Yes
The top guys make enough money OFF the course to never play again and be fine. It's hard to see Mcilroy playing in Saudi league because Nike wouldn't be involved for him if he goes to Saudi

Each team will have a major sponsor. Maybe Mcilroy is good enough to somehow get both but I don't see that happening

JCA1 said:

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AustinCountyAg said:

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Aggie369 said:

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I think the C level player on the team is guaranteed 45 million over 3 years....and that is if they place dead last in every tournament

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thats the kicker in the whole deal. For the Palmers, Kokraks, etc type of player who can win on tour, but not consistently they can make a crap ton of money very quickly in this league. Which from the outside looking in seems like it would be super hard to turn down, especially considering the limited amount of tournaments.

My concern is all these guys agree to do this and cash in on the guarnteed money what will happen to the quality of the golf? They already know their family is set for life soon as they sign up for the league. The desire to practice would surely go to **** and the level of golf would surely drop?

JJ mentioned it earlier but the willingness to grind and compete is what makes the PGA tournament fun to watch (last week WMO no name Korn ferry dude outa nowhere with a chance to win). I can see this Suadi league lacking that hardcore competition. I mean will they want to win? Sure, but they damn sure won't lose any sleep over missing that final putt like they do now.

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I'm sure the money might impact some guys, but couldn't you have said the same thing about the PGA for the last couple decades? I get that PGA money is not guaranteed, but pretty much all the guys on tour you've heard of have banked enough over the years that they never have to worry about money again.

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yes, but think about how all the guys you've heard of outside the world top 25 who've grinded for years playing 30 tournaments a year to make that kind of money. Now compare that to 14 tournaments a year making guaranteed millions.

That's the difference. Think if your Sam Bennett. If they go after someone like him as a D type of player. A world class amateur golfer. Which tour are you joining? ESPECIALLY if they are still allowed in the majors. Money talks.

The fact they can make guaranteed millions playing less golf (more family time) is appealing for both older and younger players. Life changing money generationally for your family. This league is appealing for many top players I am sure.

Guaranteed contracts are a part of sports so this is nothing new they're promoting. I don't think the quality of play will go down just because they're getting a contract. This might actually have the opposite effect and free guys up to take chances they normally wouldn;t to try and win rather than play it safe to keep their FedEx points or share of the purse.

98Ag99Grad said:

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Report I saw ruled that one out. Other 3 were ok.

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I hadn't heard that about the PGA.

Thanks

AustinCountyAg said:

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JCA1 said:

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AustinCountyAg said:

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Aggie369 said:

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I think the C level player on the team is guaranteed 45 million over 3 years....and that is if they place dead last in every tournament

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thats the kicker in the whole deal. For the Palmers, Kokraks, etc type of player who can win on tour, but not consistently they can make a crap ton of money very quickly in this league. Which from the outside looking in seems like it would be super hard to turn down, especially considering the limited amount of tournaments.

My concern is all these guys agree to do this and cash in on the guarnteed money what will happen to the quality of the golf? They already know their family is set for life soon as they sign up for the league. The desire to practice would surely go to **** and the level of golf would surely drop?

JJ mentioned it earlier but the willingness to grind and compete is what makes the PGA tournament fun to watch (last week WMO no name Korn ferry dude outa nowhere with a chance to win). I can see this Suadi league lacking that hardcore competition. I mean will they want to win? Sure, but they damn sure won't lose any sleep over missing that final putt like they do now.

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I'm sure the money might impact some guys, but couldn't you have said the same thing about the PGA for the last couple decades? I get that PGA money is not guaranteed, but pretty much all the guys on tour you've heard of have banked enough over the years that they never have to worry about money again.

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yes, but think about how all the guys you've heard of outside the world top 25 who've grinded for years playing 30 tournaments a year to make that kind of money. Now compare that to 14 tournaments a year making guaranteed millions.

That's the difference. Think if your Sam Bennett. If they go after someone like him as a D type of player. A world class amateur golfer. Which tour are you joining? ESPECIALLY if they are still allowed in the majors. Money talks.

The fact they can make guaranteed millions playing less golf (more family time) is appealing for both older and younger players. Life changing money generationally for your family. This league is appealing for many top players I am sure.

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That part I absolutely agree with. My point was more about the suggestion that the money would impact their work ethic. The PGA Tour hasn't seemed to impact many people's work ethic despite creating a slew of multi-millionaires. My guess is this new league won't either, at least for the overwhelming majority of them.

Marauder Blue 6 said:

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Drako Mallfoy said:

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98Ag99Grad said:

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They could play in all but the PGA.

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The PGA Championship is run and owned by the PGA of America not the PGA Tour. They could play in all the majors.

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IIRC, there's no obligation for the Masters to invite anyone.

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That's true but if they qualify for any of the majors I'm guessing they're in, but who knows. I read a part of an article and Phil is on the war path with the tour. I'm sure there's a lot I'm not aware of but it doesn't make any sense especially when there are so many other guys supporting the Tour.

The Milkman said:

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I just don't see how this Saudi league will ever be a success. They are going for some names that the medium level golf fan knows, but people who can't make big pay days anymore on the course. Guys like Poulter or Westwood or Stenson.. who gives a crap. As others have said it will be a Junior Champions Tour for more money but with a couple of bigger names thrown in.

I also dont understand this narrative that you hear the TOUR try to promote and is also what the Saudis are leaning into. Does the average golf tv watcher care how much money they are playing for? The purse size is irrelevant. People tune in to see courses they know and like, and players they root for at the top of the leaderboard.

A limited field guaranteed pay day equals an awful event. Look at the Hero World Challenge for example

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Depends on how success is defined. Granted it involves some speculation, but the theory is that the league is not designed to make money. It's to improve Saudi Arabia's standing/perception in the world. Supposedly, the Saudis have a $500 billion fund set to do just that and this new league is part of that effort. It is a term I had never heard of until yesterday, but there's a bunch of articles about "Sportswashing," which is apparently when repressive regimes use sports to try and bolster their reputation globally. Now, we're getting pretty far from actual golf at this point, but it's interesting stuff to read.

Where will these courses be? If they are mostly international I am not sure how many golf fans are up for tape delayed golf or early morning/late night golf.

Supposed to be mainly in the US with 10 or so here and the rest around the world.

With what Phil is doing he can't walk it back. If he goes to this tour he is just torching his reputation.

If it goes tits up he can't just come back to the PGA and say no hard feelings.

He must need the money.

tommyjohn said:

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With what Phil is doing he can't walk it back. If he goes to this tour he is just torching his reputation.

If it goes tits up he can't just come back to the PGA and say no hard feelings.

He must need the money.

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I couldn't agree more! It just doesn't make sense, he was on track to be the next Arnold Palmer or at least I think that's what he was trying doing but he's about to piss it all away. I read somewhere that this tour has some affiliation with the Asian tour? I have yet to hear anything about Ryder Cup points either.

Aggie369 said:

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The tour knows who are getting deals

It's big names and lots of money

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Sounds like you know who's going. Who will it be?

How does this affect the WGC events?

Was asked not to give names

Plus not everything is done

Besides names....any actual questions yall want me to ask about the tour?

Aggie369 said:

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Was asked not to give names

Plus not everything is done

Besides names....any actual questions yall want me to ask about the tour?

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Without giving names, will you say how many guys currently in the top 25 of the world golf rankings that you have heard are joining the SGL? Rumors right now are basically 3 (Bryson, DJ, and Kokrak).

Aggie369 said:

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Was asked not to give names

Plus not everything is done

Besides names....any actual questions yall want me to ask about the tour?

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Are the US courses going to be courses that host Tour events, or new courses most people haven't seen on tv?

Aggie369 said:

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Was asked not to give names

Plus not everything is done

Besides names....any actual questions yall want me to ask about the tour?

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I'd like to know how the regulation aspect would work. Will teams be regulated or only individual players? And what percentage of the players in the Saudi Tour will be regulated?

I don't have much interest in this tour, as a big part of the fun of watching the PGA Tour is seeing a young player or a veteran grinder get their first big win or first big pay day. And the added pressure that comes with that can't be duplicated. With this tour, the huge guaranteed money, and the fact that they won't be playing for any type of legacy or history, completely takes away the pressure aspect and most of the fun of watching.

But, if they turned this into a sort of league where the best players each year earned the right to compete in it for huge money, and then half of them were regulated back down each year and could not compete again until they earned the right back into the league by performing well, then I could get behind that (think the EPL for soccer but a higher percentage of the players/teams get regulated each year). That would be riveting, and we'd get the best of both worlds. But that would take the Saudi Tour and the PGA Tour working together, so I don't see that happening.

On the other hand, if they don't get the regulation part right, then this is not going to be entertaining at all. Players could remain in the Saudi League making tons of money and they may not be anywhere close to Top 30 in the world (how would you even know, because they would only compete against each other). This would kill any entertainment factor of the league.

Looks like Nike is holding their guys from going....looks like JT isn't going

The sponsor dollars are what changes things so fast. There's a lot going on behind the scenes with sponsors... whatever happens I hope we end up with a better product

I haven't been following any of this except from my buddy so this might not be new info

Rahm, JT, morikawa, rory are out

I hadn't thought about this before, but anyone think Phil is doing this because he's lost most of his money gambling or through bad investments? I know it's hard to imagine a guy like him blowing through hundred(s)? Of millions, but everyone knows about his gambling antics. I wonder if this could be a life line to make a ton of money that he knows he can't earn on the PGA tour anymore?

I don't personally believe that to be the case, but I heard the conspiracy theory today and couldn't outright dismiss it.

I think he just likes to rock the boat. Not all that unlike when he crapped on the Ryder cup process and Tom Watson

Shipnuck was alluding to that and that he will have some details on Phil's gambling debts in the book he wrote about him.

Aggie1391 said:

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Aggie369 said:

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Was asked not to give names

Plus not everything is done

Besides names....any actual questions yall want me to ask about the tour?

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Are the US courses going to be courses that host Tour events, or new courses most people haven't seen on tv?

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The ones I've heard in America were two Trump courses: Bedminster and Doral.

jja79 said:

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Speaking just for myself. Shut up and do it. Or shut up and don't. It's becoming harder to be a fan of a bunch of entitled brats. I want to watch you play golf. I don't give a **** what you think is right or wrong or how hurt your feelings are. Play golf.

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I agree. If you want to take the money, take the money. But don't be a wimp and stand up and say it. You're supposedly taking principled stands against the PGA Tour, don't be shocked or offended when others have an issue with going Saudi.

Interesting read.

https://twitter.com/eamonlynch/status/1495055959093399556?t=4Fft2yOwOox8JuB4YkOA4w&s=19

jja79 said:

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Interesting read.

https://twitter.com/eamonlynch/status/1495055959093399556?t=4Fft2yOwOox8JuB4YkOA4w&s=19

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So this is mostly about FIGJAM putting the screws to the PGA Tour and Greg Norman finally getting the world tour he's always wanted. I do not see this as a recipe for success.

Laying out his strategy publicly while undercutting it by acknowledging these guys are human rights violating killers wasn't the brightest strategic move

That first paragraph is incredible

Blue parachute for you

What is it that Phil is doing that is going to cause him problems?

Another big name who won't be going…

Statement on behalf of Dustin Johnson pic.twitter.com/731B4SmyQv

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) February 20, 2022

DJ was originally one that was going to Saudi

Looks like some things are changing behind the scenes