Category: Golf

The Hypocrisy Of The PGA Tour

Casting Stones With A Glass House

In 2020, the PGA Tour decided to honor convicted felon and career criminal, George Floyd with a moment of silence at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Sure, the loss of a life is never to be celebrated, but to honor George Floyd as some type of hero, was a despicable moment in PGA Tour history.

If they wanted to fight against whatever social discrepancies they deemed important, they could have chosen a better vessel.

By doing so, they did not only honor a career criminal, but it slapped the face of the same law enforcement officers who provided security to the pampered tour professionals week in and week out.

Fast forward to 2025 and the LIV Golf League. Since its creation, the PGA Tour and their water carriers at the Golf Channel have tried to take the moral high ground. People like Brandel Chamblee and DEI hired, Eamon Lynch, have gone on and on about Saudi Arabia and the Public Investment Fund.

Golf commentators like Taylor Zarzour, John Maginnes, Carl and Dennis Paulson, Colt Knost, and many others, have been suffering from what I call the LIV Golf Derangement Syndrome.

I understand they are stooges for the PGA Tour, but come on, they are also claiming to be objective golf analysts. They lack integrity and the confidence of serious golf fans.

They can’t accept the fact that LIV Golf is a popular product and want to use their shows to downplay the significance of the league. Because of LIV Golf the PGA Tour was forced to raise their purses and rethink a brand that has been stale for quite some time.

LIV Golf has elevated the Asian Tour and has helped the DP World Tour. LIV Golf players have been playing more in Asia and Europe, adding more interest to the tours.

Let’s be honest, nobody wants to watch Peter Malnati if they can watch Bryson DeChambeau. Everyone knows the main reason professional golfers want to play on the PGA Tour is for the money and the lopsided official world golf ranking points allotment.

The PGA Tour has refused to deal with LIV Golf while at the same time using their bully tactics and media influence to persuade the fans to believe LIV Golf is evil.

To me, the PGA Tour is a dirty organization and not a representative of American values, and definitely not my values.

And here we are, once again the PGA Tour wants to claim moral high ground when it comes to LIV Golf and its funding source, while attempting to squeeze LIV Golf out of existence.

All you have to do is look at the list of PGA Tour sponsors to know that morality is not part of their business model. It is all about money and power.

I do not watch the PGA Tour, or care to watch. The product is old, boring, and the broadcasts are like watching paint dry. I will continue to watch LIV Golf and the Asian Tour because the golf is more exciting.

After honoring a career criminal like George Floyd, without having all the facts, the PGA Tour has no room to criticize anyone or any entity. They should forever be ashamed of themselves.

Let’s not forget, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus fled the PGA of America and created the PGA Tour.

This glass house is broken!

https://golf.com/news/pga-tour-honors-george-floyd-moment-of-silence

https://www.pgatour.com/pages/marketing-partners

The 2025 Ryder Cup Aftermath

The Fans, the Fans, the Fans; The Pitfalls of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Polices

Rory McIlroy ready to fight the fans after him and his wife were assaulted by fans at the 2025 Ryder Cup. Photo courtesy of totalprosports.com

After everything was said and done, the Europeans were crowned victorious at Bethpage Black. Not only did they retain the Cup, but they also won the matches 15 to 13 points.

The Americans mounted a comeback in Sunday singles matches, but they were climbing a very steep mountain due to their poor play on Friday and Saturday, and in the end, it was not enough to beat the Europeans.

Listening to the pundits on the radio and television, I knew the Monday morning quarterbacking was coming, and the blame game was in full force. I am sure there are many places to look at and assign blame, but the talk of the town has been: the fans.

Sure, the fans were obnoxious, and their behavior was unacceptable, but who is it to blame for this?

The three-letter acronym nobody wants to talk about: DEI

The USGA, the PGA Tour, the PGA of America, and the DPWT, have been on a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion run since Covid and after Covid. They wanted to grow the game while sacrificing the sanctity of the game.

They wanted more people on the golf courses, regardless of whether they knew the game or cared about learning the game. As long as golf course operators were making money, these governing bodies didn’t care about the end result.

Sell lots of beer and hotdogs, forget about dress codes, blast as much music as you want, do not repair divots, don’t know the rules? No problem!

I see this every day at my public course. The DEI policies implemented by these bodies have ruined the game of golf, and for what?

If they want to blame the fans for their lack of decorum at Bethpage Black, they need to start by looking at themselves in the mirror. They created these fans through their DEI initiatives.

By bending the rules in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, they have created an uneducated fan base.  This new influx of fans and players see golf as a Saturday evening barbeque and do not care one bit about the history of the game. To them, it is nothing but a social activity.

When traveling in Germany, I learned that in order to be able to play golf, players need to apply for a permit, and they need to demonstrate their knowledge of the game before getting a permit. Sure, it sounds draconian, but the more I see the buffoonery and tomfoolery in golf courses across America, the more I wish we had such a thing.

I applaud golf course operators who still enforce dress codes, pace of play, and on-course behavior.

Sacrificing the game for a dollar or for a social score is not only pathetic but an insult to those who see golf as a game of honor and respect.

So, next time the PGA of America or the golf pundits want to place the blame on the fans for their behavior, remember, you created that monster.

The 2025 Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup Image courtesy of GhettyImages

The 2025 Ryder Cup is here, and Captain’s Picks are imminent.

I think that of the two captains, Luke Donald will have an easier time making his picks, as he doesn’t need the option of picking himself to make the team. Donald has been free of distractions and has a solid pool to choose from.

Keagan Bradley, on the other hand, has a lot on his plate. He has been in the spotlight since the announcement of his captaincy in 2024. His game has been spot on all season, and the chances of him making the team are high.

The United States team could benefit from Bradley as a player, given its current lineup. Only top-ranked Scotty Scheffler and two-time U.S. Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau are reliable standouts. Even recent U.S. Open Champion and Ryder Cup rookie JJ Spaun remains untested under this level of pressure.

Among the automatic qualifiers—Xander Schauffele, Harris English, and Russell Henley—consistency is present, but none have delivered standout performances this season. This puts significant pressure on Bradley for his six picks.

I think the Bradley selection as captain was one out of guilt. He was left out of the prior team by then Captain Zach Johnson after having a great season, and the United States Team got destroyed by the Europeans. But I don’t think the PGA of America thought he was going to have such a great season going into the Ryder Cup, making the chance of Bradley picking himself for the team even more interesting.

Do I think he should pick himself for the team? No. The Captain’s position is very important, and I think he needs to give it 100%. Being a playing captain, I don’t think he can do a good job at either or. Unfortunately, of the people he can pick, he has the best playing record this year, making it a very difficult decision.

The next five possible picks for the United States are going to be tough. With the exception of Ben Griffin and Cameron Young, it is going to be an uphill battle for Bradley to make the right choices.

No matter what decision he makes, he will be criticized just the same, and if they don’t win the cup, even more so.

The United States team is going against a tough and stacked European team. Of the six automatic qualifiers, five have won in 2025, including current Master Champions Rory McIlroy and Tour Championship/FedEx Cup winner Tommy Fleetwood.

Captain Luke Donald has  a better pool to choose from. Despite being a member of LIV Golf, Jon Rahm is almost guaranteed to get a captain’s pick, leaving five more picks. My guess is the following guys will get the phone call: Shane Lowry, Ludvig Aberg, Sepp Straka, and Viktor Hovland. Leaving that six pick up in the air. I think that pick should go to Marco Penge. Penge has been on a heater with two wins in the DPWT this season and consistent play all around. But we know how political these picks can be, so only Donald knows.

I can’t wait for the announcements and for all the praises and criticisms to begin. One thing is for sure: Bethpage is going to be rowdy.

The “Dead” Presidents Cup

Presidents Cup Trophy Photo courtesy of bvmsports.com

I forced myself to watch a little bit of the Presidents Cup on Thursday, with hopes the International squad was going to do something exciting against the American team.  Of course, it was the same old song, the United States finished the day with a 5-0 sweep.

The coverage? The same old NBC Sports/Golf Channel coverage, not much golf and a lot of nonsense.

The Canadian fans were as dull as a butter knife. Not event Tom Kim could bring those people to cheer.

The course looked beautiful on television, but that is as far as I can go on praising this event.

The International team is taking on an American team that cannot be beaten without the best International players.

Before you go on to say the event is a PGA Tour sanctioned event therefore LIV Golf players are not eligible, I will not disagree with you.

Having said that, let me say to you the PGA Tour always do whatever they want to do as long as it is convenient for the PGA Tour.  They change the rules as they please time and time again.

The International team did not have a chance to begin with. You cannot compete without the best international players on your team. With all do respect to Captain Weir, he did not pick the best international players to win this competition.

Like it or not, the best international players at this moment are in LIV Golf. Again, the PGA Tour changes the rules all the time, they could have done the same this time and allow Captain Weir a chance to pick a winning team.

Having said that, I am not sure if Captain Weir even brought up the subject, so I am going to assume he toed the line and went along with whatever the PGA Tour mafia told him to do.

It is a shame, but this competition has become a joke. You cannot expect to be taken seriously when the best players are not in the field.

These are not the best international players in the world. On the other hand, these are the best American payers in the world, even ignoring the corrupt OWGR system.

Which players got left out from consideration? Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Joaquin Niemann, Dean Burmester, Louis Oosthuizen, Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Anirban Lahiri, Marc Leishman, Sebastian Munoz, and Mito Pereira. These guys are the hottest international players in LIV Golf, hands down.

Go to the DPWT, and the list is even bigger. No Triston Lawrence on the International Team? Seriously?

As the great William Shakespeare once wrote, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” Unfortunately, the PGA Tour does not understand their responsibility and the importance of having the best players in the field, regardless of tour or corrupt OWGR influence.

LIV Golf League And Buyer’s Remorse

Is Jon Rahm On His Way Out of LIV Golf?

Is this the face of Buyer’s Remorse? Photo courtesy of yardbarker.com

A year ago, LIV Golf was rejoicing with the signing of their biggest star today, Jon Rahm. They gave him a huge contract, including his own team, Legion XIII.

There is no denying that Legion XIII has done pretty well in their first year, including Rahm winning the 2024 Individual LIV Golf Championship.

But it was not an easy trek for the Spaniard in 2024. He did not perform well in the Major Championships, withdrawing from the U.S. Open with a foot injury, and it took him several starts to win his first LIV Golf individual championship in England.

Rumors have been floating around about Rahm’s feelings and the LIV Golf League. Mostly coming from voices on the Golf Channel, who are not in love with LIV Golf and will go at any length to discredit the league.

I personally posted the question about Rahm’s rumors to LIV Golf via their YouTube channel and got no response from their PR department, Greg Norman, or Jon Rahm.

Fast forward to LIV Golf Individual Championship week. During his press conference, Rahm was asked about his future in the DPWT and the ongoing saga on the payment of fines and his participation in the Ryder Cup.

Rahm said that he was not planning to pay fines, and he wanted to be part of the Ryder Cup. At this time, the case has been reviewed by a DPWT panel and in the meantime he will be eligible to play in the Acciona Open De España .

To add more mud to the already murky waters, Rahm skipped the LIV Golf Team Championship citing an illness. I would guess he let Norman know from Spain as the Acciona Open De Espana is going to be played this week.

Most LIV Golf doubters will see this as a “Buyer’s Remorse” move from Rahm. I do not know what it means, but in the absence of LIV Golf management addressing the aforementioned rumors, it is easy for the opposition to create lots of chatter.

Will we see Jon Rahm in LIV Golf next season? Perhaps or perhaps not. The PGA Tour would be smart to buy his contract out from LIV Golf and return him to the PGA Tour, but I am not sure how these contracts have been negotiated to begin with.

One thing is certain, Rahm leaving his team out to dry during the LIV Golf Team Championship is not what been a team captain is all about and has left a lot of questions about his future with LIV Golf.