Links Corner Forum

Good points all. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

FOOOOORE! wrote: ↑October 18th, 2022, 7:31 am
It should get interesting the beginning of January when all PGA players will know what their OWGR ranking is, and decide whether to stay or leave. Of course if targets are being nuked by then, no one will care either way.

Why do they have to wait until January to know their ranking? Seems to me like a players ranking changes throughout the season.

GoBucks wrote: ↑October 19th, 2022, 10:12 am Why do they have to wait until January to know their ranking? Seems to me like a players ranking changes throughout the season.

I'm guessing because that's the start of the next PGA season, now that the wrap-around has been abandoned? I read that (about January) on one of the golf sites, and it wasn't explained exactly why they would wait until then. That Hero Challenge is in December, isn't it? And that one also counts for OWGR points, so there could be some slight change before the end of the year.

I believe that the new season has already started, based on this:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... dgepgWfP7v
I may be reading it wrong.

I believe they are still doing the wrap around schedule as they have to put the Fed Ex Cup in early October I presume to stay away from the NFL in September as I think they already have issues with the last few events in September, the TV switches to NBC and has to compete with Notre Dame football (and I think Big Ten football next year) and auto racing (Indycar and NASCAR) for time on the network.

I'm still curious about why the players were willing to jump to a new venture and tout the better working conditions (54 holes, no cut, signing bonuses) knowing that there was a high probability they would not get to play in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and possibly the four majors, all without any kind of TV coverage and losing sponsors due to the Saudi influence in LIV. It made sense for some of the older players and lesser known players who were making a decent living on their tour but jumped at quick money.

Jim

GoBucks wrote: ↑October 19th, 2022, 1:24 pm I believe that the new season has already started, based on this:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... dgepgWfP7v
I may be reading it wrong.

Yep, it seems it has started if they're already counting FedEx points from scratch.

JimEvers37 wrote: ↑October 19th, 2022, 11:16 pm I'm still curious about why the players were willing to jump to a new venture and tout the better working conditions (54 holes, no cut, signing bonuses) knowing that there was a high probability they would not get to play in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and possibly the four majors, all without any kind of TV coverage and losing sponsors due to the Saudi influence in LIV. It made sense for some of the older players and lesser known players who were making a decent living on their tour but jumped at quick money.

Jim

I guess each player has his own priorities, based on his personality, whether or not he has (or is planning) a family, and predicting his likely earnings after a full PGA career. I've said this before, but would any of these guys be playing pro golf if all there is at the end of a tournament is a trophy for the winner? It's always about money in the end, it only comes down to what degree of importance is attached to it. We tend to focus on the stars who are making plenty of money, but 90% of the Tour (those lesser-known players) would consider themselves very lucky to win two or three times during an entire career, let's say 20 years. Here are a few quotes lifted from 9 Wide World of Sports. an Australian source:
----------------
"The eight players who have made at least $9.5 million since June — there's still the $79 million prize fund in the team championship next week — include Eugenio Chacarra of Spain, who left Oklahoma State after three years to join LIV Golf.

He won in Thailand and picked up $6.3 million. Throw in team results, and Chacarra has earned $9.7 million.

"I don't care because I'm happy. I don't think the numbers you're mentioning would make me happier," Spieth said. "But what I care about is the impact that might have on some of the young guys on the PGA Tour.

"If you're talking about Chacarra, guys like him coming out, that's a real threat when you see the total number and realise they haven't had a full season yet."

..and from Jon Rahm:

But he thinks about Chacarra, and perhaps others like him.

"This is what you wonder," Rahm said. "He won a tournament. He's won ($9.5 million) and he won't be in any of the majors and he won't be eligible for the Ryder Cup next year. Is that what you grew up wanting, just playing golf to make money? Or did you grow up to win majors and play Ryder Cups?

"I'm not going to lie. If you asked me in 2016 and offered me $50 million (AUD $79 million) to play LIV, I don't know if I could go to my dad and say, 'We're going to turn this down.' I don't know if I can tell you I wouldn't have taken it. And a lot of players are going to do the same thing when you have nothing and get offered that as a guarantee."

...........

One observation when LIV Golf signed its first batch of players was that while the PGA Tour was still the ultimate destination, it lost market shares that day.

The trick is to replenish the pipeline. Cameron Young, Will Zalatoris and Tom Kim emerged this year. Rahm said it was imperative the PGA Tour not wait for stars to develop and to pay attention to the burgeoning college game.

"I think they need to create a better path," Rahm said. "Right now it's really, really difficult. There's a lot of lost talent out there in Canada and Latinoamerica. Every other major sport has a direct path to the major leagues from college except golf."
--------------------

..and that's what I was talking about the other day; if LIV can quickly sign up players still in college, that is the real threat to the PGA: its future. How many years would Chacarra have to play on the PGA Tour to earn $9.5M? And he's already made that much before playing one full season? Crazy money, and it's enough to make some players forget about Ryder/President Cups and even majors. (Another breaking story is LIV is threatening to create its own majors if LIV players are banned from playing the four pre-existing majors.)

I would be very curious on the reasoning why LIV golfers would be banned from majors.
Particularly one who is the current Open and Players champion.

Duck Hook wrote: ↑October 20th, 2022, 2:26 am I would be very curious on the reasoning why LIV golfers would be banned from majors.
Particularly one who is the current Open and Players champion.

I think Rahm is referring only to Chacarra, because he will have no OWGR points at all, or anything else to qualify, such as PGA ranking. I noticed that one too until I realized he means just that one guy, who has no standing whatsoever. If you meant everyone else, the rules could change before the Masters arrives, but as of right now there are definitely LIV players who qualify, even Mickelson. I think by the end of January it'll be a whole new ballgame.