Major(s) News & Notes, November 11th, 2021
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Then the Quad dives into how major venues fared in Golf Mag's World Top 100, followed by a Frisco update, and some non-golf reads.
When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Slugger! Today In C-Suite Bolstering News Via The Super Saudi Golf League
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LIV Golf Investments—aka the Super Saudi Golf League until further notice—continues to rack up the impressive list of executives.
The big name here for golf fans is Slugger White, longtime co-head of Rules and Competitions for the PGA Tour who retired this year only to be lured back to grow the game (Check out Adam Schupak’s Golfweek story on Slugger’s now short-LIVed goodbye). Also joining the group are two media officials, including a former Endeavor executive as Chief Media Officer.
For Immediate Release
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. and NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- LIV Golf Investments, the new entity focused on making strategic investments in golf, announced today the C-Suite appointment of Will Staeger as Chief Media Officer. Also joining LIV Golf Investments' leadership team are Slugger White, Vice President of Rules & Competition Management and Jane MacNeille, Vice President of Communications.
Will Staeger, an experienced executive in the sports and entertainment industries, brings over 25 years of experience managing media rights deals and production groups for iconic brands. He has overseen acquisitions, production, streaming, and event divisions for companies such as ESPN, Endeavor, WWE, and Dick Clark Productions. Staeger's most recent role was at Endeavor, where he managed original production before overseeing the company's NeuLion acquisition, later renamed Endeavor Streaming, as President of that division. Prior to Endeavor, Staeger managed all production strategy for WWE as Executive Vice President during the launch of the company's premium OTT platform.
"Each of us at LIV Golf Investments has one shared mission – to holistically improve the game of golf at every level – so I am elated to have the opportunity to join Greg Norman and his team to achieve that goal," said Staeger. "The innovation we will bring to production will excite and entertain fans in every corner of the globe. I look forward to unveiling our plans very soon."
Further strengthening LIV Golf Investments' leadership team are the additions of Slugger White and Jane MacNeille. Widely respected in the world of golf, White recently completed a legendary 40-year career as a rules official for the PGA TOUR. MacNeille, highly regarded in the marketing communications sector of the golf industry, has 15 years of experience, having most recently spent seven years as Head of Communications at the Greg Norman Company.
"As we pursue our goal of enhancing the global golf ecosystem, we are focused on building upon our strong foundation of sustainable growth, and are pleased to welcome Will, Slugger and Jane to the leadership team," said Greg Norman. "Their combined experience and expertise will be invaluable and instrumental, guiding LIV Golf Investments into the future."
All three team members have transitioned into their new roles.
LIV Golf Investments is building an exceptionally talented team of distinguished professionals from golf, sports and entertainment with deep experience in event operations, marketing, sponsorship and broadcasting. These new appointments follow the announcement last week naming Sean Bratches as Chief Commercial Officer and Ron Cross as Chief Events Officer. Additional leadership announcements are to follow.
Saudis Add Key Executives; Norman Teases Australia Stop And Questions PGA Tour's Attempt At A Counter
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A couple of reveals in the tussle between the upstart Asian Tour co-sanctioned Greg Norman helmed league.
ESPN.com’s Bob Harig reports that two executives with impressive careers in sport have joined the team, headlined by former PGA Tour and Augusta National executive Ron Cross. Also signing on as Chief Commercial Officer is a former ESPN executive, Sean Bratches, a key figure in F1 who managed their commercial operations until 2020.
Cross most recently worked at the PGA Tour as senior vice president of corporate affairs. Before that, he was special assistant to commissioner Jay Monahan and at one time prior to working at Augusta National he was executive director of the Players Championship. Cross also worked as a senior director at Augusta National for eight years and helped with various grow-the-game initiatives including the Drive, Chip & Putt, the Asia-Pacific Amateur and the Latin-America Amateur.
Bratches was executive vice president of sales and marketing and served on the board of directors at ESPN before becoming managing director of commercial operations for Formula 1.
Rex Hoggard spoke to Cross for a GolfChannel.com story explaining how thins ended with the PGA Tour for the former top advisor to Commissioner Jay Monahan.
When Jay Monahan took over as PGA Tour commissioner in 2017, Cross returned “back home” to where he started his career in golf. “I thought I’d retire at the Tour, but unfortunately the pandemic hit,” he said. As the pandemic hurt the circuit’s business his position was “eliminated” in December 2020.
Cross holds no hard feelings towards the Tour. He understands better than most the reality of a global pandemic on nearly every business. But he also understands – again, better than most – that the product can always be better.
“Continuous improvement,” he said, “that’s what we learned from [the late Clifford Roberts] and Mr. Payne at Augusta. It’s what everybody in golf strives for. You want to make the experience better for fans, for players, for clients, for volunteers.”
Besides teasing an Australia event, Greg Norman responded to an AP story suggesting the PGA Tour is looking at several options as possible responses to disruptor Tours and the coming demise of WGC’s.
Ferguson writes:
The PGA Tour is contemplating a “global series” in the fall with big purses, no cuts and appearance money based on a player’s FedEx Cup standing. It is looking into another bonus program for the top five going into the Tour Championship.
Norman’s reply at Australia Golf Digest:
“Isn’t that their fiduciary responsibility, to be doing that every year?” Norman asks. “Shouldn’t that be the precedent they set, rather than being reactionary to somebody else’s proposal? I shake my head because I’m just so perplexed about it all. I’ve been involved in golf for 40-plus years, and I think I’ve come up with some pretty good ideas based off a few observations. They’re not ‘Greg Norman’s observations’, they’re simply observations the sport should be seeing for itself.”
Norman was kind in his assessment given that the ideas floated merely compound an issue some top players would like to see change: the creation of an off-season.
Dress Code Not Helping At Saudi Laudies International
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Remember ladies, you can eat at restaurants now according to Greg Norman so whatever discomfort you suffer adhering to the Saudi dress code is a small price to pay for the privilege of eating out.
“We have to cover our legs so we don’t show too much skin so it just feels like we’re in like body suits in really hot heat.
“(Dress) below the knees for women. No sleeveless (tops), no shoulders showing.
“It’s just a respect thing but it does feel hot.”
Competing by the Red Sea in King Abdullah Economic City, Lee suspects the unique challenge will be as much psychological as physical.
“Mentally, because you’re always sweating and you never really cool down, that will be the main challenge,” the world No. 5 said.
“I just played nine holes and I was cooked. But 18 holes, I mean, it’s going to take, what, five hours to go around this golf course?
“So it will be testing all parts of your mental strength, I think.”
McKellar Podcast With Lawrence Donegan And Mark Cannizzaro
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McKellar’s podcast is back and Lawrence Donegan and Mark Cannizzaro included yours truly in a discussion about Golf Saudi’s infusion of cash into the Asian Tour. We explore the possibility of anarchy should top players take some huge cash offers, plus the flaw in the concept and some of the people who’ve signed on to support the effort to remake professional golf.
Listening options: Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your pods.
The Asia-Pacific Amateur Is This Week In...The Middle East
/There are a couple of ways to think about this week’s Asia-Pacific Amateur turning up in Dubai with a Masters invitation going to the winner.
It’s a fine opportunity to pull out a globe and see how the Asia-Pacific region you (thought you) knew is now incorporating the Middle East. This was news to me even if the venue, Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, is technically in Asia. Th course was only announced in late July and presumably selected due to COVID restrictions in much of the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia.
But more importantly, this selection puts some of golf’s leaders within a very short flight of Riyadh. It’s home to the Public Investment Fund of Saudia Arabia, now proud benefactors of some Asian Tour events and, as we presumably will find out soon, a global golf tour for superstars headed by Greg Norman.
The only bummer with this glorious coincidence of scheduling as the Five Families mull the ramifications of a disruptor golf tour? The fund’s head, Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan, had to sit out last week’s conference celebrating all thing public investment under mysterious circumstances. But the Crown Prince turned up, so they’ve got that going for them. Both Reuters and the New York Times say it was a COVID positive test for Al Rumayyan and not unabashed excitement over landing Norman as Commish.
So no meetings with the possible head of a new Family in golf. This week anyway. .
For more on the Asia-Pacific Amateur, check out the official website. I’ll post official broadcast times when made available.
