chicago, the 20-year-old will be joining Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC.

There’s reason to believe Torque may be a long-term home for Puig as it’s logical that Niemann will end up having a team of Spanish-speakers as LIV teams start to take shape for 2023 and beyond.

Prior to his decision, Puig was the 9th ranked amateur in the world.

Man charged with stealing millions of dollars worth of memorabilia from Augusta National

Published

15 hours ago

Apr 18, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, a man has been charged in Chicago with stealing millions of dollars’ worth of memorabilia from Augusta National.

The man, Robert Globensky, was charged with transporting the memorabilia across state lines.

The report states that between 2009 and 2022, Globensky allegedly transported “millions of dollars’ worth of Masters golf tournament merchandise and historical memorabilia” from Augusta National “and transported to Tampa, Florida, knowing the same had been stolen, converted and taken by fraud.”

The document was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Per the court records there is no mention that Globensky worked for the golf club.

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19th Hole

Talor Gooch: 54 holes is more exciting for the fans

Published

16 hours ago

Apr 18, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

Over the past few weeks, two of LIV Golf’s biggest stars, Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson, have both expressed that they believe LIV could go to 72 holes.

While speaking to BBC Sport, Rahm said he “wouldn’t mind” going to 72 holes.

“If there ever was a way where LIV could go to 72 holes I think it would help all of this argument a lot.”

“The closer I think we can get LIV Golf to some other things the better. I think it would be for some kind of unification to feed into a world tour or something like that.

“I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I definitely wouldn’t mind going back to 72 holes.”

Phil Mickelson, while speaking after his final round at The Masters, also said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if LIV went to 72 holes.

“I don’t think it makes a difference either way. We’ve got mini-tours playing 54, Champions Tour playing 54. I wouldn’t be surprised if some or all of LIV events went to 72. I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I enjoy the competition.”

Another one of LIV’s top players, Talor Gooch, expressed on Wednesday that he feels quite differently.

“It’s just funny to me, this arbitrary number of 72.”

“Why is it not 90? “Why is it not 108? We just decided to make that number the number, for what reason?”

“Everyone’s talked about world ranking points and all this stuff, but no one’s talked about what do the fans enjoy more?”

“People want something that’s going to be more exciting. And I personally think that the 54 holes is more exciting for the fans.”

After Gooch’s comments, I decided to get some fan feedback for myself, making a poll on X. With about 4,500 votes in at the time of writing this, roughly 84% of voters in the poll indicated they’d prefer 72 holes to just 16% saying they’d prefer 54.

Rahm prefers 72 holes
Gooch prefers 54 holes

Where do the fans stand?

— Matt Vincenzi (@MattVincenziPGA) April 17, 2024

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19th Hole

Brandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why

Published

2 days ago

Apr 17, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Earlier this week, rumors began to fly that Rory McIlroy could be making a shock switch to LIV Golf which caused quite the stir on social media.

However, on Tuesday, McIlroy emphatically shut down those rumors, telling Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town:

“I honestly don’t know how these things get started. I’ve never been offered a number from LIV and I’ve never contemplated going to LIV. Again I think I’ve made it clear over the past two years that I don’t think it’s something for me.

It’s unfortunate that we have to deal with it and this is the state that our game’s in. I’m obviously here today and I’m playing this PGA Tour event next week and I will play the PGA Tour for the rest of my career.”

Golf Channel analyst and longtime LIV critic, Brandel Chamblee, took to social media before McIlroy’s statement to point the finger at “Saudis/LIV,” who he believes started the rumor:

I have no doubt that this rumor was started by Saudis/LIV… to benefit Saudis/LIV after such a poor showing, as a group, at The Masters.

I’d be very surprised if this turns out to be true. https://t.co/SWNgjHtWSM

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) April 16, 2024

When one user pushed back on Chamblee’s claim that LIV golfers had a poor showing at the Masters, Brandel went further into why he believes the opening major of the year was a failure for the breakaway tour.

You think they paid 3 billion for a few top tens and to be +82 as a group at major? A senior citizen beat some of their “stars” and almost all the game’s of LIV players have deteriorated since they sold their souls to the Saudis who only bought a moment in time… nothing else. https://t.co/xERkYsztIJ

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) April 16, 2024