Double standards as the PGA criticizes the LIV Golf Tour before it even reaches Bangkok

[Berkshire]

13 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Did LIV sponsor 9-11?

Did you read the article?  The group "9/11 Justice" has evidence that the Saudi government was involved.  LIV is funded by the Saudi government. 

[86Tiger]

2 hours ago, Berkshire said:

It'll be hard for Trump to weasel out of this one.  The next LIV tournament is being held at his golf course....which is pretty close to where 9/11 happened.  He's going to be getting some negative press....as if he needed any more.

 

[Dozens of family members and survivors of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack will head to former President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club next week to protest the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf event there.]

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/24/trump-9-11-liv-golf-protest-00047655

 

 

 

That has nothing to do with golf nor the saudi's.  It's from the never trump all the time media. 

 

Hmm, how could I come to that conclusion??  Were any of these "protesters" at the last LIV event?  Were any of them at the first LIV event?  First one was even in Portland so they didn't have to travel as far.

 

Speaking of which, would be interesting to know who is paying the expenses of these "protesters" so they can get their 15 minutes air time....

 

Also, the human rights argument is disingenuous.  Regardless of personal opinions, the world condones, protects and rewards the saudi's with every tanker that safely arrives at a point of sale.  Stop making them rich then we can put a little teeth in the we are appalled at their human rights record.

 

I say more power to LIV and any one that wants to participate.  Maybe if PGA would put all the earnings generated by the tournaments (tv money, sponsors, etc.) into the purses rather than executive salaries and pet project they would never have had a problem.

 

Disclaimer:  avid golfer for 25+ years.  I love the game.  Nothing feels better in the world than watching that little ball do exactly what you envisioned it doing. But there is nothing special, sacred or virtuous about it.  It is a game with a ball.

[ed strong]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Alot of the has beens and guys who cannot win will defect. It takes a certain kind of desperation to accept big money from serial killers, and then pretend all is fine. The Saudis are one of the true enemies of the West 

More like partners than enemies.

 

Saudi Arabia has been historically receiving security assistance from the U.S. since 1945 when Roosevelt met King Abdul Aziz and agreed a deal.

 

Saudi Arabia is the United States' largest foreign military sales (FMS) customer, with more than $100 billion in active FMS cases. Through FMS, the United States has supported three key security assistance organizations in Saudi Arabia—the Ministry of Defense, the National Guard, and the Ministry of Interior.

 

Biden said it would all stop when he got into power but actually the situation is now worse.

 

 

 

 

[Berkshire]

1 hour ago, 86Tiger said:

 

That has nothing to do with golf nor the saudi's.  It's from the never trump all the time media. 

 

Hmm, how could I come to that conclusion??  Were any of these "protesters" at the last LIV event?  Were any of them at the first LIV event?  First one was even in Portland so they didn't have to travel as far.

 

 

So far as I can tell, these protesters are not "never Trumpers" but families of 9/11 victims.  And yes, they were at the last LIV event in Portland.

 

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2022/06/shame-on-them-family-members-of-911-victims-denounce-liv-golf-tournament-at-pumpkin-ridge.html

[spidermike007]

8 hours ago, ed strong said:

More like partners than enemies.

 

Saudi Arabia has been historically receiving security assistance from the U.S. since 1945 when Roosevelt met King Abdul Aziz and agreed a deal.

 

Saudi Arabia is the United States' largest foreign military sales (FMS) customer, with more than $100 billion in active FMS cases. Through FMS, the United States has supported three key security assistance organizations in Saudi Arabia—the Ministry of Defense, the National Guard, and the Ministry of Interior.

 

Biden said it would all stop when he got into power but actually the situation is now worse.

 

 

 

 

An ongoing partnership with a true enemy. Would the Saudis be relevant without their oil and riches? 

[ed strong]

14 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

An ongoing partnership with a true enemy. Would the Saudis be relevant without their oil and riches? 

If you have something to sell (arms) and anyone that has money.....you will work together regardless of what other political situations are occurring and disregard any concern the public might have.

 

Gross but thats business.

 

 

[Woof999]

On 7/25/2022 at 2:53 PM, 86Tiger said:

But there is nothing special, sacred or virtuous about it.  It is a game with a ball.

Pretty much the only comment on the whole topic worth reading.

[Thailand]

"I hear Patrick Reed got $80 million to defect. The Saudis paid him $20 million, and the PGA Tour put up the other 60."

[scubascuba3]

Bubba the latest one to go.

 

Worth a watch from today on YouTube livgolf or livgolf.com

 

I'll watch it tomorrow morning on youtube, they'll show the whole round 1 about 5 hours

[scubascuba3]

1st round yesterday

 

 

[JAS21]

Article 27th July in Golf Digest saying LIV will be limited to 48 players and those who turned down initial contracts and now showing interest are being offered less than before.

 

 

[gk10012001]

All I can say is, what was in the contracts the players signed or agreed to?  DP tour is on television here in the USA all the time.  Tours are in general private enterprises and can set their own rules.  However, most USA major league sports thought that also, but then lost pretty much every anti-trust law suit, free agency became allowed, etc. 

 

From any Tour's point of view, they have large expenses organizing tournaments, guaranteeing golf courses years in advance, marketing, setting aside prize money, etc.  So I can understand them wanting to know and keep some control of players in their tour. 

 

   I don't worry too much about people that still make more than most people will ever make, so I don't give pro golf much thought.  I don't see how it affects me in any material way.

 

PS.  Some golf caddies in Pattaya are really cute!

Edited July 30, 2022 by gk10012001

[gk10012001]

I personally have little interest and don't like "closed" tournaments.  I like the idea of Monday morning qualifiers which the PGA tour still has for many tournaments.  I don't want to just see the same players over and over.  Golf is fun because it is un predictable. 

 

Bring on a John Daly who was like the 5th alternate for that PGA tournament when he was called up and drove up with no notice and then won the darn thing.

 

  I don't care for hype.  I just want to see some golf.  The player or personalities don't interest me much.  Now having actually played some golf with Tiger Woods while I was stationed in california and played at the Los Alamitos Navy station golf course, and also being old enough to have remembered seeing him on TV as a kid on that Merv Griffin show or whatever it was,  I did enjoy watching Tiger dominate.  He was top notch. 

 

  But all the players today, are a dime a dozen.  All bigger, all hi tech clubs, digital laser distance devices, etc. 

[fceligoj]

You are a joke!  Those golfers that defected should be dropped from the PGA and DP World.

[Berkshire]

It appears Tiger Woods turned down in excess of $700 million to join LIV.  Yes, it's true the dude is already pretty loaded.  But still....the man has integrity.

 

[According to Sam Stein of Politico, Norman told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson LIV Golf offered to pay Woods a sum in the range of $700 to $800 million to join the tour.]

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/greg-norman-tiger-woods-rejected-at-least-700m-from-liv-golf/ar-AA10d7Xr?ocid=wispr&cvid=4bcb59f97b0b4b81909449d19e73755e

[scubascuba3]

59 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

It appears Tiger Woods turned down in excess of $700 million to join LIV.  Yes, it's true the dude is already pretty loaded.  But still....the man has integrity.

 

[According to Sam Stein of Politico, Norman told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson LIV Golf offered to pay Woods a sum in the range of $700 to $800 million to join the tour.]

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/greg-norman-tiger-woods-rejected-at-least-700m-from-liv-golf/ar-AA10d7Xr?ocid=wispr&cvid=4bcb59f97b0b4b81909449d19e73755e

 I bet it had nothing to do with the Saudi influence. Thing is Tiger is very close to retirement so would have been a bad investment.

 

Bedminster event was good. Nice to see Stenson playing so well and winning $4M+, LIVs given him a shot in the arm

Edited August 2, 2022 by scubascuba3

[scubascuba3]

What's more interesting about the interview above was the Saudi angle