Mitzvah Alert: Mickelson Plays Saudi Pro-Am With Premier Golf League Founders

The Scotsman’s Martin Dempster tells us the amazing coincidence of all amazing coincidences: Phil Mickelson was paired up in Saudi Arabia’s European Tour pro-am round with founders of the Saudi-backed Premier Golf League.

After playing with Majed Al-Sorour, CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation, Colin Neville, of The Raine Group, London financier Andrew Gardiner and one other man only identified as “Richard,” Dempster quotes Mickelson has fascinated by the league concept.

“It was fascinating to talk with them and ask some questions and see what their plans are. Where they started, how they started, why and just got their background, which was very interesting.

“I haven’t had the chance to put it all together and think about what I want to say about it publicly, but I do think it was an informative day for me to have the chance to spend time with them.”

Who says pro-am rounds are a waste of time!

Whew: Ratings Return Without NFL, Return Of Stars At 2020 Farmers Insurance Open

Nice to see Showbuzzdaily numbers that do not have golf competing for placement against nature program reruns. Amazing what happens when stars play and the NFL takes the weekend off!

The 2020 Farmers Insurance Open was the weekend’s second most-watched sports telecast and drew a healthy average of 3.2 million viewers and a half-million from the 18-49 y.o. demographic.

Early Sunday coverage on Golf Channel topped the million mark as well, while the first three rounds also did some nice numbers.

PGA Tour Digs In To Ward Off "Team Golf Concept" With Threats

I’m picturing a quaint scene down in Ponte Vedra Beach. Former Commissioner Tim Finchem, his reddish-brown-blond hair having turned grey in retirement, sitting in a wicker chair, sipping vino as his replacement Jay Monahan stops by one afternoon. The mentor knows what’s up: Monahan needs advice on how to handle the Premier Golf League.

“How’re your girls?” Finchem asks.

“They’re smarter than I am,” Monahan says. “They would have seen that adding more and more tournaments, even if it meant begging Guy Boros to play despite being retired for ten years, was a terrible idea.”

“What about this Premier Golf League business?”

“I’ll handle it.”

“I never wanted this for you,” Finchem says, weepy. Now remember, ''Whoever comes to you with this Premier Golf League meeting, he's the traitor, don't forget that.”

If only the current predicament were so cinematic.

Actually, Monahan is maintaining the hard line approach his predecessor took against subversives, according to reporters who have seen the PGA Tour Commissioner’s email to players and first reported on yesterday: the PGL is a hostile bid and releases will not be granted.

Rex Hoggard quotes from the email to players in this GolfChannel.com item.

Although funding information for the Premier Golf League has been vague, Monahan’s letter references “funding from Saudi interests” and adds, “We understand that Team Golf Concept is focused on securing player commitments first as they have no sponsorship or media offerings or rights.”

At last week’s player meeting, Monahan outlined “significant increases in prize money and comprehensive earnings over the next decade [on the PGA Tour]” as a result of new media rights deals and other revenue streams. He also appeared to draw a tough line for any players who may be interested in the Premier Golf League.

“If the Team Golf Concept or another iteration of this structure becomes a reality in 2022 or at any time before or after, our members will have to decide whether they want to continue to be a member of the PGA Tour or play on a new series,” Monahan wrote.

Well ok then, no releases will be coming and once you go, there is no coming back.

Noteworthy: Monahan citing the PGL’s lack of media “offerings or rights” to the players, just as news of ESPN+’s PGA Tour deal would soon and magically get out. And this on top of early news of the Players purse increase soon after news of the hostile Premier league was revealed here.

Golf Gods work in mysterious ways!

But most incredible of all is Brian Wacker’s GolfDigest.com story about the release issue and Premier Golf League, where he quotes a Player Advisory Council member not seeing it happening. But it’s deep in the piece where a line that will make all sponsors, TV executives and non-top 50 players stop in their tracks.

And yet changes could be on the horizon. According to one source, Monahan had a conversation last week with McIlroy and Rickie Fowler about the potential new league, during which he expressed his concerns about the sustainability of the status quo for the PGA Tour in the long term.

As the tour has stockpiled events, built a wraparound schedule—despite warnings that it was oversaturating the product—and created playoffs doling out big cash and mediocre ratings, the Commissioner may be acknowledging the status quo is not sustainable on the cusp of signing new media deals to fund…the status quo.

Koepka's Non-Committal Olympic Commital Sounds Like He's Committed To Passing

And now the world No. 1 sounds less than excited about Olympic golf.

From G.C. Digital on Brooks Koepka not exactly giving the impression Olympic golf is even 10th on his priority list this year.

 “It just all kind of depends on how you feel, how your body feels,” Koepka told reporters. “To me, the four majors are definitely more important for me. The FedExCup, too. That’s a goal of mine. We’ll see where everything else falls.”

Coupled with Dustin Johnson also sounding uninspired, this is a reminder of the format’s fatal flaw as an individual competition: players on the fence will not be letting teammates down.

Anticipating the stress of a condensed major season, some arm twisting to play the WGC in Memphis and of course, the playoffs, it is hardly a surprise that an appearance fee-free trip to Japan falls down the list of tournaments to play for players who generally play limited schedules as is.

AP: ESPN+ To Land PGA Tour Live Rights

The PGA Tour has reportedly made the wise move for all of its TV partners by awarding the PGA Tour Live streaming package to ESPN+, according to this unbylined AP report. The package of pre-telecast coverage is currently offered by NBC Sports Gold through the end of 2019.

From the report:

It would not be the first time ESPN+ has shown the PGA Tour. It had a portion of PGA Tour Live in 2018 — it was run by BAMTech, of which Disney had acquired a controlling stake the previous summer. PGA Tour Live moved to NBC Sports Gold for 2019 and this year.

ESPN previously won the rights to weekday coverage of the PGA Championship starting this year at Harding Park and plans to offer supplemental feeds on ESPN+.

While I’m a Golf Channel contributor and therefore rooting for their properties to succeed, getting ESPN involved in the next media rights deal is a fantastic coup for all involved with the PGA Tour, including rival broadcasters.

Not only does this assure coverage on millions of devices having access to the pre-telecast coverage via ESPN+’s app (as opposed to a smaller audience paying one fee just for PGA Tour Live), a partnership with ESPN means continued Sportscenter coverage, a partnership with Disney and a visibility for golf that no one else in streaming can deliver short of Netflix or Amazon.

As I wrote back in December, the USGA made a huge mistake saying goodbye to the Worldwide Leader and I’m glad the PGA Tour learned from such a mistake.

ESPN+ is estimated to reach 3.5 million devices as of November, 2019. It can also be bundled alongside Hulu and Disney+ for just the low, low price of $12.99 a month. The Mandalorian alone is worth that alone!

This also means that if the rumors are true, the PGA Tour’s next deal will have them in partnership with Comcast, Viacom, Disney and Discovery Networks. While that leaves out Fox, it’s still a pretty stout set of major media company partners.

Dustin Johnson Wonders If Olympic Golf Will Fit His Schedule

Currently easily in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games based on his No. 5 world ranking position, Dustin Johnson wondered aloud if the event falling 11 days after The Open Championship will fit his schedule.

OlympicTalk at NBCSports.com reports on Johnson’s comments ahead of his appearance in Saudi Arabia this week.

“Obviously representing the United States in the Olympics is something that, you know, definitely be proud to do,” he said when asked if the Ryder Cup and the Olympics are goals this year. “But is it going to fit in the schedule properly? I’m not really sure about that, because there’s so many events that are right there and leading up to it. So you know, I’m still working with my team to figure out what’s the best thing for me to do.”

Report: Monahan Tells Players Premier Golf League "Recently secured funding from Saudi interests"

My initial report on the World Golf Group’s proposal noted that Middle East money was part of the funding, but a release by the group in response sought to distance the effort from that. Instead, the Raine Group was suggested as the financing arm of the proposed Premier Golf League.

However, No Laying Up’s Tron Carter shared portions of a redacted version of an email sent to players by PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan vowing to enforce current regulations while noting the investment from Saudi Arabia. The email also suggests substantial guarantees for the 12 team owners that would make up the initial iteration of this competing tour.

Presumably, Monahan is highlighting the likelihood that the loathsome Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is involved, and that players would essentially be taking a form of dirty money. Certainly a huge consideration in all of these machinations.

And yet, as the European Tour returns to Saudi Arabia this week, it should be noted that several top PGA Tour members are playing thanks to releases from the PGA Tour.

Speaking of the Saudi event, Morning Read’s Dave Seanor considers the effort to “grow the game” this week and the issues arising from golf’s dance with the Kingdom.

Rahm Was Not Aware He Needed To Eagle The Last Hole To Force Farmers Playoff

With everyone’s minds on Kobe Bryant’s untimely passing, admittedly the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open outcome become secondary at best. Marc Leishman ultimately prevailed by one over Jon Rahm who left an 18th hole eagle putt just short.

Turns out, Rahm was not aware he needed the eagle putt to go in at 18.

From GolfDigest.com’s John Strege:

“What people probably don’t know is that on 18, after I made that [birdie] putt on 17, I never looked at the scoreboard, so as far as I was concerned I was … one back. So with a birdie I was going to be in a playoff.

“That putt, that’s a tough putt. You can’t just ram it by 10 feet. It’s just not going to go in. So I did hit it with trying to make it with perfect speed thinking a two-putt would get into a playoff, but when [caddie] Adam [Hayes] told me the news, he’s like, ‘Hey, good try.’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean? We’re in a playoff.’ He’s like, ‘Nope, he birdied 18.’ ”

There’s one for the ole, watch your leaderboards, kids.

We discussed on Golf Central:

1:25 2:26

(Emergency) State Of The Game 101: The Premier Golf League Bombshell

Rod Morri, Mike Clayton and I convened an emergency State of the Game to flesh out details and potential consequences of the proposed Premier Golf League, first revealed here last week.

iTunes users can find and subscribe here. Or listen on your preferred podcast device. Or here:

One Night Only: Feherty And McCord Reuniting, For Now

Bill Goodykoontz of the Arizona Republic learns from David Feherty of a one-night reunion with his former CBS sidekick Gary McCord.

Instead of his normal standup, Feherty will do his first half then return with McCord at Phoenix’s Orpheum theater. He says “God knows where this is going to go.”

This should be a lively evening given McCord’s recent non-renewal from CBS and believe that he was unfairly blamed for the state of their broadcasts. James Colgan at Golf.com with that backstory.

Given last weekend’s rough start for CBS, he may be smarting even more.

As for Feherty, he had some good things to say in the discussion with Goodykoontz. Including this:

Q: Do golf announcers take themselves too seriously sometimes?

A: Oh, without question, I think every sport does. The bottom line is it’s a game, it’s a diversion from everyday life. It shouldn’t be taken that seriously. There’s a whole lot of things more important (laughs).

Q: I don’t want to leave the impression that all you and McCord ever did was make jokes. You make serious calls, too.

A: There’s a time to do that and a time to have fun. It’s recognizing the difference, I think. It’s still golf.

Q: And if it’s going well, you comment on that.

A: It can also be bad. We’ve had telecasts where I thought, (expletive), it’s like a pro-am broke out. I mean, these guys can’t play at all. That’s when the broadcaster earns his money — when it’s not so good on the screen. I trust viewers to be able to watch. It’s a visual medium. When the golf is really good, it needs punctuation, and that’s all.

Premier Golf League Also Intends To Expand Concept To Women's Golf

While the questions will keep coming over the proposed series of 18 events and pro golf “league”, one question I’ve received from some: will they go after the women’s game as well?

Documents I’ve seen do refer to a “women’s format” and an effort to “cooperate with the LPGA” to establish an identical format of individual events along with a team component.

The World Golf Group also intends to, “where appropriate, operate a complementary schedule enabling both formats to share and thereby reduce aggregate event and production costs.”

Since those documents, the LPGA Tour has merged with the LET and Alistair Tait looks at the gamble Commissioner Mike Whan is taking. The European Tour is a partner and their efforts now figure to at some point potentially involve discussions about “The League” and how it might impact the women’s game.

On Sunday, the Morning Drive gang considered the Premier Golf League concept:

Tiger On Kobe

Clearly still in shock from just having learned the news just minutes after walking off Torrey Pines’ 18th green, Tiger Woods composed his thoughts following the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open final round.

Here is what he said to the gathered writers and local television crews:

Q. I'm sure you heard about Kobe Bryant. So what did Kobe mean to you and what did that news feel like when you heard it?

TIGER WOODS: Well, I was saying to Amanda over here, I just heard of it from Joey when we were coming off the 18 green. I didn't understand why they were yelling "Do it for Mamba" on the back nine. People yell things all the time, so I was just, you know, plodding along, doing my own thing. Then when Joey told me that here, it's unbelievable, the reality that he's no longer here.

LeBron breaks his record and he passes today. For all of us  for me, I grew up a diehard Laker fan, always have been my entire life. That's all I remember, and he was part of the most historic franchise in all of the NBA. As I was telling Amanda, what made him so impressive is that he was dominant on the offensive side, yeah, we know that, but he would lock up on D. He played their best guard and shut 'em down for all 48 minutes. That's what made him so special, he played both ends of the court. There are maybe two guys, three guys in the entire NBA history that you can say that, that would do that. He was up for that challenge. And one of the more impressive things that I've ever witnessed is when he ruptured his Achilles and he went to the foul line, made his shots. Ultimate toughness, ultimate competitor, and one of the most shocking, tragic days that I've ever been a part of in a very quick span here.

Q. What kind of relationship did you have? Were you friends?

TIGER WOODS: We were closer when he was probably playing and I had a home in Newport and we would work out together and hang a little bit, but when I sold that house and lived full time in Florida, I didn't really see him that often. But every now and again he would reach out, I would reach out to him. But this is unbelievable.

Q. As a father, the news of also his daughter being in the plane, does that hit extra hard for you?

TIGER WOODS: It does, it does. I just can't imagine what their entire family's going through right now. It's just shocking. I mean, as I said, I probably just found out maybe seven, eight, nine minutes ago, so the reality is setting in very quickly here.

Q. Was it Joe that told you?

TIGER WOODS: Joe told me coming off 18 green. As I said, I didn't understand why people were yelling "Do it for Mamba."

Kobe’s most recent Tweet about Tiger from last April:

TIGER 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 #masters2019

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 14, 2019

Golf's Australian Open Targeted By Proposed World Tour

Venues and events have not been detailed much by the World Golf Group proposing a star and team-driven tour, but as Evin Priest reports for the Australian Associated Press, a once prominent event that has struggled in recent years could be ripe for a takeover by “The League”.

If successful, It would be a massive boon for the Australian Open, which has struggled to attract golf's biggest stars in the past few years due to a year-long US PGA Tour schedule.

Golf Australia chief executive Stephen Pitt told AAP: "We're aware of what is being proposed with this new league and that the Australian Open has been included in those plans. However, it is too early in the process to make any further comment."

Patrick Reed Take Note: Herbert Returns To Scene Of His Sand Swipe And Wins Dubai Desert Classic

A year ago Lucas Herbert was trying to explain away his sand raking in Dubai, today’s he’s an Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner. What a world.

Herbert’s explanation for last year’s penalty—”a bad brain fade, I guess”—looks downright confessional compared to Patrick Reed’s recent run-in with lie improvement. Though Herbert never really took full responsibility and suffered the rest of last season, the Golf Gods apparently sensed he’d suffered enough and the young Aussie has won his first European Tour event, taking the tournament in a playoff over Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

Aussie Aussie Aussie! 🏆@lhgolf5 wins the #ODDC after a dramatic play-off! pic.twitter.com/cQP5xhET3l

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 26, 2020

In other news, Bryson DeChambeau bogeyed the last four holes to finish T8 following a slow play warning. Will Gray with all of the details.

Rory On World Tour: "It might be a catalyst for some changes on this tour"

Following his Farmers Insurance Open third round 67, Rory McIlroy joked with us assembled scribblers about the world tour concept upon taking the microphone. Eventually, he was asked about his thoughts on the Premier Golf League concept.

McIlroy’s entire answer:

Q. Rory, can you say what you know about that World Tour? Have you been approached or where 

RORY McILROY: Those guys have been talking to a few of us for six years. They approached me at the end of 2014.

You know, it's a hard one. I think it's…like I love the PGA TOUR, but they definitely, these guys have exploited a couple of holes in the system the way that  the way golf at the highest level is nowadays and how it's sort of transitioned from, you know, a competition tour to entertainment, right? It's on TV, it's people coming out to watch. It's definitely a different time than what it was before.

But I love the PGA TOUR, I love the way golf is set up right now, so it might be that  it might be the catalyst for something a little bit different out here as well, who knows.

But I certainly wouldn't want to lose what's been built in the last 40 or 50 years, tournaments like this, tournaments like Riviera in a couple weeks' time, everything that we have gotten to know and love over the years. I'm still quite a traditionalist, so to have that much of an upheaval in the game I don't think is the right step forward. But I think, as I said, it might be a catalyst for some changes on this tour that can help it grow and move forward and, you know, reward the top players the way they should be, I guess.

It’s noteworthy that he’s expressing a sense of top players that they are underpaid. And that the “product” needs work. And he’s not wrong.