2022 British Open Championship Thread

[Herman Cain]

Rory gracious and honest in defeat . Says a lot about him.

https://www.theopen.com/latest/rory-mcilroy-the-better-player-won

[RJax55]

Cam  is young and has a great life right now. He has a very neat home on the intercoastal near the TPC Sawgrass, has already made very good money on tour and his earning outlook is promising .

LIV is for 40 plus year old's who can't get the job done on the course any more ( Sergio, Westwood, Poulter) or younger guys whose bodies are shot ( De Charcuterie and Koepka)

There's a lot of guys behind the scenes that want a piece of this LIV money. Let's call it the Tour's Advisor Industrial Complex. And, these guys don't give a rat ass about a players legacy, the game, or golf's future.

[MuggsyB]

There's a lot of guys behind the scenes that want a piece of this LIV money. Let's call it the Tour's Advisor Industrial Complex. And, these guys don't give a rat ass about a players legacy, the game, or golf's future.

So what should be done?  I'm afraid the greatness of the NCAA hoops tournament is also on tenuous footing. 

[Herman Cain]

So what should be done?  I'm afraid the greatness of the NCAA hoops tournament is also on tenuous footing.

A licensing arrangement ,whereby LIV pays an annual fee to PGA Tour  for unlimited player releases to play on LIV tour, is one possible solution. Everyone wins in that scenario.

Eventually Saudi will

[🏀]

Eh, Australian golf has done Australia dirty.  Those guys have largely abandoned Australian golf. 

Jason Day, sure.

Cam and Adam Scott have both stated the Tour chasing China money hurt Aussie golf. Then the silly fall season and FedEx cup points created a big portion of this mess.

Cam kept going back home, until he realized he couldn't do it and take the PGA Tour seriously at the same time.

[🏀]

A licensing arrangement ,whereby LIV pays an annual fee to PGA Tour  for unlimited player releases to play on LIV tour, is one possible solution. Everyone wins in that scenario.

Eventually Saudi will

Why would LIV do that when they can just pay the player direct?

[MU82]

First time I can remember where I didn't watch a second of the British Open. Normally I'd watch the entire last 2 days.

Didn't miss watching a bit.

I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw of the last 2 rounds.

But to each his own.

[MuggsyB]

A licensing arrangement ,whereby LIV pays an annual fee to PGA Tour  for unlimited player releases to play on LIV tour, is one possible solution. Everyone wins in that scenario.

Eventually Saudi will

It's been reported that Stenson will be stripped of his Ryder Cup Captaincy.  So I guess what I'm wondering is if the majors can and will decide to ban LIV players?   Or if we're talking a legal battle?  If these guys that jump ship literally only care about getting paid, and have no interest in the history and legacy of the sport, then essentially professional golf no longer exists.

No one is going to watch LIV, it's a circus.  And notwithstanding Jockey and his lack of interest, the Open was extremely compelling all weekend.  If these guys really want only bags of cash, without real competition or any ties to golf history, then what exactly is the point of being a professional athlete?  Was Cam Smith fake crying today?

[🏀]

It's been reported that Stenson will be stripped of his Ryder Cup Captaincy.  So I guess what I'm wondering is if the majors can and will decide to ban LIV players?   Or if we're talking a legal battle?  If these guys that jump ship literally only care about getting paid, and have no interest in the history and legacy of the sport, then essentially professional golf no longer exists.

No one is going to watch LIV, it's a circus.  And notwithstanding Jockey and his lack of interest, the Open was extremely compelling all weekend.  If these guys really want only bags of cash, without real competition or any ties to golf history, then what exactly is the point of being a professional athlete?  Was Cam Smith fake crying today?

No chance the R&A will ban Cam Smith after he cashes his $90m from LIV.

I think the point of being a professional athlete is making money.

[MuggsyB]

No chance the R&A will ban Cam Smith after he cashes his $90m from LIV.

I think the point of being a professional athlete is making money.

You don't think they care at all about competing? 

[🏀]

You don't think they care at all about competing? 

Cam is rumored to be getting $90m. Phil Mickelson has earned $95m over his 30 year career.

LIV is a competition. They'll have more golfers each event. The Chicago event will look entirely different than London after the mass exodus post-FedEx playoffs.

Go play with DJ, Brooks, Cantlay, Xander, Cam, Bryson, Reed, Ancer, Phil, Bubba, Mito, Finau, Wolff and get a ridiculous sum of money.

Or stick around the Tour with Rory, JT, Spieth and never see their kind of money.

[MuggsyB]

Cam is rumored to be getting $90m. Phil Mickelson has earned $95m over his 30 year career.

LIV is a competition. They'll have more golfers each event. The Chicago event will look entirely different than London after the mass exodus post-FedEx playoffs.

Go play with DJ, Brooks, Cantlay, Xander, Cam, Bryson, Reed, Ancer, Phil, Bubba, Mito, Finau, Wolff and get a ridiculous sum of money.

Or stick around the Tour with Rory, JT, Spieth and never see their kind of money.

I think in golf you're also competing for Majors and playing the course. 54 holes and shotgun starts is not a golf tournament.  Even if the field is better. 

[🏀]

I think in golf you're also competing for Majors and playing the course. 54 holes and shotgun starts is not a golf tournament.  Even if the field is better. 

Cam is exempt into majors for the foreseeable future.

What does playing the course mean? LIV is playing in golf courses, it's not the Slime Cup.

[MuggsyB]

Cam is exempt into majors for the foreseeable future.

What does playing the course mean? LIV is playing in golf courses, it's not the Slime Cup.

The major tournaments can amend their exemptions. 

[🏀]

The major tournaments can amend their exemptions. 

ANGC could. PGA could. USGA and the R&A really can't.

Do you think the majors give a crap about the well-being of the PGA Tour though?

[MuggsyB]

ANGC could. PGA could. USGA and the R&A really can't.

Do you think the majors give a crap about the well-being of the PGA Tour though?

They may care about the well being of the sport.  Why was Stenson banned from the RC?

[🏀]

They may care about the well being of the sport.  Why was Stenson banned from the RC?

How is LIV threatening the well-being of golf or the Majors?

Stenson is banned because the RC is half controlled by LIV's rivals.

[MuggsyB]

How is LIV threatening the well-being of golf or the Majors?

Stenson is banned because the RC is half controlled by LIV's rivals.

We'll see what happens.  I think they're threatening everything.

[🏀]

We'll see what happens.  I think they're threatening everything.

I don't love it either, but it's definitely happening. The biggest losers will be the golf fans and Jay Monahan.

I think the Majors are going to end up as large benefactors being the only entities bringing the best players together.

[Uncle Rico]

Jason Day, sure.

Cam and Adam Scott have both stated the Tour chasing China money hurt Aussie golf. Then the silly fall season and FedEx cup points created a big portion of this mess.

Cam kept going back home, until he realized he couldn't do it and take the PGA Tour seriously at the same time.

Defeats the idea of independent contractor, no?

Australian golf has always had an inferiority complex, especially about the tour going back to Peter Thomson.  If Adam Scott wants to blame the tour for the state of Aussie golf, he's wrong.

Blaming the FedEx Cup and fall season is silly when the old tour rolled through the fall anyway into the Tour Championship.  It's not like they have to play 4-5 fall events.  The biggest Aussie events are after that.  They're looking for a convenient excuse as to why they "can't play" more at home.  They just want the biggest paychecks and why they'll take the Saudi money.

As for chasing China, the tour holding an event in China, one whole event, an event a bunch of players skipped anyway, is more excuse making. 

[🏀]

Defeats the idea of independent contractor, no?

LOL, right?


Rahm already changing tunes in regards to LIV, wants Sergio in the Ryder Cup.

[Uncle Rico]

LOL, right?


Rahm already changing tunes in regards to LIV, wants Sergio in the Ryder Cup.

Rahm sees a lot of Ryder Cup losses in his future and might be using Garcia as a proxy to keep the young guys that bolt in the Ryder Cup fold.  You lose the Hojgaard's and Hovland's, it's pretty bleak for the Europeans. 

Of course, America could see a talent drain, too.

The Presidents Cup team for the USA will be interesting

[🏀]

The Presidents Cup team for the USA will be interesting

...and exciting.

Homa, Cam Young, Billy Ho nice to get new names in the fold.

Rahm is pretty clear he thinks LIV and the Tours should be able to live together in those comments.

"I understand the reasons why golfers who play LIV Golf do it and it's a shame they have to relinquish their status on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.''
"In the end, he does what is best for him. And if the others do not cooperate, it is what is. I hope they sit down and talk.''

[Uncle Rico]

...and exciting.

Homa, Cam Young, Billy Ho nice to get new names in the fold.

Rahm is pretty clear he thinks LIV and the Tours should be able to live together in those comments.

"I understand the reasons why golfers who play LIV Golf do it and it's a shame they have to relinquish their status on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.''
"In the end, he does what is best for him. And if the others do not cooperate, it is what is. I hope they sit down and talk.''

Wonder what he decides to do.  I know he's been pretty vocal on staying on the tour but his game has been mediocre for Jon Rahm this year.  Wonder if he wavers knowing how fleeting the game can be

[MUBurrow]

Wonder what he decides to do.  I know he's been pretty vocal on staying on the tour but his game has been mediocre for Jon Rahm this year.  Wonder if he wavers knowing how fleeting the game can be

That's just it.  And the more guys that continue to jump to LIV, the more the moral objection to sportswashing is the only reason not to go.  There will be a critical mass here where sponsors stop fleeing guys that jump to LIV, and once that happens, there is no financial incentive at all to stay on the tour.