LIV’s stigma is diminishing. Still, there is one more uncomfortable reality.
At LIV Golf’s debut tournament in London in June 2022, you couldn’t blame the players for wanting to wear body armor when interacting with the media. Because my first sessions with reporters felt more like sparring sessions than press conferences.
The players had to explain not only why they quit the PGA Tour, but also why they accepted so much money from a government-backed league with human rights issues. Does Talor Guchtan understand the “evidence” that Saudi Arabia and its regime legalize a certain amount of sports washing? he asked. Graham McDowell, Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen were asked how they reconciled Saudi Arabia’s claims of atrocities with their decision to sign the LIV. (“We’re not politicians,” McDowell fumed. (“We’re professional golfers”) Phil Mickelson raised the biggest question in his scathing remarks about his “horrible” Saudi boss. A journalist asks if Mikkelsen “could be considered a Saudi player and would that have an impact?” he asked. Business. Your legacy?”
Even Ari Fleischer, a controversial former press secretary under President George W. Bush, was hired by LIV to help the media monitor player coaches and press conferences. “Ari,” he asked during the first wave of the press conference. “You tweeted in 2011 that Saudi Arabia isn’t collapsing because it’s spending billions and hundreds of billions of dollars.” Was this series of waves planned to prevent the overthrow of Mohammed bin Salman and perhaps to protect him? Is that why you work?
“It was a long time ago,” Fleischer said.
LIV’s first story also seems to be from a very long time ago. Just 17 months after the league officially began, LIV has signed Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith. To see one of Koepka’s players win a major championship; And then there was the most unprecedented twist involving PGA Tour investment negotiations. Vader and Skywalker, Inc. Then on Thursday, LIV announced its biggest participant ever. World No. 3 Jon Rahm is a global star who not only brings a Q rating, outstanding talent and a green jacket to an up-and-coming league, but also a testament to the power of the PGA Tour. Players can be substituted. You may have seen or heard Rahm make a compelling case for the PGA Tour five months ago at the U.S. Open. (On Friday morning, the audio clip also aired on WFAN, a New York sports radio station that rarely covers golf.) Legacy, good format, money for players, yadda yadda. It’s impossible to hear Rahm’s credo and think he’s going to jump, but he described his transformation to a gaggle of eager reporters Thursday night wearing a black-and-white LIV sports jacket. . He hosted a Zoom call and soon caught up with Fox News viewers in a live interview with host Brett Baier.
John Rahm in his blue jersey at the Tour Championship press conference.
Jon Rahm’s departure for LIV leaves us with a big question.
Rahman asked what had changed. He said money was the lure, but pointed to LIV’s “innovation” and team format. There were no difficult questions like the previous ones. There are no questions about human rights, sports laundering or murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Journalists no longer approached him with judgment and fighting. Ram, who felt left out of the tournament, also seemed reluctant to push him.
Several pros spoke Thursday about their concerns about growth in golf, but none publicly criticized Rahm. Even Rory McIlroy, who carried the Tour’s torch during the most exciting years of LIV’s founding, seemed resigned to the new reality of professional golf. “It’s hard for me to sit here and criticize Jon because of how good of a player he is and the experience I’ve had with him,” McIlroy told Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir earlier this week. McIlroy even said Ryder Cup entry rules on the DP World Tour should be changed to allow Rahm to play in Europe at Bethpage in 2025.
He added: “You can’t judge someone for making the decision they think is best for them. Is this a disappointment to me? Yes. However, with the announcement of the basic agreement on June 6, the landscape of the Gulf has changed. So the jump from the PGA Tour to LIV was a little easier for the players. They sent heat to the first people. This framework agreement justifies what LIV is trying to do.”
McIlroy is right. Even in the unlikely scenario of the framework agreement collapsing, the Tour showed that LIV and Saudi Arabia were open for business. For players who don’t want to join LIV, a tournament offer could be the push they need. With the addition of Lahm, players on the tour will be encouraged to move. Whatever you think of LIV’s supporting cast, their stable includes Rahm, Koepka, Cam, Bryson, DJ, Phil, Nieman, Reed, Mito, Gooch and others. – giant
But this is an important choice. Despite this positive momentum, LIV still faces a very uncomfortable reality. No matter how many stars are named, the tournament remains largely unknown. This is not just a reporter’s opinion. This is the belief of golf fans who have been reluctant to watch LIV broadcasts due to viewership restrictions.
Will things change with Ram joining? doubtful. But what if more players come? Could it be a twist? Rahm will soon have a team to fill out, and it’s hard to imagine him filling that team with his predecessors. Live says you can add other teams in addition to these holidays. This means we can see seven players who went to Livas in Rahm. Which player? You don’t have to watch the game closely to hear the whispers. John Rahm explains the explosive solution LIV
“There are rumors,” Justin Rose told the Golf Channel on Thursday, “and I’ve talked to some of the rumors that have been said and they’re playing it really well — they sound like rumors.” But I don’t know where the truth is.”
Nobody does that now. Even the highly educated and connected McIlroy, who spoke to Rahm a month ago and said he would be “very surprised” if he signed with LIV, said: “I’m pretty sure John is a PGA Tour player” .
This is the new paradigm in professional golf. No one seems to know much about anything. With just 23 days until the tournament deadline, sponsors LIV are expected to announce the progress of their partnership with Saudi Arabia’s National Investment Fund, and players still seem to be in the dark about what will happen next. It is surprising that Lam canceled the tournament 11 hours after the start of negotiations. This could be a sign that negotiations are not going well, that Lahm is using the bait as a shot at the Tour and that he and many other players feel betrayed. Or, conversely, it could be a sign that a deal is in the works and that LIV players will soon no longer have to deal with many of the restrictions they were used to. So why not take the money and run?
