But actually that is not the case. It is very true that LIV is using a loss leader mentality at present, but that is not the long term goal.
I am assuming you haven’t read the several posts above regarding LIV selling teams to sponsors. Among other interested conglomerates, Adidas is rumoured to be paying $1 billion for ownership of DJ’s team. The biggest money maker in golf is the Ryder Cup. I think they are onto something with their team concept, especially with the younger crowd they are targeting. They plan on reaping billions of sponsorship income this way. Similar to Formula 1 many have said.
There is a lot more money in golf than would appear to be the case. Remember that the “charitable” PGA Tour miraculously just found $56 million lying around which they are using to increase purses next year. I think we need to check other charities like the Boys and Girls Clubs to ensure they are not sitting on tens of millions as well.
My comment was a bit tongue in cheek with respect to other charities, but the PGA Tour is far from the only charity to be accused of wrongdoing and improper spending of their donors money. CRA/IRS are supposed to monitor this but appear to do so poorly. I would include churches in this as well.
It is a farce in the first place that the PGA Tour is considered a charity, but that may ultimately be their undoing as they have clearly breached antitrust regulations and are being investigated by the DOJ in the US.
The way it works is that any player wishing to play off tour must request an exemption from the PGA. The opposite of independent contractor. The PGA to my knowledge always granted these requests. There are several players that routinely play some European Tour events. I suppose it would apply to older players like Mickelson who play some Senior events as well.
At the start of all of this I believe every player applied for this exemption to play in the first LIV event. All of them were denied. That never happened before.
I would agree. The PGA has chosen to go to war to protect what is an obvious monopoly. LIV has said they want to coexist from the start. I am hoping that the two sides will come to the table but unless the PGA smartens up there will be much more dirty laundry for the public to see.
If there is no resolution the courts will ultimately decide and I don’t like the chances of the PGA in that arena. They were already found in breach of anti trust legislation as posted somewhere on this thread in the early 1990’s but no penalty was imposed. This time will probably be different. I know that I wouldn’t want my organization being investigated by the DOJ.
The closest thing to a report confirming that Cam Smith, recent British Open and Player’s Championship winner and world #2 will in fact be joining LIV as rumoured. From SI.
For interests sake, an article from Golf Magazine setting out details of the arguments being advanced by both sides in court today, with an emphasis on the PGA Tour position. Contains a handy dandy chart.
Jon This is sportwashing, plain and simple. Where is the lady golfer category? L I V doesn’t even have a token Saudi or Muslim playing in it’s group, if it is to be so called “growing the game of golf”
That’s not the same thing. Then why isn’t L I V sponsoring a Women’s division if they want to grow the game of Golf. Are the lady golfers expected to be covered from head to toe when they play in a L I V women’s tour?
And yet Canadian, American, and European governments (representing their people) still do a ton of business with the Saudis. Oil. Weapons. Sports teams across multiple sports and leagues. Airlines. Telecom. You name it. Why single out one single entity (LIV)?
And your (and my) government who represents us still does business with the Saudis. Millions if not billions of dollars worth.
So I reiterate… how can we as a nation, through our government, do business with a regime and in the same breath forbid private citizens fron doing business with the same regime?
