An abbreviated, staged event conducted for entertainment purposes that includes limited top players with a weak field.
But that will change as LIV signs more players.
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OT: Phil Mickelson
- Thread starter Knightmoves
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But that will change as LIV signs more players.
If the tour only has 3 rounds for each event, how is that abbreviated? And every PGA Tour event would qualify as limited top players with a weak field. The John Deere is even worse. Just look at that leaderboard? I am all for seeing unknown guys win a tournament but that leaderboard is embarrassing.
Do you think that JT Poston wouldn’t have competed well in the Portland LIV event? The players at the top of the leaderboard in the John Deere are very talented players.
The biggest reason this more exhibition than tournament is the fact most of these guys got paid before even teeing it up. DJ can literally play all 54 holes with his putter if he wanted, pocket $120K in prize money and go home and sit on the nearly $200 million he got just to show up and play.
aren’t all events staged, in PGA and otherwise For entertainment purposes?
So I guess the PGA event this week is also an exhibition? Since the LIV included more ranked players than that?
According to some reporters, they did have a limit in order to make it look more popular than it was. In other words if it is reported that they had to turn people away (like what happened in Portland), the buzz is that it's wildly populary.
The fact they won't release attendance numbers or ticket sales should tell you that are trying to manage the PR around this thing and come out looking half assed if they are getting low attendance numbers.
I suspect that will change a bit going forward but I wonder if they will ever be able to generate crowds like the big PGA Tour events get. I guess we will find out in a few years. Likely comes down to them pulling more top players to make their fields stronger.
Every golfer who showed up at LIV in Portland got paid to show up and play. They pocketed cash before even putting the tee in the ground on their first hole.
That's a pretty big distinction that the LIV fans miss in this discussion. The fact LIV enticed players to join their league and tournaments with upfront signing bonuses and cash payments makes it more exhibition than anything the PGA Tour does.
It is not but just feels that way to me. I mean the win doesn’t mean anything. its Like a can’t lose cash game for pros.
but part of your definition was a limited ranked field…So I guess John Deer fits that description too?
Fair point. However they also lost their sponsors so the money they received was really to make up for that and to entice them to start a new tour. Like I said I am willing to give it a watch for now. It’s definitely got a USFL vs NFL feel, but I think the quality will get better as better players join. I also think that winning a trophy matters to these guys. They still want to win majors so they need to keep in game shape. That’s why is not an exhibition to me.
I don’t want to knock the talent in the John Deere, but I don’t think any of those guys would be Top 10 if it was a full field. Also, not really sure how Poston would have done at Pumpkin Ridge. PR is a much harder course. And he would have been playing against much better players. The good thing about the Deere is that it gives a lesser talent a chance to play in the Masters and Hawaii.
The article I linked clearly said they reached capacity. I think its due to logistics. Just did have enough people working the event.
I only read that they had a long wait to get in. Based on the coverage and activity around the food and merchandise kiosks, it wasn’t that crowded. More than an LPGA event but definitely not close to a PGA event.
I am rooting for a Poston and Grillo collapse. Let’s at least get Gotterup into a playoff.
Edit: turned the Djokovic match on and missed the Grillo collapse.
Edit: turned the Djokovic match on and missed the Grillo collapse.
I made no such definition. Maybe you are confusing me with someone else.
Paying guys to just show up and play is pretty much the definition of exhibition golf.
i know you made no definition…hence why I asked.
This is what you said:
“The fact LIV enticed players to join their league and tournaments with upfront signing bonuses and cash payments makes it more exhibition than anything the PGA Tour does.”
so getting a lot of money makes it an exhibition?
Notice the word "upfront". It's not the amount of moneyhere, it's the fact these guys all got paid to just join the league.
DJ got close to $200 million just to play. He doesn't even have to play well. He could finish in last place every tournament and still bank $200 million.
PGA tour players also get paid “up front” from their sponsors….what is the difference?
same exact thing goes to Rory….and all others in the PGA. He’s getting tens of millions just to show up to a pga tour from his sponsor..there’s no difference, Ty
The difference is clear. The PGA Tour isn't physically paying players just to play on their tour. The LIV Tour is.
In order to entice golfers to join their tour, they literally had to pay these guys signing bonuses. Arguing sponsors are the same thing is just trying to muddy the waters here. It's a pretty clear distinction. Which tour pays their players just to show up?
their sponsors are though. So your saying it’s okay for sponsors to pay, but not the actual league to pay them?
i mean the actual league pays NHL, MLB, NFL and NBA players..why not golf?
They had to because they lost all their sponsors. Otherwise why would the top guys have joined the tour? Cost of doing business for now.
Sponsors are willing to pay because they feel there’s profit for them to make by being affiliated with the player. Sponsors paying “upfront” costs as opposed to the league is an important distinction. You may not feel like it’s a big deal and that fine, but others see a marked difference there. LIV is trying to pay their way into relevancy. That’s their right, and we’ll see if it works, but it is very different than the way the PGA goes about their business model.
And I’m not sure what you’re talking about with other leagues. The NHL, MLB, NFL, and NBA do not pay players. Individual teams/owners do. MLB is not in contract negations with Aaron Judge. The Yankees are.
indivual team MAKE UP the league. So yes, the not for profit leage is technically paying
not a stretch at all. MLB, NHL, NBA, and NFL are non profit leagues. The teams ARE the league..so technically players get paid my MLB
Not going to get into a back and forth here. The owners are the money, not the leagues themselves.
The difference is legacy. Rory wants to win PGA tournaments and majors and put his name on trophy's.
Winning a LIV tourney is great money. But that's it. Many of these guys already make great money.
Nobody care about winning the Charles Schwab or the John Deer. That is where they cash checks not legacy. It's the majors and Ryder Cup that create a legacy.