PGL's Updated Proposal: Co-Sanctioning, $460 Million Advance, For-Profit Model, No Crown Prince

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Bob Harig at SI.com has details of the World Golf Group/Premier Golf League’s latest pitch to get a meeting with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and the PGA Tour Policy Board.

Set aside the silliness of the current 200 PGA Tour players getting $2 million each for being in the right place at the right time (Thanks Tiger!), and consider the specifics.

World Golf Group states it believes the PGL will generate $10 billion of equity value by 2030, which would equate to $20 million per PGA Tour voting member and $3 million per Korn Ferry member.

In addition, the proposal includes a cash advance on future equity value of $460 million. In simple terms, each of 200 voting members of the PGA Tour would receive $2 million upon the launch of the PGL, with 200 Korn Ferry members each getting $300,000.

Andy Gardiner, the CEO of the Premier Golf League, who was recently at the Players Championship, declined to comment.

Harig noted Rory McIlroy’s comments on the No Laying Up podcast last December that all but force him to bring the proposal to the table.

“Yes, OK, I get the business model that the PGA Tour is currently under, Andy said 'hamstrung,' in terms of ... this is just sort of what they can do and they’re doing their best with what they can, and I agree that they’re doing a wonderful job within the structure they’re in because that was what was created before Jay (Monahan) took charge. You know it is what it is. But if someone comes along and says I think I can create this amount of revenue and distribute it amongst every player, you have to listen to that, right? Because again, that’s my responsibility to all the players who voted me into this position.’’

But as Harig notes…

What remains to be seen is if McIlroy, the PGA Tour Policy Board and Monahan will take a meeting with the World Golf Group to discuss the PGL proposals.

There Go The Saudi Millions: Henrik Stenson Named 2023 European Ryder Cup Captain

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Long rumored, totally uncertain and now official…

Henrik Stenson has been named as the European Captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy from September 25 – October 1, 2023.

The 2016 Open Champion has enjoyed an impressive Ryder Cup career, helping Europe to victory in three of five of his appearances as a player before going on to bring his experience to the role of Vice Captain in the 2020 edition of the biennial contest.

The 45 year old becomes the first Swede to be named European Captain and will be aiming to emulate the memorable European performance in the last home match at Le Golf National in Paris, France in 2018, and reclaim the Ryder Cup following victory for the United States at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, last September.

As a player, Stenson made his Ryder Cup debut for Europe at The K Club, in Ireland, in 2006, when he secured the winning point in a dominant 18½ – 9½ victory. He was also a member of the victorious teams in 2014 at Gleneagles, Scotland, and 2018 at Le Golf National, in France, as well as being part of the European Teams in both 2008 and 2016.

The Swede has collected 17 titles worldwide and famously became Sweden’s first male Major winner when he triumphed in The 145th Open at Royal Troon. Stenson lifted the Claret Jug in 2016 after he recorded a final round 63 in a thrilling battle with Phil Mickelson, which drew comparisons with the legendary ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus at nearby Turnberry in 1977.

Stenson was selected as Europe’s 2023 Ryder Cup Captain by a five-man selection panel comprising the three most recent European Ryder Cup Captains – Pádraig Harrington, Thomas Bjørn and Darren Clarke - as well as the Chief Executive of the European Tour group, Keith Pelley, and DP World Tour Tournament Committee Chairman David Howell.

Stenson said: I am absolutely thrilled and delighted to be the European Ryder Cup Captain – it is a huge honour and I was humbled to get the call confirming the news. I would like to thank the selection panel for believing in me and will say to them, and every European golf fan, that I will do everything in my power and leave no stone unturned in the quest to get the Ryder Cup back in European hands.

“The Ryder Cup is golf, and sport, at its very best. I got goosebumps every time I pulled on a European shirt as a player and that will be magnified in the role of Captain. While it is great for me personally, it is also great for my country and all the players from Sweden who have played for Europe with such distinction since Joakim Haeggman became the first in 1993.

“When I started out as a professional golfer, it was beyond my wildest dreams that, one day, I would follow in the footsteps of legends of the game such as Seve and be the European Ryder Cup Captain. But today proves that, sometimes, dreams do come true.”

Guy Kinnings, the European Ryder Cup Director, said: “Henrik has all the qualities to be a great Captain. He has an incredibly impressive golfing CV as a Major Champion, two-time European Number One and FedEx Cup winner, and in the Ryder Cup he played five times and played with distinction, including holing the winning putt in 2006 at The K Club.

“So he comes with all the credibility of what he has achieved, and as we all know a dry a sense of humour and a fantastic warm personality, but he is also a ferocious competitor. He is hugely respected by the players and admired by everyone involved with the game and the Ryder Cup.”

The two-time European Number One has amassed 11 points for Europe from his 19 matches, including a 100% record from his three matches during his last outing at Le Golf National in 2018. He partnered Justin Rose to foursomes victories over Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson on the Friday and Johnson and Brooks Koepka on the Saturday, before rounding off his perfect week with a 5&4 singles victory over Bubba Watson.

Stenson made his Ryder Cup debut in 2006, earning half a point alongside David Howell in the foursomes against Stewart Cink and David Toms on the Friday, before holing the winning putt which ensured that Europe won the Ryder Cup for a third consecutive time when he beat Vaughn Taylor 4&3 in the Sunday singles.

He played again in 2008 at Valhalla, contributing 1½ points courtesy of a victory alongside Oliver Wilson in the Saturday foursomes against Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim, and halving his fourballs match in the afternoon with partner Robert Karlsson against Mickelson and Hunter Mahan.

Stenson .then formed a formidable partnership with fellow Major winner Justin Rose at Gleneagles in 2014. The pair were victorious in their three matches in Scotland, including a comprehensive 5&4 win over Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson in the opening fourballs matches on the Friday. They also defeated Zach Johnson and Mahan 2&1 in the afternoon foursomes and Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson 3&2 in the Saturday fourballs.

The partnership yielded another point at Hazeltine National in 2016 courtesy of a 5&4 defeat of Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth in the Friday afternoon fourballs, while Stenson also won his singles match against Spieth 3&2.

Stenson’s impressive CV also features an Olympic Silver Medal which he won at the 2016 Games in Rio, the 2008 World Cup of Golf alongside Robert Karlsson, the 2007 WGC Accenture World Match Play Championship and the 2009 PLAYERS Championship.

In 2013 he won the PGA TOUR’s Fed Ex Cup and the European Tour’s Race to Dubai in the same year after winning the season ending DP World Tour Championship, a title which he defended in 2014. He won the Race to Dubai again in 2016 after claiming the Claret Jug at Royal Troon following the iconic battle down the stretch with Mickelson.

Stenson is also the co-host of the DP World Tour’s Scandinavian Mixed event alongside fellow Swedish Major Champion, Annika Sörenstam.

His 12-man European Team will face the United States team which will be led by Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters Champion and 2015 Open Champion.

Berger: "I've never taken a bad drop in my life and I’m not about to take one now"

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Daniel Berger’s ball is circled in black

Another rules incident was reported but not shown on NBC’s broadcast of the Players, this time involving Daniel Berger being openly questioned by playing partners Joel Dahmen and Viktor Hovland.

It would have been tough to go into great depth with the tournament coming down to the last few holes and Berger having fallen out of contention. Still, this uncomfortable one comes on the heal of similar sticky situations at Bay Hill the previous week.

Thanks to PGA Tour Live and a more progressive Tour posting such things, you can view the Berger shot and lengthy discussion between the three, joined too by chief referee Gary Young who ultimately left things up to the players.

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak wrote about the episode.

Both Berger and Dahmen declined to speak to the media after the round, but Hovland answered a few questions on the subject.

“It’s not a fun conversation, but when you strongly believe in something, you kind of have to stand your ground,” Hovland said. “It’s not like we’re trying to dog on Daniel and trying to screw him over. It’s just, that’s what we believe, and he obviously felt strongly the other way. It’s just what it is. I’m not accusing him of anything. The golf ball is in the air for a couple seconds, so it’s tough to exactly pinpoint where it crossed and not. But Joel and I saw it in one way and he saw it differently.”

As with the events at Bay HIll, it’s disconcerting the video evidence was not shown on network on TV or that in the Berger case, it was determined there was no such evidence to influence the discussion.

Maybe a PGA Tour Live sub for the referees?

ShotLink also appeared to capture the trajectory of the ball. Note the dashed line. Whether this would have settled the debate is another matter.

The dashed line captures the approximate point of entry.

Note the dashed line, lower left (ShotLink)

Reviewing the evidence and reporting on it with pictures continues to be desperately needing to be addressed on broadcasts. It’s also just good TV.

At least in this case there were social media postings by the PGA Tour sharing the episode and a close viewing would suggest both sides scored legitimate points. The video evidence supports Berger’s belief and ShotLink may lean a bit toward Dahmen and Hovland’s view. That we got to see it via social media is progress and in a weird way, the transparency seems beneficial to all of the players.

"Disturbing trend continues as Naomi Osaka deals with verbal harassment"

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While it seems like golf has been fortunate on the player heckling front of late, it’s worth noting what happened to Naomi Osaka in Indian Wells as a reminder that tennis and golf are different.

Helene Elliott of the LA Times looks at the incident, the history of trouble at this tournament, Osaka’s desire to address the crowd mid-match, and the decision not to eject the heckler.

I found it odd the heckler was not ejected when the timing of the noise impacted the flow of the match. Get ‘em outta there!

Anyway, Elliott writes:

Retired tennis great Martina Navratilova called it “heartbreaking” that someone would insult Osaka and also that Osaka had been affected so deeply. Navratilova also said Osaka would have to “toughen it out somehow” in the future and said Black players Althea Gibson, Chanda Rubin and Zina Garrison had endured tougher experiences in the sport than Osaka has had. It’s tricky telling people how to feel when we’re all shaped by different cultural factors and have different emotional trigger points.

Former men’s tour player Paul Annacone, now a coach and commentator, urged Osaka to prioritize her well-being. “Make sure that’s under control and in an area that she can manage,” he said on a Tennis Channel panel discussion.

“We’ve also all been to sporting events, and we all know that at sporting events you hear stuff and people shout stuff that they probably shouldn’t. … It’s very sad. I hope Naomi and her team can talk about it. I want her to be happy. I want her to play. We want to see her play. We want to see her healthy and feeling really good about things. Don’t let that get through you.”

Crowd outbursts stand out in tennis and in golf, which demand quiet before and during play. At NFL games, one heckler’s voice gets lost among 60,000 others. The same is true on a smaller scale at baseball and hockey games, where conversations, music and in-game promotions make noise a constant and customary background. The NBA invites player-fan interaction because fans are closer to the players than in any other sport. That leads to the sports equivalent of road rage, where fans take out their hostility on the nearest target.

Mercifully, even in the Live Under Par era desperate to see golf get younger and louder, the sport seems more united in having a zero tolerance view of similar outcome-influencing antics. Let’s hope it continues that way.

Quadrilateral: What We Learned From The 2022 Players

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17th At TPC Sawgrass Giveth And Taketh: Shane Lowry's Joyous Ace; Kizzire's Hozel Shot

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Shane Lowry failed in a recent attempt to make an ace as DP World Tour cameras rolled.

Not so much Sunday at The Players.

Brian Keogh with more on Lowry’s history and a moment that will be played for years.

It’s the 10th ace on that hole in tournament history and first since 2019. This was the second of Lowry’s career following one in the 2016 Masters (No. 16).

The hole wasn’t so kind to Patton Kizzire Sunday:

Reports: Saudis Preparing Mega-Purse Event, Execute 81 In Record Day Of Beheadings

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After a flattering Atlantic profile of Mohammed bin Salman, that wasn’t enough to keep Golf Saudi’s sugar daddy and backer of the fluttering LIV Golf Investments to what he does best: screw with oil prices, complain about bad PR over Kashoggi and cut heads off.

It also seems he has yet to give up his sportwashing effort to lure pros away from the PGA Tour for a new golf league. Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch says the Crown Prince’s people have reconvened after the Phil Mickelson meltdown and demise of their league concept to try a new approach.

The latest conjecture has the Crown Prince’s coat holders planning to stage a tournament with an enormous purse that could dwarf the $20 million offered at the PGA Tour’s flagship stop in soggy Florida. The goal would be to engineer litigation by inviting Tour members to compete while hoping commissioner Jay Monahan denies the permission required to do so, thereby presenting an opportunity to challenge his control over where members play, or to at least jeopardize the Tour’s tax-exempt status as a 501c organization.

One tournament probably won’t do it. But then again, news of a record beheading day suggests MSM still has his touch.

From the AP’s Jon Gambrell on Saturday’s record hall of 81 executions, a new record mass execution for the Kingdom.

The number of death penalty cases being carried out in Saudi Arabia dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, though the kingdom continued to behead convicts under King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency announced Saturday’s executions, saying those killed had been “convicted of various crimes, including the murdering of innocent men, women and children.”

The kingdom said some of those executed were members of Al Qaeda or Islamic State or backers of Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

A Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Iran-backed Houthis since 2015 in neighboring Yemen in an effort to restore the internationally recognized government to power.

Those executed included 73 Saudis, seven Yemenis and one Syrian. The report did not say where the executions took place.

For Some Reason, NBC Makes Tiger Watch Gold Man Hit His "Better Than Most" Putt

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The so-bad-you-can’t-take-your-eyes-off-it “mixed reality” has earned less-than-glowing reviews after Sunday saw NBC asked Tiger to watch this grand idea. Tiger pretty much ignored seeing some strange combo of C3PO, Oscar and a 24 handicapper in his place. He was a good sport but focused more on the NBC call at the time.

Something tells me this would not have gone over as well with Jack Nicklaus. He might not have gone all Tom Brady on the tablet, but I’m not seeing him grasping the point of the exercise. And in that sense, he’s not alone.

After the rough cut version Tiger was subjected to, The Gold Man was plugged into today’s setting, providing this kind of glorious crowd apathy:

Here is the full chat with Mike Tirico aired in its entirety thanks to the awful Players week weather.

Nelly Korda Diagnosed With Blood Clot, Next Start Uncertain

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As the first women’s major of 2022 nears, Nelly Korda announced a significant setback but it sounds like things could have been worse if not for great medical care.

According to Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols, Korda was next scheduled to play the JTBC Classic in Carlsbad March 24-27.

Island Green Madness: When Unlucky Gets Confused With Unfair

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Shotlink’s 17th hole through Saturday’s play in the 2022 Players

An intense Saturday of rain-delayed play saw high winds after a front moved through Ponte Vedra. Temperatures dropped and the TPC Sawgrass’ 17th saw one of those days of trouble, with 19 water balls spread between first and second round play.

While that’s nothing compared to the all-time worst of 50, Kevin Kisner said the conditions produced “pure luck” and impugned The Players Championship’s “integrity.” Other players seemed to take things in better stride if you read Adam Schupak’s Golfweek wrap of the antics. Credit to players like Collin Morikawa who said he just missed his shot and while difficult, the task was doable.

And if you take a look at PGA Tour’s compilation of all 19 water balls—drop area shots included—it’s staggering how many shots were dead just a few yards off the club face. Or how many purely awful strikes were made trying to play the ball down. I estimated 9 of the 19 just were unlucky due to a gust or just missing the 3,912 green. The rest never had a chance.

On Golf Channel’s Live From, it was nice to have some sparring back on set that’s been lost since Frank Nobilo and David Duval left.

Paul McGinley held firm in believing the conditions were tough and nothing more than a “freak day”.

Brandel Chamblee insisted the day was unfair. Most surprising were Chamblee’s claims that a tournament he calls a major also has “far too capricious of an element to have at the end of a major championship.”

There goes the major status!

The element he’s referring to: the par-3 17th, playing 136 yards for second round play.

Chamblee insisted that all efforts are made to have a sameness throughout the course in the name of fairness—a topic to debate for another day—and that “sport begins to break down if it’s seen as unfair.”

McGinley pushed back that “you can’t standardize golf” as an “outdoor sport.”

Chamblee countered that the 17th green was far too penal and “tilts the tournament more toward chance” before citing the shots of talented iron players like Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler.

I was surprised he went to those. Both hit shots that looked like trouble right after impact.

Anyway, Rich Lerner countered with some of the chance on 12 at Augusta National by Chamblee argued there is a difference Alister MacKenzie’s diagonal green backed by bunkers and TPC Sawgrass’s 17 with water all the way around (and suggested that would be a good fix for Pete Dye’s infamous hole).

It’s a lively discussion worth watching. But McGinley ultimately won the match by pointing out how players who “flighted” their shots below the wind reduced the element of chance. And his case was backed up by ShotLink data in a graphic.

Golf Channel “Live From” graphic using ShotLink data of tee shot apex, 17th hole 2022 Players

The full Live From discussion:

On The Mark Podcast Talking Golf Course Design and Better Course Management

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Game improvement talk is very difficult to do on a podcast but Mark Immelman does a superb job with his show, On the Mark. The instructor, broadcaster and overall keen observer of the game had me on to talk golf course design and things golfers can do to read a course.

Plus we discussed the best holes on the PGA Tour and what I love about one in play this week at TPC Sawgrass, the 16th.

The Google podcasts link along with the Apple and Spotify options:

"Woods closes out one chapter, will he write another?"

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Strong stuff here from AP’s Jim Litke on Tiger Woods going into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

The best ones have the hardest time letting go. Woods wouldn’t be the first G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All-Time) to push the envelope.

“One day you might look up and see me playing the game at 50,” is how Michael Jordan ended his Hall of Fame induction speech. Knowing laughs erupted on every side of him.

“Oh don’t laugh,” he said. “Never say never.”

Woods can’t walk a golf course at the moment, so he eschewed empty boasts or self-deprecating jokes, and it’s hard to imagine he would show up at the first tee just for the sake of playing. But Jordan and Jack Nicklaus and even Muhammad Ali said almost the same thing and all of them came back in search of one more transcendent run, one more moment when they felt like the king of the world.

“I was never going to be denied,” Woods said around mid-speech Wednesday night, recalling the moment he’d inherited his father’s passion for the game. “I loved it. I had this burning desire to be able to express myself in this game of golf.”

A plaque isn’t going to change that.

PGA Tour Becomes The First And (Hopefully) Last Organization To Incorporate Mixed Reality Into A Broadcast

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Execs from NBC working out of PGA Tour headquarters are making stellar use of the synergy by working with a creative agency to come up with their next expensive abomination.

The big unveiling came during rain-delayed round one coverage of the 2022 Players. With, warning, more to come in the coming days.

One of the most trusted voices and best broadcasters in sports history was relegated to introducing the “mixed reality” intrusion…

What will these creatives think of next?

PGATour.com’s Jeff Eisenband was tasked with explaining this campaign which announces to the world, we intend to take Coveted Demo Desperation Syndrome to the lamest possible places.

THE PLAYERS’ Tiffany & Co. trophy – a three-dimensional depiction of the tournament’s gold swinging man logo -- will hop off his stand and come to life on the broadcast this week. The PGA TOUR, working closely with NBC and creative agency The Famous Group, will become the first golf organization to incorporate mixed reality into its broadcast, as the trophy will digitally appear on the 17th hole.

And judging by the 28 handicapper swing—I say that with full respect for all 28’s—this will not age well.

Mixed reality is the merging of real and virtual worlds, making physical and digital objects co-exist in real time. For THE PLAYERS, the technology will be used to show the trophy taking aim at TPC Sawgrass’ famed Island Green. His shots will be illustrated with a golden trail.

Whew, gave me a scare with golden trail.

And it’s about to get worse:

Honoring the 40th anniversary of the first PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass, the trophy’s swing is an amalgamation of the action from past PLAYERS champions. Two interstitial moments will be used as part of the transition process between shots on the 17th hole.

They had the execs at interstitial!

On Saturday, the trophy will reimagine Tiger Woods’ “Better than most” putt from his 2001 title (complete with Tiger’s fist pump).

Worst than most!

On Sunday, the trophy will reenact Rickie Fowler’s 2015 tee shot from his playoff win.

R.I.P. Ten Year Exemptions For Players Champions.

“ I think as we head into The PLAYERS every year, we're always looking for the new way we can push technology. It's usually a point in our schedule where we try to stretch the limits,” says Anne Detlefsen, Senior Director, Digital Content, PGA TOUR. “We thought about a way we could not just do it for the sake of throwing mixed reality into our broadcast, but really add some extra layers of storytelling to it.”

No, it seems like you just threw in mixed reality for the sake of it.

And if you want to blame this year’s awful weather, I say pin it on the mixed reality:

Part of what makes mixed reality so impressive is the ability to animate while not changing weather conditions. Whether TPC Sawgrass is sunny and warm or if it is cold and rainy, the trophy will take his swing in the present setting.

Good, stick him out there during one of the weather delays.

While the animation is prerecorded, its merging with the outside world is not.

That seems almost profound. Go on…

The PLAYERS Championship TV broadcast will use two cameras to capture multiple angles of this sequence in real-time. Details down to the reflection of the trophy’s gold exterior matching the existing position of the sun will be evident as this mixed reality comes to life.

Can we be there when it’s put to death? On the 17th hole. By two alligators. That’s some mixed reality we can all embrace.

Quadrilateral: Major(s) News And Notes, March 10th, 2022

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This week’s free Thursday edition features a Golf Hall Of Fame wrap and links. Tiger and Susie Maxwell Berning stole the show with their speeches, while Judy Rankin and Sam Woods delivered fantastic intros.

Plus, is Augusta getting widened? The 150th ticket exchange goes live, Peacock will make money despite a high churn rate that will likely be mimicked by golf fans this summer and a neat bit of Brookline history. Oh and some links to good reading as well.

You can read more about The Quadrilateral here.

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