Category: Sports

PGA Tour “Elevated” Events

Elevated or Just Hot Air

Elevated or Good Old Hot Air? Photo courtesy of gigsalad.com

As we all know, the PGA Tour, and its commissioner, Jay Monahan, are trying everything they can do to diminish the impact LIV Golf has had in professional golf.

From using their cheerleaders at the Golf Channel, the lame golf media, and the United States court system, the PGA Tour wants to totally erase LIV Golf from the face of the earth. Of course, that is not going to happen.

As part of their strategy, and in order to bring the “best” players in the world together, one of the tools they implemented was the designation of “elevated” events in order to have the top players in the world on the field to battle it out.

It sounds great, but let us be honest, without the likes of Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Cameron Smith, a PGA Tour event does not have the “best” players in the world on the field. But that is a whole different conversation.

The following is the 2023 schedule of designated “elevated” events, in addition to the Major Championships, and the winners so far. (OWGR at the start of the tournament week.)

Jan. 5-8: Sentry Tournament of Champions $15,00,000  (Jon Rahm) OWGR Ranking: 5

Feb. 9-12: Waste Management Phoenix Open $20,00,000 (Scottie Scheffler) OWGR: 2

Feb. 16-19: The Genesis Invitational $20,00,000 (Jon Rahm) OWGR: 3

March 2-5: Arnold Palmer Invitational $20,00,000 (Kurt Kitiyama) OWGR: 46

March 9-12: The Players Championship $25,00,000

March 23-26: WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play $20,00,000

April 6-9: Masters Tournament $15,00,000

April 13-16: RBC Heritage $20,00,000

May 4-7: Wells Fargo Championship $20,00,000

May 19-22: PGA Championship $15,00,000

June 1-4: The Memorial Tournament $20,00,000

June 15-18: U.S. Open $17,50,000

June 22-25: Travelers Championship $20,00,000

July 20-23: The Open Championship $14,00,000

Aug. 10-13: FedEx St. Jude Championship $20,00,000

Aug. 17-20: BMW Championship $20,00,000

Aug. 24-27: Tour Championship $75,00,000(includes bonus)

In a nutshell, the top 20 players will have to play in all the 13 designated “elevated” events with the option of only being able to skip one during the season. For example, Rory McIlroy chose to skip the SENTRY Tournament of Champions; therefore, he has to play the remaining 12 events for the season.

But, hold on a minute, hypocrisy is fixing to kick-in. As reported this week at the Players Championship, moving forward into the 2024 season, the Tour Policy Board voted to make the designated “elevated” events, limited field events with “no cut” format.

This is highly hypocritical from a tour who has mocked LIV Golf for not having cuts as part of their tournament’s format and a limited field.  Now, it is all good because it is the PGA Tour doing it.

Even the biggest hypocrite, Rory McIlroy, stated this week “The emergence of LIV has benefited everyone who plays professional golf.” He went on to say, “this has caused a ton of innovation at the PGA Tour, and what was an antiquated system has been revamped to mirror where we’re in the world.”

Innovation, meaning they are going to steal LIV Golf ideas and make them their own. The PGA Tour is such a sad joke. An organization that lacks integrity and principles is not worth anybody’s time or effort.

As to McIlroy, I never thought he was the most intelligent person in the world, so to hear him say theses things after two years of criticizing LIV Golf, LIV Golf players, and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, it’s not only expected, but predictable.

In my opinion, McIlroy is a clown, and his flip-flopping regarding LIV Golf shows that he is not the best at handling a juggling act. He is the designated PGA Tour “useful idiot”, and he has done an excellent job at it, while Monahan sits and watches on the sidelines.

So far, the designated “elevated” events for the 2023 season have delivered some level of competition.

Having said that, I think in order for this to work, you cannot have the #46 ranked player in the world, whooping the top 20 ranked players in the world on these “elevated” events. If this were to become the norm, I do not think it would bode well for the tour or the sponsors.

With all due respect to Kurt Kitayama, but sponsors do not want the #46 ranked player in the world winning a tournament with the likes of Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy in them. Kitayama moved to #19 in the official world golf rankings after his victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

So, as The Players Championship is on its on its way, a little known PGA Tour player by the name of Chad Ramey who is ranked as the #225th player in the world by the official world golf rankings, is leading the way after shooting a 64.

Is that is going to be the “product” the PGA Tour is going to sell as “elevated”, they may have to come up with a better plan. Hot air is not going to sell.

As a side note, after shooting an opening round 76, I would suggest McIlroy concentrates on his game and leave the adults in the room and administrative types deal with the tour shenanigans.

The Irrelevancy Of Eamon Lynch Continues

Punching Bag Of The Week: Bryson DeChambeau

Lynch: Why Bryson DeChambeau and LIV’s other point-missers are protesting their equal treatment under the rules
Boring writing from a hateful little man, Eamon Lynch.

The Golf Channel Eamon Lynch is at it again, this time whining and attacking Bryson DeChambeau.

Instead of confronting DeChambeau on the merits of his argument, he goes into personal attacks in an attempt to ridicule DeChambeau in the eyes of the few readers he happens to have.

DeChambeau was talking about the world golf rankings and commenting about the organization’s stance on granting ranking points to LIV Golf players during his press conference in Bangkok.

Instead of commenting on DeChambeau opinion, Lynch goes on petty attacks.

This is not the first time, Eamon has gone on this tirade. It is obvious he hates LIV Golf and its success is eating his insides.

Sure, he recycles his talking points about LIV Golf, the Saudis, blah, blah, blah, but that is as much of a substance you are going to get from Eamon.

Instead of arguing, what he believes, are the shortcomings of LIV Golf, he goes on attacking everyone who has anything to do with LIV Golf.

He has complained about everything and everyone at LIV Golf. LIV Golf has driven him insane and it is funny to watch and read.

Let us be honest, not many people outside the media world knew who Eamon Lynch was until NBC Sports took over The Golf Channel, got rid of the good commentators, and went on an ‘woke friendly’ hiring spree.

Lynch only cares about advancing his own personal agenda and he will use anyone and will do anything to accomplish it.

He has been suffering from LIV Golf Derangement Syndrome since the inception of LIV Golf into the professional golf world and nothing seems to cure his ailment.

Eamon Lynch opinion writing goes beyond common sense or rationality. Lynch is a hateful person and I can only feel sorry for him.

This opinion piece is another example of the continued irrelevancy of Eamon Lynch.

Get a life Eamon!

The Man Who Killed Professional Golf

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan

https://golf.com/news/jay-monahan-pga-tour-liv-come-together-co-exist/

Another week and PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan refuses to see the inevitability of LIV Golf.

As LIV Golf is in serious negotiations for a television deal and top players continue to take the big money, the only thing Jay Monahan can come up with is empty rhetoric.

Him and his little minions at NBC Golf and the Golf Channel are trying hard to convince you that LIV Golf is a shooting star and it will be gone before it starts.

Of course, anyone who has watched the format understands this is going to be part of professional golf and it is here to stay.

LIV CEO, Greg Norman has made a compelling case for LIV Golf and the reasons why it can coexist with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.

Greg Norman’s interview with Piers Morgan was very revealing and a very honest take on the situation.

On the other hand, Jay Monahan has gone around whining and complaining about LIV Golf and refusing to even sit down to talk. Instead he sends his little dogs, McIlroy and Horschel to do his bid.

This week, McIlroy stated that it was time to sit down as professional golf was getting ripped apart by this rift.

Even a flip flopper like Rory McIlroy understands, and realizes, LIV Golf is here to stay and the importance for the best players in the world to participate in the Major Championships.

As the professional golf world turns, Jay Monahan insists on staying in the past.

Presidents Cup- Day 3

I Am A Believer

Well done for the International team on day 3.

Tom Kim and Cam Davis brought in the heat and they did not disappoint. As S.W. Kim was struggling a bit, Tom Kim elevated his game to the stratosphere and delivered probably one of the best golf I have seen in years.

Adam Scott was a delight to watch, it was vintage Scott at every level. Cam Davis, birdie, eagle, birdie, finish to win their match was fun to watch.

As any team competition, motivation and heart are necessary to succeed, especially when one is deemed the underdog with zero chance of success.

The International team brought both to the table on Saturday. Tom Kim’s final putt at the 18th hole for birdie to win the match was one for the ages. His and his team’s reaction was amazing and genuine.

As Paul Azinger and Dan Hicks, the dynamic duo of dreadful commentary, were making fun of Bryson DeChambeau, who was not even there, the International team was giving the Americans a run for their money.

Nothing would make me happier than to see the International team beat the United States.

After everything the little man Jay Monahan has done to ensure the game was rig in favor of the Americans, it would be something else if the International team could pull it off.

11-7 going into Sunday’s singles is a tough mountain to climb, but it has been done before.

A victory by the International team may mean the survival and future relevancy of the Presidents Cup.

Hypocrisy Of The Week

Faux Congressional Outrage Over LIV Golf Funding

The United States Congress has no problem with this…Go figure! Photo courtesy of ourgoldguy.com

https://nypost.com/2022/09/21/liv-golfs-greg-norman-blasted-by-lawmakers-over-saudi-backing/

LIV Golf CEO, Greg Norman, took a trip to Washington, DC, to talk to members of Congress about LIV Golf. Unfortunately for him, he encountered a hostile crowd.

Probably because the PGA Tour has spent millions of dollars lobbying in the halls of Congress, or maybe because they are really outraged by the funding sources of LIV Golf.

Either way, this is nothing more than hypocrisy. After all, the United States has send millions in weapons to Saudi Arabia to fight a proxy war with Yemen.

Just a few months ago, Joe Biden went to Saudi Arabia begging for more oil production while humiliating our country in front of the world.

To use LIV Golf as a political scapegoat for the poor decisions the U.S. Congress and the White House have made regarding Saudi Arabia, is laughable and it shows the lack of accountability within our own government.

As long as the United States government continues to do business with Saudi Arabia, they have no room to criticize LIV Golf or anybody who choses to associate with Saudi Arabia.

We used to be a country that led by example, but today we are nothing more than a weak, woke, and morally bankrupt third world outfit.