Tuesday Tastings

The weather forecast for the Wednesday game is problematic, but I'll blog in expectation of being unavailable tomorrow... So, what should we talk about?

Expect Anything Different? - With apologies to Dan Hicks, passing on the Masters and PGA made little sense, unless he was all in on those nice folks from the Arabian Peninsula.  Here's Geoff's take in his header:

Mickelson Grabs The Scary @#$%@#&^%$%@#'s Money, Intends To Still Play Majors

It's always risky to take anything Phil says at face value, but I had been reliably informed that it was only necessary to deal with the scary MoFos in order to change the PGA Tour's operations.  Now, it's love.

So, just to be clear Phil, this is the man you want to be?  A vassal to the Wahabis, who seem the perfect vessel to import progressive values into our game.  There were some dissenters of course, including this news outlet:

The back page: GREED JACKET https://t.co/cD9X0VwaUt pic.twitter.com/UCz5CI7zxV

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 7, 2022

Twitter to cancel the N.Y. Post account in 3, 2, 1....

Phil gave SI's Bob Harig some time, and he's obviously received the same talking points as Kevin Na:

SI.com/Morning Read: Why, ultimately, did you decide to do this?

Phil Mickelson: “I think that the biggest reason is when I would think about LIV Golf I found myself excited and energized to play and work hard and compete again. I think after doing this for 30 years, I’m excited about something new and this different format. And at this point in my life, just as importantly, it gives some balance in my life for Amy and I. This motivates me to work hard and compete. But it also gives me time and opportunity to have the balance in my life that I’m looking forward to do doing with (wife) Amy and that I’ve always wanted to do. I’m excited for the opportunities both on the golf course and off.’’

Seems the key concept here is balance, no?  Just spitballin' here, Phil, but did any money change hands in pursuit of this balance?

He seems to think he's untouchable:

SI/MR: What do you expect your status with the PGA Tour to be going forward?

Mickelson: “I’m certainly grateful for the 30-plus years that I’ve had with the PGA Tour. The many memories and experiences that I’ve shared. And I’d like to think that I contributed to the PGA Tour over that time. And I have earned a lifetime membership (a minimum of 20 victories and 15 years on the PGA Tour). I’m hopeful that stays the same. I also feel it’s important for any player to have the right to play wherever they want, in addition to me being able to keep my lifetime membership.’’

But 30 years of obnoxious greed, Phil?  How can you accept that?

That last bit is really rich, though, and I'd like to see how the players react.  It's great to speak of being able to play anywhere, especially when you have a sugar daddy unaffected by the laws of economics.  But he's fully prepared, actually eager, to destroy the economic ecosystem that supports everyone below the top 48, because progress.  And the fact that 99% of his peers want nothing to do with this?  Details.

As his statement above makes clear, he thinks he'll have no problem playing in the majors:

SI/MR: Did anything preclude you from playing in the Masters or the PGA Championship? If not, why did you not play?

Mickelson: “I had great conversations with all of the governing bodies. I was under the understanding that I was able to play. But I really needed some time away. This has been really good for me to have this time with Amy and for me to be able to step away and reflect a little bit. I’ve been doing this so long. Easy to get in a bit of a rut. It’s given me a chance to spend time with Amy and create a better balance in my life, so it’s not so focused on just golf.’’

I think he's probably right that those organizations will not honor PGA Tour suspensions, though to me its incredible how he flaunts his self-absorption.  Because he has a clear path into these events by virtue of that win at Kiawah (as does DJ by virtue of his 2020 Masters win), but how about all of those guys making the jump with him?  I think they're all fine for Brookline and St. Andrews based upon current world rankings, but I wouldn't be making any reservations for L.A., if I were Lee or Ian.

Harig asks an interesting question:

SI/MR: You’ve had a 30-plus-year run with the PGA Tour with a record that is one of the best in the game’s history. Are you concerned at all about your legacy?

Mickelson: “I haven’t put a ton of time into thinking about that. I’ve had so many great memories in the game of golf. And so much appreciation and gratitude that the game of golf has provided me. But I haven’t really thought about that too much.’’

Really?  I'd have never guessed that.... 

And this obligatory query:

SI/MR: Given the amount of money being offered and certainly what we know the purses are to be, there is a suggestion that you are doing this due to financial difficulties. Can you address that?

Mickelson: “My gambling got to a point of being reckless and embarrassing. I had to address it. And I’ve been addressing it for a number of years. And for hundreds of hours of therapy. I feel good where I’m at there. My family and I are and have been financially secure for some time.

“Gambling has been part of my life ever since I can remember. But about a decade ago is when I would say it became reckless. It’s embarrassing. I don’t like that people know. The fact is I’ve been dealing with it for some time. Amy has been very supportive of it and with me and the process. We’re at place after many years where I feel comfortable with where that is. It isn’t a threat to me or my financial security. It was just a number of poor decisions.’’

SI/MR: What about gambling on the course in practice rounds, which you’ve always used as a way to prepare?

Mickelson: “On the golf course, it’s creating competition. But it’s the anxiety, the other things that come across with gambling off the course and addiction off the course that I really needed to address.’’

Well, we'd certainly hope that the family is financially secure, given the hundreds of millions of dollars he's earned.  And yet, he repeatedly fails to pay those gambling debts, so what is a fellow to think?

Golf Digest convened their Tour Confidential wannabe panel to vet these issues:

Are you surprised Mickelson, after all the backlash over the past three months, still made the jump? Are you surprised LIV Golf still wanted him after he admitted he was using them for leverage?

Dan Rapaport: I am not. Ignore the noise and look at the facts: he has never backed off his stance that the PGA Tour is obnoxiously greedy and that it needs to be challenged. He was involved in the very founding of this league. He's been in regular contact with Greg Norman. And the apology he issued after his explosive interview read more like a mea culpa directed toward the Saudis, not the PGA Tour. He's attached to this and has been since the beginning.

Joel Beall: Surprised at Phil? No; he’s long been a carnival barker, and the show he’s selling is himself. His comments in February had a bit of a Cortes burning the boats feel to it in regards to the PGA Tour, so there may not have been a choice (more on this in a second). As for LIV … kind of! I know they’re desperate to get this thing off the ground, but, boy, he essentially took a flamethrower to the entire operation and almost burned the place down.

Shane Ryan: Definitely not surprised Phil made the jump, he's been telegraphing this for a long time and though we don't have access to his financials, everything we've learned lately seems to indicate he needs the money. I am at least a little surprised that LIV Golf wanted him, after he called the Saudi government homophobic journalist-killers with a terrible record on human rights. But clearly, for an outfit looking to launch their enterprise with some buzz, having Phil Mickelson on board clearly outweighed any offense felt in the House of Saud.

Alex Myers: Not at all. Clearly, Mickelson has been eying a big payday for a while, and the loss of all those sponsors only increased his appetite/need for one. I’m even less surprised by LIV Golf still wanting him. It’s Phil Mickelson. Even as he approaches his 52nd birthday he remains the second-biggest name in the game—and arguably the most entertaining.

A few reactions.  First, your humble blogger has been watching as everyone from Jim Nantz to Seth Waugh to Rory McIlroy have spoken about Phil's inevitable return to the fold, ignoring the fact that Phil had no such interest.  Does Jim Nantz feel played?  

Second, what choice does LIV have at this point?  They've got virtually nothing, so it's best viewed as a marriage of convenience.  But, while he's still Phil Mickelson, take a moment to savor the concept that golf is to be saved by a tour built upon a 52 year-old player.  I see no issues with that....

Majors aside, has Mickelson made his last PGA Tour start?

Chris Powers: If he’s getting a Dustin Johnson-sized bag to play on the LIV, I think the better

question is: Will Phil even want or need to play on the PGA Tour again? Even without the career grand slam, his golfing legacy is fully intact, despite this questionable late-career move. Another few PGA Tour Champions wins or the odd win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (assuming the tour allows him to play again) isn’t going to change that.

Rapaport: It all depends on the courts—if they rule in the PGA Tour’s favor and uphold any potential discipline, which would force a choice between the PGA Tour and LIV, I do think Phil would go with LIV. He's in too deep now. But if forcing a choice doesn't hold up legally, he—and everyone else—will at least have the option to have their cake and eat it too.

Beall: Generously assuming his three-month sabbatical was his decision and his decision alone, I can’t fathom the tour welcoming him back. The comments were one thing; if the Fire Pit Collective's report is true, Phil is not an associate of LIV Golf, he is its architect. Coupled with going and competing in the events, Mickelson’s potential ban could be for life.

Phil got himself paid, and that will assuage his ego. For, yanno, and hour-and-a-half.

But, to me they're asking the wrong question.  What Phil needs more than anything at this stage of his life is the Champions Tour.

Juding by reports, LIV appears to be struggling to sell tickets. Is Phil enough to draw crowds when the series comes to the United States?

Powers: Judging by the mob scene that he produces at every single PGA Tour stop, I’ve got to imagine Lefty will have no issue drawing a crowd in the U.S.-based events. Some folks may

literally only go to see him, which will make the James Piot, Jediah Morgan and Laurie Canter group feel like they are playing in a library. But they’ll probably accept that trade-off to have any sort of Phil-sized crowd in attendance.

Myers: Yes. Obviously, we’re not talking PGA Tour event-sized crowds, but Phil is still the No. 2 draw out there. As much as LIV needed a star still in their prime—or, at least near their prime—like Dustin Johnson, I think Mickelson is a more important get. He’ll put a lot more fans in the seats—and in whatever fan experiences LIV has planned—than DJ.

Ryan: He'll sell some tickets, but I think it's easy to overstate how badly your average American golf fan will want to go see him at this stage in his career. I'm just not sure we live in a sports climate where throwing up a few billboards with Phil's face on them leads to droves of fans coming out, even in major metropolitan areas. Which doesn't mean they won't get spectators—people still like to go out and watch professional golf—just that I don't think Phil's presence is going to entail some massive spike.

Rapaport: Yes, he is. Despite his almost total lack of success since Kiawah, hes still a clear No. 2 as far as name recognition in this game. People will turn up to see him. I don't think he's enough to single handedly carry a new tour—only one guy could do that, and his initials are TW—but he's certainly a splashy asset.

If they come to the United States....

To me, this is the missing piece in most of the reporting.  LIV is now leaving the happy talk portion of the program and is now holding an actual golf tournament.  How can this event, with its comically weak field, not suck big time.  It will be an embarrassing failure that no one will pay much mind to after the Thursday curiosity factor.  Anyone familiar with how the Wahabis react to public humiliation?  From what I've seen, it's usually public beheadings, which we clearly need more of in golf.

I Saw It On TV - The coverage of the event seems it's own fiasco.  Everyone and their brother keeps asking me what network is carrying it, to which the answer is none of them:

How to watch LIV Golf London event online

The only way to catch LIV Golf’s London event is online. LIVGolf.com, YouTube and Facebook will carry live streaming coverage of the tournament. The coverage begins at 9 a.m. ET/2 p.m. BT. on Thursday.

How to watch LIV Golf London event on TV

As of this writing, the LIV Golf tournament in London will not be available to watch on TV. That comes with one caveat. In a press release, tournament organizers wrote that the tournament “will also be aired live on a global roster of leading premium and free-to-air broadcasters providing coverage in 138 territories around the world.” It’s unclear whether those broadcasters will include any TV channels, but the release stated that “the list of global networks covering the LIV Golf Invitational Series will be made available later this week on LIVGolf.com.”

I see boffo ratings....

But as far as the broadcast team, they've landed quite the whale:

Longtime Golf Channel reporter Jerry Foltz has left the network to become a color commentator

and analyst for the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

LIV Golf announced its broadcast team Monday and plays its first tournament this week at the Centurion Club outside of London. The broadcast will be available on LIVGolf.com, YouTube and Facebook.

Arlo White, the voice of the Premier League in the United States for nearly a decade, will handle lead play by play duties.

Foltz, who played professionally for more than 15 years, has spent more than two decades as an analyst, play-by-play host, studio host, instructional series host and on-course reporter. Foltz has been an on-course reporter for various tours, with a focus as a leading voice for the LPGA Tour.

Wow, the guy that does on-course reporting for the LPGA!  Quite the get!

I hope Jerry isn't put off by not being their first choice:

Darren Clarke learned on Tuesday that the fallout from the LIV Golf Invitational Series is not just limited to active PGA Tour players.

Clarke, a gregarious 53-year-old Irishman, was offered a three-year deal to be a color commentator on broadcast coverage for LIV Golf, which will launch next week in London.

Miller Brady, the president of the PGA Tour Champions, delivered the bad news to Clarke in a phone call on Tuesday, stating that Clarke’s involvement in the broadcast would be a breach of regulations and would be subject to disciplinary actions.

“I really enjoy my time on the Champions tour and didn’t want to jeopardize it,” Clarke said in a call with SI.com/Morning Read from the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines.

Clarke would not disclose the amount of the offer but was clear that the offer was considerable.

“It was very, very generous offer. It was very tempting, because the offer was so good,” the 2011 British Open champion said. “If I said yes, I’d almost be ready to retire from professional golf.”

I don't blame him, especially since that event in Des Moines has a stronger field than the one in London.

But no over-promising to be found here:

The LIV Golf broadcast will be unlike anything fans have seen before,” said Will Staeger, LIV Golf Chief Media Officer. “The innovations we are introducing to the sport will be distributed to existing and new audiences all over the world as we deliver golf coverage dedicated to entertainment and access. We’ve built a world class production team that has combined the industry’s best practices with a reimagined experience for viewers to create a one-of-a-kind broadcast. We’ve been counting down the days to Thursday’s start so fans can tune in and watch what we have been working on.”

The LIV Golf event broadcasts will also be aired live on a global roster of leading premium and free-to-air broadcasters providing coverage in 138 territories around the world. Those outlets are to be announced later this week.

I can't contain my excitement over how this will grow the game...

Greg Norman, Village Idiot -  I've not seen any support for Alan Shipnuck's reporting that the Saudis are less than thrilled with Mr. Norman, but it would hard to think that they're happy with what they're getting for their money.

Eamon Lynch is back with a new piece under this world-class header:

Greg Norman suggests Rory McIlroy has been 'brainwashed,' Jack Nicklaus is a 'hypocrite,' Tiger Woods was offered 'high nine digits' by Saudi-backed LIV Golf

Brainwashed?  Is that like Sportswashing?   because he doesn't sound the slightest bit unhinged....

Here's the Tiger bit:

“The tour’s consultant also pitched representatives for Woods, who once staged his own public coup with the PGA Tour over marketing rights. Norman says Woods turned down a deal that was ‘mind-blowingly enormous; we’re talking about high nine digits.’ “

First, can someone remind me of this public coup from Tiger?  

More importantly, how is it in LIV's interest to disclose that Tiger turned down that offer?  

Then there's the folly of pitting his reputation against an actual legend:

Norman also called Jack Nicklaus a hypocrite after recently speaking out against LIV. According to a report in May by Sports Illustrated, a complaint was filed May 13 against the golf legend in the Supreme Court of the State of New York by New York businessman Howard Milstein, executive chairman of the Nicklaus Companies who also oversees Golf Magazine and Golf.com. The suit alleges tortious interference, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty, alleging among other things Nicklaus had negotiations with the Saudi Arabia-funded Public Investment Fund, the backers of the LIV Golf Series.

Again highlighting those thinking the Saudis are, yanno, scary Mofos.

It's too much to cover here, but this Washington Post feature on Norman is well worth your time:

The Shark is on the attack again

With decades of resentment and an appetite for combat, golf legend Greg Norman is throwing his sport into chaos. This time, he’s doing it with Saudi money.

Lots of background on his difficult relationship with his own father and its troubling parallel's to his relationship with Nicklaus.  

One Last Thought - As you know by now, I'm no PGA Tour loyalist.  I think their product is mediocre at best, and they seem more focused on all the wrong things, such as legalized gambling, as if that will improve the fan experience.

But my frustration with the LIV story is that I think their vision for the game ir quite dreadful, and that real golf fans show be repelled by it.  Graeme McDowell is a seemingly good guy, certainly an over-achiever in our game, but see what you think of these comments:

Struggling with injuries and without a top-10 for 14 months, he sees the LIV Golf Series as a godsend.

"It has been very demoralising, especially when you've got kids," the struggling world 376 told National Club Golfer of his struggles over the past 18 months.

"You look around and think, is this worth the sacrifice? It is worth the sacrifice when you're being successful and financially it's very lucrative. But when you're not successful and you're leaving your kids 35 weeks a year, you do ask yourself the question."

He added: "[LIV Golf is] something that doesn't represent the grind. The prize money is guaranteed, there are no cuts. It's new and exciting and it's given me a shot in the arm from an energy point of view. It's come at a perfect point."

Of course he does! And I don't blame him a lick for grasping at the straw.

But is it a Godsend for the rest of us?  I would suggest that golf without the grind has approximately zero value....

Of course, he knows he's the luckiest guy on the planet, because all but three of the 375 players ranked higher wouldn't take the Saudi's money.  he's cashing a check because he can and also because he knows he wouldn't otherwise be making bank.  Doesn't make him evil, but it also should highlight for the rest of us that a tour for the top 48 players is anathema for our game.

Not sure of the schedule, but I would expect we'll be all over Thursday's first round, if I can find it.