Golf

@barbarian I saw a clip from Tiger the other day, just asking what are they playing golf for now?

They dont win but still get a shedload of money, normally, you have to play well to win, wheres the challenge, what drives you?

Certainly an interesting take, and like you say, Westwood, Phil and the likes in the twilight of thier careers, rock on, but young guys, playing in the lesser format, I read soemwhere that some who were on the LIV tour were saying we dont even need to practice as much...hopefully there will be a happy medium found somewhere along the way

@taniwharugby I loved Tiger's comments. A guy like Cam Smith is renowned for his work ethic, but there's no way he's working as hard for 54 hole shotgun starts with the money already in his pocket.

In some ways it is similar to rugby players going to Japan. By all means take the cash, but there's no incentive for me to care about what you are doing or watch.

@barbarian said in Golf:

@taniwharugby I loved Tiger's comments. A guy like Cam Smith is renowned for his work ethic, but there's no way he's working as hard for 54 hole shotgun starts with the money already in his pocket.

In some ways it is similar to rugby players going to Japan. By all means take the cash, but there's no incentive for me to care about what you are doing or watch.

Maybe its a bit like Kerry Packer and WSC? Sure he wasn't backed by a ruthless authoritarian regime, but the LIV are offering better conditions, better money and less strenuous playing schedule. I could see the PGA quietly adopting a few of LIVs better ideas over time and eventually a sort of acceptance of their existence

@barbarian said in Golf:

@Hooroo But does he need coin? On one level I get the appeal of LIV, but for a guy like Smith it's a bit cowardly IMO.

It's Mickey Mouse golf. No juice. If you're Lee Westwood at the end of your career then knock yourself out. But Smith could actually win some big tournaments on the tour. Tournaments at great courses with history. Nobody gives a shit if he wins a 54 hole event at a Trump course that's only shown on Youtube.

I hear all of that.

I also haven’t needed a pay rise but have taken it happily to do a different variance of the same job. Just times it by a squillion for these guys.

I know it not directly comparable but most people are driven by money and accept more of it. Just these guys have differing opportunities than most so it’s easier to criticise.

Sometimes I’m happy with what I’ve got and then sometimes I want a nicer car. Change that for yacht/super yacht and it’s the same thing

@Hooroo said in Golf:

@barbarian said in Golf:

@Hooroo But does he need coin? On one level I get the appeal of LIV, but for a guy like Smith it's a bit cowardly IMO.

It's Mickey Mouse golf. No juice. If you're Lee Westwood at the end of your career then knock yourself out. But Smith could actually win some big tournaments on the tour. Tournaments at great courses with history. Nobody gives a shit if he wins a 54 hole event at a Trump course that's only shown on Youtube.

I hear all of that.

I also haven’t needed a pay rise but have taken it happily to do a different variance of the same job. Just times it by a squillion for these guys.

I know it not directly comparable but most people are driven by money and accept more of it. Just these guys have differing opportunities than most so it’s easier to criticise.

Sometimes I’m happy with what I’ve got and then sometimes I want a nicer car. Change that for yacht/super yacht and it’s the same thing

Didn't I read that the PGA have instituted some new special lucrative events? The LIV are already having an effect. And the more top guys that jump over the more pressure on the PGA

@canefan said in Golf:

@Hooroo said in Golf:

@barbarian said in Golf:

@Hooroo But does he need coin? On one level I get the appeal of LIV, but for a guy like Smith it's a bit cowardly IMO.

It's Mickey Mouse golf. No juice. If you're Lee Westwood at the end of your career then knock yourself out. But Smith could actually win some big tournaments on the tour. Tournaments at great courses with history. Nobody gives a shit if he wins a 54 hole event at a Trump course that's only shown on Youtube.

I hear all of that.

I also haven’t needed a pay rise but have taken it happily to do a different variance of the same job. Just times it by a squillion for these guys.

I know it not directly comparable but most people are driven by money and accept more of it. Just these guys have differing opportunities than most so it’s easier to criticise.

Sometimes I’m happy with what I’ve got and then sometimes I want a nicer car. Change that for yacht/super yacht and it’s the same thing

Didn't I read that the PGA have instituted some new special lucrative events? The LIV are already having an effect. And the more top guys that jump over the more pressure on the PGA

I hope he doesn’t go across but I won’t begrudge him due to something I am used to.

@canefan said in Golf:

@barbarian said in Golf:

@taniwharugby I loved Tiger's comments. A guy like Cam Smith is renowned for his work ethic, but there's no way he's working as hard for 54 hole shotgun starts with the money already in his pocket.

In some ways it is similar to rugby players going to Japan. By all means take the cash, but there's no incentive for me to care about what you are doing or watch.

Maybe its a bit like Kerry Packer and WSC? Sure he wasn't backed by a ruthless authoritarian regime, but the LIV are offering better conditions, better money and less strenuous playing schedule. I could see the PGA quietly adopting a few of LIVs better ideas over time and eventually a sort of acceptance of their existence

It's similar and different. The establishment tours haven't innovated as much as they should have, but they aren't hoarding money like the ACB and other Boards were back in the WSC days. PGA golfers are far from broke.

The solution though needs to be some sort of compromise.

@barbarian it’s not just about the money but about providing players with choice. The PGA has a lot of control and while there are financial incentives, I think the rebellion has been building for quite some time.

TBH I dont really care about either, I enjoy watching golf, not particularly fond of the LIV format though...was interesting seeing alot of 'feel good' type posts on the PGA social media over the weekend though.

If I could do less work for much more money, I'm there, but I also agree with what Tiger says, what drives you?

You play less, you practice less, are you still going to be as good? In my mind, you play sport for the competition, the drive to win, it seems for a few of these guys they have just won the lottery, golf is now just a hobby now (some say it is anyway, but thats a conversation for another day)

Is LIV expecting a return on investment, ever?

@ACT-Crusader My position on this is twofold.

Firstly - the PGA is ripe for revolution. Stale, too focussed on America, killing world golf, not enough variety.

However LIV is not the right answer. It might well be the one we end up with though. It's a bad format, questionable source of funding, egotistical maniac Norman at the helm, a cabal of players who I find to be either washed up or unlikeable. Add a dash of Trump in there and it's not a good picture for golf.

@JK yeah when I was playing well, I could get my 7 iron in a circle of area of about 5m of one another, but no way cold I tell you how far each went to that accuracy...maybe on my short irons I knew what my max was, and I played golf trying to hit it to the max, but my driver, I'd be way out on that, by >50m sometimes I reckon, short, long, wide!

i can't even find my ball half the friggen time, let alone tell you how far it went,.

@taniwharugby pretty amazing.

@taniwharugby said in Golf:

@JK yeah when I was playing well, I could get my 7 iron in a circle of area of about 5m of one another, but no way cold I tell you how far each went to that accuracy...maybe on my short irons I knew what my max was, and I played golf trying to hit it to the max, but my driver, I'd be way out on that, by >50m sometimes I reckon, short, long, wide!

Yeah mate, irons I am pretty good at getting an accurate distance as you actually have to think about it every shot. Where as most the time with the driver (or 3 wood if driver is misbehaving) it's just 'as far as it will go' haha

Actually hit the range today for a bit and was following the tracker stats. Had a stupid tail wind though so was getting a fair but of extra distance today

Ryan Fox gets his 2023 season underway later this week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Also another Kiwi playing on the DP World Tour this year is Daniel Hillier who earned his card after some great results on the Challenge Tour last year.

@1kiwi said in Golf:

Ryan Fox gets his 2023 season underway later this week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

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Also another Kiwi playing on the DP World Tour this year is Daniel Hillier who earned his card after some great results on the Challenge Tour last year.

Fox is now ranked 28th in the world ... time to win a major Ryan!

Golf round-up

Lydia Ko has won the Saudi Ladies International for a second time and pockets $1.2mil

Steven Alker finishes in a tie for 8th at the latest PGA Champions event in Florida

John Rahm regains World Number One ranking after victory at the Genesis Invitational in California

I think Lydia could have a pretty special year. Shes kicked off where she left off last year and I think 2023 could be pretty dominant for her.

Also, Foxy back home and shot a new course record 60 at Te Arai (South) last week

He had a 61 at Tara Iti back in January to set the course record there too.

Yeah I heard Foxy chatting to Sumo & Beaver on SENZ earlier this week about his course record. He also chatted to them about his upcoming schedule that he heads off to the US on Saturday to play the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week, then The Players Championship, World Golf Championships Matchplay, The Masters & The RBC Heritage in South Carolina so a big couple of months ahead for Foxy.

@JK he had been shooting some low numbers in that period in NZ and had a hole in 1 at his home club...just highlights how different these courses must be compared to those they play on tour, given that one is a shade under 7,000 yards which isnt massively shorter than most tour courses, I think Bethpage black is one of the longer ones at 7400 yards (although Augusta is down as 7500)

@taniwharugby said in Golf:

@JK he had been shooting some low numbers in that period in NZ and had a hole in 1 at his home club...just highlights how different these courses must be compared to those they play on tour, given that one is a shade under 7,000 yards which isnt massively shorter than most tour courses, I think Bethpage black is one of the longer ones at 7400 yards (although Augusta is down as 7500)

Its crazy eh. Plus Te Arai south is super forgiving. You can easily see how he could (and did) burn it up there

Ryan Fox shot a five under 67 in the final round to finish tied for 14th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida this morning earning $520,000 NZD for his efforts.
Next up for him is The Players Championship later this week.

@1kiwi said in Golf:

Ryan Fox shot a five under 67 in the final round to finish tied for 14th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida this morning earning $520,000 NZD for his efforts.
Next up for him is The Players Championship later this week.

That's a pretty solid result for Fox given the quality of the field and how tricky it was to shoot a score.

Be good if he has a couple more good comps as he builds for the masters next month, do wonders for his confidence.

Still winning

Kiwi Danny Lee has won the latest LIV Golf event in Arizona pocketing $6,000,000 for his victory.

@1kiwi said in Golf:

Kiwi Danny Lee has won the latest LIV Golf event in Arizona pocketing $6,000,000 for his victory.

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Way to go Danny Boy!

@1kiwi so that has probably multiplied his career earnings by about 10

@1kiwi Good job that putt hit the pin or it would have ended up in Phoenix

@dogmeat said in Golf:

@1kiwi Good job that putt hit the pin or it would have ended up in Phoenix

Truth!

House music as players tee off? Player selected walk on theme music? Happy Gilmore would have loved it

@canefan said in Golf:

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House music as players tee off? Player selected walk on theme music? Happy Gilmore would have loved it

I watched some of this over the weekend, what an event. I haven't seen a better crowd in golf for years, the atmosphere was brilliant, the players were enjoying themselves and the conditions in Adelaide were perfect. The commentary team said they had never seen better conditions for a golf tournament.

LIV golf is definitely here to stay and I really wouldn't be surprised if more big-name players make the shift over.

Liv is a great watch. The scenes when the lessor-Koepka hit the hole-in-one at the stadium hole were fucking great

The stuffy sanctimonious fluffybunnies at the PGA tour should be worried (though for all the chat, the money they are now paying out is fucking ridiculous as well).

@Canes4life although from what I have seen, LIV has better support outside the US, particularly places like Aus where the PGA dont go anyway.

Hopefully there will be some common ground in the near future, while LIV has alot of cash, it surely isnt unlimited meaning if more and more want to jump, the sign on bonuses will drop.

PGA need to pull thier heads out and find a way forward where both exist, but I think for that to happen, probably the head of both PGA (Jay Monahan) and LIV (Greg Norman) will need to step down, seems alot of ego there.

LIV Aus was indeed awesome but a lot of that is due to the Aussie crowd that, lets be honest, would have turned up to watch pretty much any sport put on in a similar environment.

I've watched a of heap of LIV (and golf in general) and the atmosphere and vibe event was sooo much better than all the others . Right now for me, from a spectacle point of view, its still LPGA then LIV, with PGA a long way behind (unless its a major)