19th Hole
Joaquin Niemann ‘doing everything possible’ to convince PGA Tour pro to join LIV
After a couple of week’ nap, golf is back and, as expected, LIV makes some news once again.
- Related: Rory McIlroy will fail to break major drought due to pressure (and 4 other predictions for 2023)
Towards the end of 2022, LIV CEO Greg Norman released plans for a bigger and more lucrative schedule whilst confirming that the organization was seeking further “liberated” top 10 and top 20 ranked players to join the likes of major winners Cam Smith, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and pals for the 14-event bonanza.
Speculation continues as to the names of the potential recruits, but there was a hint in November, when Sergio Garcia posted a photograph of many of the current LIV players at a charity event, with Mito Pereira happily posing with the group.
The 27-year-old winner of three Korn Ferry Tour events had shown plenty in a heart-breaking defeat at the 2022 PGA Championship and, up till November, looked sure to continue on the PGA Tour for many years.
However, last week, fellow Chilean Joaquin Niemann told Chilean news outlet La Tercera that, “I’d love to bring him in, I’m doing my best.”
Niemann, who ended the PGA Tour season inside the top-20 of the official world rankings, finished 18th on the end-of-season LIV rankings earning over $4 million and seems to be full of enthusiasm for the tour from now on.
The two-time PGA Tour winner believes the way to grow the game is through a younger audience, and whilst he will be “always grateful for all the opportunities he [Jay Monahan, PGA Tour commissioner] gave us,” he sees much more value in the LIV model:
“LIV is trying to attract a lot of younger audiences,” said the 24-year-old. “The average age of the people who watch the PGA Tour daily is over 60 years old, and to make golf grow you have to focus more on children, under 30 and under, and the LIV platform is focused on that, on holding events on the court, playing music and DJ-ing after the tournaments, in order to attract more young people.”
“In the end, no one is going to get close to a PGA Tour if it continues like this… And there they are looking for different forms in the LIV, but the art is still on the court.”
As for persuading Pereira, there was much talk throughout their charity match at home, and Niemann continues his attempts to convince his good friend to join him on his Torque GC team for the 2023 season.
With the younger man, and best-ever Chilean golfer, believing that, “this year there will be a world ranking and for me it is not an issue,” he seems to make a convincing case. However, he fully admits, “I’m doing everything possible, but in the end, it’s his decision.”
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19th Hole
TaylorMade signs 15-year-old AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year to an NIL contract
This week, TaylorMade Golf announced that they’ve signed AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year, Miles Russell, to an NIL contract.
In a statement, TaylorMade called Russell “nothing short of remarkable”.
“Miles’ record setting success at his young age is nothing short of remarkable and we are excited he chose us to support him in his growth as a golfer to continue to accomplish his career goals. Identifying and developing the top junior talent in the world has always been a priority for us at TaylorMade. Miles and his family epitomize the type of athlete and human being we are looking to add to Team TaylorMade.”
Russell has broken plenty of records in recent months. This season, he was named American Junior Golf Association’s Rolex Boys Player of the Year, making him the youngest male player to receive the award. The record was previously held by Tiger Woods who was about 10 months older than Russell at the time he received the award.
At age 14, J he became the youngest player ever to win the Junior PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass at age 14.
The 15-year-old also played in his first Korn Ferry Tour event on Thursday, the LECOM Suncoast Classic, and shot a first-round 68.
In the aftermath of the agreement, Russell released a statement.
“I have had a great relationship with the team at TaylorMade for years now and couldn’t be more excited to continue to work with them in the future. TaylorMade has a history of developing the top junior talent in the world to help reach their goals of becoming PGA TOUR and major championship winners. I am looking forward to working with the team to reach those and other goals I have laid out for my career.”
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Group of PGA Tour caddies sign endorsement deal with underwear company
In an interesting turn of events, a group of PGA Tour caddies have signed an endorsement deal with an underwear company.
Geno Bonnalie (Joel Dahmen), Aaron Flener (J.T. Poston), John Limanti (Akshay Bhatia) and Joel Stock (Will Zalatoris) and John Ellis (Wyndham Clark) have signed a deal with the underwear brand, SAXX.
Here are some details about the endorsement deal:
- The deal eclipses six figures in total value, extending what last year marked the first significant apparel agreement with a group of pro caddies. Of note, Geno and John Ellis appeared in the Netflix docuseries, Full Swing.
- The caddies will wear SAXX underwear, shorts and polos on and off the course.
- SAXX will donate $100 to the Testicular Cancer Foundation for every birdie made by the caddies’ players for the rest of the season.
- SAXX will bring the Ball Masters to the masses at the Travelers Championship, hosting a fan activation with underwear giveaways, photo opportunities, appearances from the Ball Masters and more.
- Fans can become an honorary Ball Master, which includes a year’s worth of underwear, among other things. Go to SAXX.com/ball-master-application from now until June 15 to enter.
The partnership is great for the caddies and also represents a great cause.
Check out the video they shared on YouTube:
More from the 19th Hole
- The wild reason why Mark Wahlberg was initially denied entry to an Australian golf club
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
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Man charged with stealing millions of dollars worth of memorabilia from Augusta National
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.
More from the 19th Hole
- The wild reason why Mark Wahlberg was initially denied entry to an Australian golf club
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
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