TORONTO -- Rory McIlroy said he's resigned to the fact that the PGA Tour will have to accept money from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, but he's satisfied that the LIV Golf League won't be part of the alliance. Speaking to reporters ahead of this week's RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf and Country Club, McIlroy said Wednesday he believes the LIV Golf League is going away after this season. "I still hate LIV," McIlroy said. "Like, I hate LIV. I hope it goes away, and I would fully expect that it does. I think that's where the distinction here is. This is the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF -- very different from LIV." Rory: Feel like 'sacrificial lamb' and 'still hate LIV'
LIV golfers aren't going to be able to play in the Ryder Cup this year. TORONTO -- DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley on Wednesday told his golfers that those who resigned their memberships to join the LIV Golf League probably won't be reinstated this season, making them ineligible to compete in the Ryder Cup later this year. Nine DP World Tour members resigned after being punished for competing in LIV Golf events, including Ryder Cup veterans Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey and Henrik Stenson, who was stripped of his captaincy of the European team after signing to play for LIV Golf in July. The Ryder Cup is scheduled for Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club outside Rome. World Tour defectors still ineligible for Ryder Cup
I wonder if the key players of the PGA players themselves may try to form an entity? Tiger, Rory, Jon Rahm, etc have a lot of clout.
Jay Monahan told PGA Tour employees that they couldn't afford to continue to fight the Saudis. That they had spent 50M in legal fee's and had to dip into reserves to boost the pay for the players and keep them from defecting to the LIV Tour. ______________________ We cannot compete with a foreign government with unlimited money," Monahan told employees, according to the Wall Street Journal. "This was the time. ... We waited to be in the strongest possible position to get this deal in place." According to the report, Monahan told employees that the tour had already spent $50 million in legal fees and had dipped into its reserves for $100 million to help pay increased purses in elevated events and other bonuses to players. Report: PGA Tour chief says Saudi fight too pricey
Nick Taylor and Corey Conners both in contention so far at the Canadian Open. I'd like to see one of them win, it's been 69 years since a Canadian has won their Open.
I'm with Husker; there are a handful of players I will follow out of the current roster. The LIV defectors will always be dead to me. Golf as a spectator sport will never be the same to me either. Monahan's argument about being litigated into extinction certainly has validity and I never considered that angle. It's a cautionary tale for all other sports leagues; the NFL, NBA and MLB come to mind. None of them have a war chest to compete with these desert terrorists in a head to head protracted legal battle. This places the original defectors in an even more unfavorable light. They sold out the organization that gave them the platform to reach fortune and fame for more silver pieces. That fact can never be forgotten nor forgiven.
Nick Taylor made a great birdie putt on 18 to take the lead at -17, problem is that Fleetwood is sitting at -16 with 2 holes to play and with #18 being a par 5 you have to figure he'll get at least a birdie there. So probably unless he falls apart on 17 and 18 the best Taylor can hope for is a playoff I would think.
Fleetwood birdies 17 and is now tied at -17, and with a par 5 that is reachable I'll be shocked if he doesn't win it. Fleetwood has been described as the best player not to have won a PGA Tour event, this would give him that 1st win. He's won 6 times in Europe. I really hoped that Nick could get the win. But Fleetwood is a very likeable player.
Well Fleetwood is another golfer who needed AJ on the bag at the critical moment. In the rough off the tee, the guy on the course said he had a good enough lie to hit a 5 wood up by the green but he went for the layup and hit it poorly and was way below the hole right in deep rough. He did get it on the green in 3 and had a long putf for the win, hit it very well and had a kick in for the tie. Playoff so Nick Taylor can still win.
Both guys hit the fairway off the tee, but Fleetwood went with iron and was way back of Taylor. He hit a "mini" driver right in the rough about pin high. I thought ok Nick just put it on the green but he thins it right also and had a bad stance. Nick hits a great shot to 5 feet and Fleetwood gets a little flier and has what looked like a 15 foot putt, which he just nailed. On to the 2nd playoff hole. What the heck is a mini-driver? Starting to rain now.
2nd playoff hole, more bad 2nd shots. Taylor is in the rough on the right and hits a low hook that ends up a million feet from the hole. Fleetwood is in the fairway and hits it into the grandstands. After the drop he hits a nice shot to about 10 feet but missed the putt. Nick had to me a chunked pitch and had a 20 footer that he missed. On to playoff hole #3. Back to the par 3, #9.
Well both flirted with the bunker on the right, but ended up OK. Fleetwood has the closer and best angle, going to a tough putt for Nick as he's in the 2nd cut while Fleetword is in the 1st cut. Both guys come up a couple of inches short. BAck to 18 for the 4th playoff hole. I thought Fleetwood would make his putt on both the 2nd and 3rd playoff hole for the win. According to the crew he's been the best putter all week.
Oh man, Taylor is in a divot in the 1st cut right and Fleetwood pulled his left I think into the bunker. One thing we don't have to worry about it the sun going down. They have several more hours before sunset in Toronto. It's 6:30 here in Houston and sunset in Tornoto will be at 9pm. Fleetwood lays up with an 8 iron rather than take the chance of catching the lip, Taylor hit's a rescue club on the green but a long way from the hole, 72 feet. Fleetwood is 80+ yards. Seems advantage to Taylor unless Fleetwood stiffs it. Fleetwod hits a good shot, not stiff though. Taylor needs to hit a great putt as again I'd expect Fleetwood to make his 12 footer. OMG, the kid drilled a 72 footer for the win!!! WOW. So happy for Nick Taylor