19th Hole

Adam Scott commits to PGA Tour by joining Player Advisory Council

Published

5 months ago

Jan 16, 2023

Just a few weeks away from LIV Golf’s opener at Mayakoba, the Saudi-backed organization has found recent news going against them.

PGA Tour player Harry Higgs gave his side of the LIV argument, stating LIV “took all the villains” whilst just yesterday Eamon Lynch questioned what will be left of the infamous lawsuit between LIV and the PGA Tour, suggesting the financiers “find themselves in a legal quagmire of their own making.”

At the end of last season, LIV chairman Greg Norman was all about making his tour even bigger, and louder, than its first season. Talk was of 14 events, even bigger prize funds and more big names, but already one potential prospect has dashed any hope of signing.

2013 Masters champion and former world number one, Adam Scott, yesterday closed the door on any move to the Aussie team at LIV by joining the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council.

The PAC contains 16 players, all of which meet and consult with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan on matters affecting the players and the tour, much of which naturally focuses on the improvements the tour can make to stave off the potential threat of exodus to LIV.

Whilst the 42-year-old has never said he was interested in joining his compatriot on the ‘golf but louder’ tour, he has remained fair in comments, suggesting last year that, unlike many players, he didn’t see LIV as “pure evil.”

That may still be the case, but in joining vociferous anti-LIV players such as Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and the afore-mentioned Higgs, Scott has placed his marker firmly on the more traditional, if now more progressive, side.

Scott confirmed he was not interested in tittle-tattle, stating:

“I’m more interested in what the Tour is planning on doing with the Tour than how we’re fighting a lawsuit. I couldn’t care less about that to be honest. I’m more interested in what the future of the Tour looks like. I convinced myself that it was worth diving into that to see what’s going on.”

Talking of how and why he has now joined forces with fellow players, the current world number 37 explained:

“I think seeing Rory taking a leadership role, I feel, potentially, like a few other notable players—if I can call myself a notable player—can assist him moving things in the direction it seems to be. It’s an important time for the Tour to kind of map out the next decade and beyond, what playing the PGA Tour kind of is working towards and what that looks like.”

He continued, “As well as everyone out here probably wants to know, full schedule and beyond. But it’s just a time of change. And, yeah, big decisions are going to be made and they need to be the right ones.”

With LIV now also frustrated over the decision by the OWGR to award ranking points to another 54-hole tour, this news may not be the most hurtful, but it does give the PGA Tour a further string to its political bow.

The Aussie is clearly keen on moving things forward:

“There’s smart people running the tour. I’m not thinking I’m taking Jay’s (Monahan) job,” Scott confirmed. “But I don’t mind stirring the pot if it needs to be stirred in conversation in those kind of rooms, just to let everyone think more. Sometimes I feel like we get pretty reactive to things these days. It’s nice to think down the line a little bit.”

Report: LIV exec calls McIlroy a ‘little b***h’ and says they can now finally get these 2 PGA Tour stars

Published

7 hours ago

Jun 8, 2023

GolfWRX Staff

As the fallout from one of the craziest weeks the sport has ever seen continues, speculation is rife over what the future of golf will now look like.

Related: Report: Despite rumblings of LIV’s demise, a meeting took place yesterday that tells a different story

Speaking during his hotly anticipated pre-tournament presser at the Canadian Open, Rory McIlroy made his thoughts clear, hoping the merger would now see LIV Golf vanish.

“I still hate LIV. I hope it goes away. And I would fully expect that it does. And I think that’s where the distinction here is. This is the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF. Very different from LIV.”

However, per a report from Alan Shipnuck of the FirePit Collective, Rory may not get his wish.

According to Shipnuck, following the merger announcement, a meeting took place where Greg Norman addressed LIV employees and stated that there would be “no operational changes into the future.”

“Norman radiated confidence, saying that the 2024 LIV schedule was nearly finalized. “There will be no operational changes in 2023, 2024, 2025 and into the future,” he said. Then came the mic drop: ‘LIV is a stand-alone entity and will continue to be that moving forward. And that comes right from the top.’

Furthermore, a LIV executive told Shipnuck that every top name will now get a LIV offer but that McIlroy will be snubbed as “nobody wants that little bitch on their team.”

“Now we can finally get Hideki [Matsuyama] and Jon Rahm. I would say every big name on the PGA Tour will get an offer. Except Rory. Nobody wants that little bitch on their team.”

What happens next remains to be seen, but it looks as if the wild and whacky drama is set to continue for quite some time.

Report: Despite rumblings of LIV’s demise, a meeting took place yesterday that tells a different story

Published

8 hours ago

Jun 8, 2023

Matt Vincenzi

After the shocking PGA Tour/DP World Tour/PIF merger, there was plenty of speculation that the deal would put an end to LIV Golf in the near future.

In the PGA Tour meeting Tuesday, commissioner Jay Monahan said “that a full review of LIV’s commercial viability would be conducted at season’s end”. Those who were in the meeting took that as a bad sign for the future of LIV, including Rory, who spoke about LIV in his press conference on Wednesday.

As for Rory McIlroy:

“I still hate LIV,” the four-time major winner said. “I hope it goes away. And I would fully expect that it does. And I think that’s where the distinction here is. This is the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF. Very different from LIV.”

Despite the rumors of its demise, Alan Shipnuck of the Firepit Collective wrote on Thursday morning that the feeling after Greg Norman’s press conference with LIV employees that isn’t going anywhere.

Shipnuck, who’s had his ear to the ground for almost two years on everything LIV Golf, shared the feeling he got when watching the Norman-led meeting.

“By way of an opening, he said, ‘Congratulations, you changed golf, and you did it in less than a year.’ The employees on the call had taken huge professional risks to join LIV and were understandably jittery. Norman radiated confidence, saying that the 2024 LIV schedule was nearly finalized. “There will be no operational changes in 2023, 2024, 2025 and into the future,” he said. Then came the mic drop: ‘LIV is a stand-alone entity and will continue to be that moving forward. And that comes right from the top.’

The author of “LIV and Let Die” then explained who is really calling the shots in the world of golf going forward: Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

“The man at the top is not Monahan. Or Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods. Or the the lords of the Seminole grill room, Jimmy Dunne and Ed Herlihy, who brokered the truce with LIV in their roles as PGA Tour board members. No, Norman was referring to the new boss of all of them, His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan. H.E., as he is referred to around LIV, is the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which can alter economies and disrupt industries with its $650 billion warchest. He is also the chairman of the board of Aramco, the state oil company, making H.E. easily the most powerful person in the world who is not a head of state. His latest title is chairman of the board of the new PIF-Tour entity.”

“That means Monahan reports to him”.

Per Shipnuck, a high ranking LIV executive describes LIV as “Al-Rumayyan’s baby” and find it hard to believe he would let it disintegrate so quickly after how much effort he put into the venture.

“What people fail to understand is that LIV is H.E.’s baby,” said the LIV executive. “He has poured his heart into its creation.” This included numerous meetings in which Al-Rumayyan fussed over every detail, down to the look of the LIV logo.”

“We all went into the call with our heads hanging low, feeling so defeated,” says the LIV executive. “Then it became like in The Wolf Of Wall Street when Leonardo DiCaprio gives that speech and the whole room goes crazy. When His Excellency finished speaking we were all high-5’ing. It was like, Let’s fucking go! We’re gonna fucking do this!”

Time will tell how it will play out, but as Shipnuck describes, the future of golf is in the hands of Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (6/8/23): SIK blacked-out slant neck putter

Published

8 hours ago

Jun 8, 2023

Gianni Magliocco

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a SIK blacked-out slant neck putter.

From the seller (@Brooks_CupCake): “Sik Pro C. Short Slant. 365g headweight. Amazing shape. Right at 35” depending on grip. 69.5*. 3.5*. Brand New SS Grip. $385, OBRO (and emphasis on reasonable) USD Shipped via UPS and can work with the buyer for faster shipping if needed.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: SIK blacked-out slant neck putter

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules