2022-2023 PGA Tour Season

[CameronDuke]

Will Zalatoris underwent a successful microdiscectomy Saturday on his back and is out the remainder of 2023.

[mkirsh]

Regarding LIV vs PGA, this week proved LIV has great golfers that compete at the highest level. But this week did for the teams model that LIV has built their business model on. Their whole model is the teams concept like F1 racing. They’re trying to make golf into a team sport. They have great players individually but I still don’t think the teams concept is going to catch on. What will be interesting about the teams concept going forward is it if will catch on for LIV.

Especially when the most prominently featured player didn’t wear his LIV team logos. Rumor mill is that Koepka is unhappy with some of the “fine print” and is exploring ways out of LIV. Who knows if that’s true or just the Tour pushing that narrative. But if true maybe he said “I’m not wearing the logos; kick me out if you don’t like it”

[CameronDuke]

Rory McIlroy is a WD from the RBC Heritage. The field is now 143.

WDs will not be replaced by alternates unless needed to fill the field of 132.

The RBC Heritage is an elevated event this year for the first time in the event’s history.

[jafarr1]

Regarding LIV vs PGA, this week proved LIV has great golfers that compete at the highest level. But this week did for the teams model that LIV has built their business model on. Their whole model is the teams concept like F1 racing. They’re trying to make golf into a team sport. They have great players individually but I still don’t think the teams concept is going to catch on. What will be interesting about the teams concept going forward is it if will catch on for LIV.

LIV has golfers that can compete on the highest level in the same way the Saudi soccer league has a player (Ronaldo) that can compete on the highest level - they backed up trucks full of money and bought players developed elsewhere.

At this point, LIV’s business model is built on continually poaching PGA players. Time will tell whether the bulk of LIV players can continue to compete on the highest levels, or whether it will only be a select few. Some of the LIV players look to be those who had a couple of hot years and cashed in, while others may decide that their earnings are sufficient and lose their drive and focus going forward.

(BTW, how much money do you think LIV reps are offering to Rahm right about now?)

I agree that the team model that LIV is trying to sell seems to fall flat. Mickelson (or somebody from LIV) was suggesting that all the LIV golfers at the Masters would be at the final hole if an LIV golfer was in line to win it, and what a great sight that would be. All I could think is how unmoving it would be to see a celebration from a bunch of golfers whose common bond is 8- to 9-figure recruitment fees. Any team concept within LIV seems doomed to be overshadowed by that perception.

[Kdogg]

Rory McIlroy is a WD from the RBC Heritage. The field is now 143.

WDs will not be replaced by alternates unless needed to fill the field of 132.

The RBC Heritage is an elevated event this year for the first time in the event’s history.

He’s going to miss the partying. Everyone talks about Waste Management but it’s got nothing on Harbor Town.

[duke79]

He’s going to miss the partying. Everyone talks about Waste Management but it’s got nothing on Harbor Town.

I thought Hilton Head Island was mostly retired geriatrics? (and don't view this post as "ageist" - I'm rapidly approaching that category myself)

[Steven43]

LIV has golfers that can compete on the highest level in the same way the Saudi soccer league has a player (Ronaldo) that can compete on the highest level - they backed up trucks full of money and bought players developed elsewhere.

At this point, LIV’s business model is built on continually poaching PGA players. Time will tell whether the bulk of LIV players can continue to compete on the highest levels, or whether it will only be a select few. Some of the LIV players look to be those who had a couple of hot years and cashed in, while others may decide that their earnings are sufficient and lose their drive and focus going forward.

(BTW, how much money do you think LIV reps are offering to Rahm right about now?)

I agree that the team model that LIV is trying to sell seems to fall flat. Mickelson (or somebody from LIV) was suggesting that all the LIV golfers at the Masters would be at the final hole if an LIV golfer was in line to win it, and what a great sight that would be. All I could think is how unmoving it would be to see a celebration from a bunch of golfers whose common bond is 8- to 9-figure recruitment fees. Any team concept within LIV seems doomed to be overshadowed by that perception.

These guys who joined the sham LIV tour by selling their golfing souls to the highest bidder can all go to hell as far as I’m concerned.

I will always root against every single one of them for the rest of their golfing career.

[CameronDuke]

According to CBS, Sunday’s final round of the Masters was the most-watched golf telecast on any network in five years, averaging 12.058 million viewers and up 19% compared to last year.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

According to CBS, Sunday’s final round of the Masters was the most-watched golf telecast on any network in five years, averaging 12.058 million viewers and up 19% compared to last year.

Interesting. I would have guessed that it would have been something during COVID. It seems like golf was one of the first things back after several months of a sports dark time.

[duke79]

These guys who joined the sham LIV tour by selling their golfing souls to the highest bidder can all go to hell as far as I’m concerned.

I will always root against every single one of them for the rest of their golfing career.

Please don't hold back and let us know how you really feel.

[Rogue]

Rory McIlroy is a WD from the RBC Heritage. The field is now 143.

WDs will not be replaced by alternates unless needed to fill the field of 132.

The RBC Heritage is an elevated event this year for the first time in the event’s history.

They're required to play in "elevated events " and they,, the top 20 , get one free pass of not playing. This is interesting since Rory missed the an elevated event in January. This miss could result in Rory missing out on the Player Impact Program money ( PIP ) .
I'm not sure with his bank account and endorsements he really cares.

[budwom]

Especially when the most prominently featured player didn’t wear his LIV team logos. Rumor mill is that Koepka is unhappy with some of the “fine print” and is exploring ways out of LIV. Who knows if that’s true or just the Tour pushing that narrative. But if true maybe he said “I’m not wearing the logos; kick me out if you don’t like it”

I thought it would have been a nice touch if Koepka won the Masters and had MBS accept the trophy for him...showing the real international spirit of the game, and such.

[Kdogg]

I thought it would have been a nice touch if Koepka won the Masters and had MBS accept the trophy for him...showing the real international spirit of the game, and such.

Maybe a bisht robe instead of a green jacket? Or over it?

[cato]

They're required to play in "elevated events " and they,, the top 20 , get one free pass of not playing. This is interesting since Rory missed the an elevated event in January. This miss could result in Rory missing out on the Player Impact Program money ( PIP ) .
I'm not sure with his bank account and endorsements he really cares.

I wonder if Rory is making a bit of a statement, after having spent so much time working on the Tour’s behalf, he probably wants to get back to a typical level of calendar control for a pro golfer.

I certainly hope that Rory can reset and leave his Masters performance in the past. He has to have been really unhappy with his showing.

[rsvman]

Here are my thoughts on the dial back the golf ball debate. I see it as 3 options to choose from:

1) do nothing, but keep stretching courses to challenge players (eventually 8,000 to 8,500 to 9,000 yards). Will make many historic venues irrelevant but golf will go on at new courses
2) do nothing, and just accept lower scores. Over time all par fives will be reachable (many with short irons), some par 4s driveable, most golf is driver/wedge
3) trick up golf courses to make them harder (more rough, add bunkers and trees, speed greens up, etc
4) restrict the golf ball to keep current proportions in place

Personally I'm in favor of #4, and with it I would propose a commensurate shortening of courses (which is much easier to do than lengthening). So if the ball is reduced 5%, reduce each hole 5% as well by moving tees up, so the driver / 5 iron par is still driver / 5 iron; 7 iron par 3 is still a 7 iron. Call it a "scale back" not a "roll back". It would keep things where they are so no one can complain about things getting worse, but would "future proof" the game by allowing courses to start moving tees back to current yardage if players continue to get longer. And use the same balls for Ams, and also move the tees forward. Personnally I don't care if my drive goes 255 instead of 270, as long as the 6700 yard course moves to 6365 yards. I'm sure most won't agree but that is what I would do if I were in charge. Well, it would be the third thing, with #1 being to rule fairway divots as GIR, and #2 being to get everyone in golf to actually pronounce the word "amateur" correctly.

This analysis is missing what is likely the most important reason for cutting back on distance, and that is the long term health of the planet and the resources necessary to maintain increasingly large plots of land for this recreational activity. As the size of golf courses increases, so do the amounts of water required, not to mention fertilizer, weed control products, gasoline for mowers, gasoline for golf carts (where these are used), etc.

Although I agree that it seems unfair to have to 'play it as it lies' when the ball is in divot, I think you may be grossly underestimating how many cans of worms it would open if this rule were changed. For example, how, exactly, does one define a divot? Would you be granted relief from a divot made yesterday? Two days ago? Last week? Would a little area of anomalous ground that may or may not have been caused by an actual golf divot qualify? To me the only fair way that would avoid all controversy would be to allow everybody to improve their lie in the fairway by, say, five inches or less, no closer to the hole; but this would then open up the can of 'what, exactly, constitutes a fairway'? Bottom line is that it would be likely to be more confusing than one would think off the top of one's head.

Finally, although you obviously have your own favorite way to pronounce rhe word amateur, Webster's gives no further than three acceptable pronunciations. It's probably best to let that one go.

[dudog84]

Finally, although you obviously have your own favorite way to pronounce rhe word amateur, Webster's gives no further than three acceptable pronunciations. It's probably best to let that one go.

And how about athlete? Lefty Driesell's pronunciation was always my favorite.

[mkirsh]

This analysis is missing what is likely the most important reason for cutting back on distance, and that is the long term health of the planet and the resources necessary to maintain increasingly large plots of land for this recreational activity. As the size of golf courses increases, so do the amounts of water required, not to mention fertilizer, weed control products, gasoline for mowers, gasoline for golf carts (where these are used), etc.

Excellent point about the environmental impact. If TPTB want to “solve” the distance problem with what I called “option 1” - continuing to build longer and longer courses - there is a massive environmental cost to pay. And there is an economic one as well to pay for and maintain these expanded tracks. If the same people want to “grow the game”, making something that is already prohibitively expensive for many even more expensive is not moving things in the right direction.

Although I agree that it seems unfair to have to 'play it as it lies' when the ball is in divot, I think you may be grossly underestimating how many cans of worms it would open if this rule were changed. For example, how, exactly, does one define a divot? Would you be granted relief from a divot made yesterday? Two days ago? Last week? Would a little area of anomalous ground that may or may not have been caused by an actual golf divot qualify? To me the only fair way that would avoid all controversy would be to allow everybody to improve their lie in the fairway by, say, five inches or less, no closer to the hole; but this would then open up the can of 'what, exactly, constitutes a fairway'? Bottom line is that it would be likely to be more confusing than one would think off the top of one's head.

Many rules involve judgment today - embedded ball, where a shot crossed a hazard, where the nearest point of relief is, etc - so this doesn’t bother me too much. And with GUR (thanks for the correction jv001, that is what I meant) it would be a drop, not lift-clean-and-place, so less likely to see that much gamesmanship. But I can see how others might disagree as “play it as it lies” is a core principle, even if you have to play it off frankensteins fat foot.

Finally, although you obviously have your own favorite way to pronounce rhe word amateur, Webster's gives no further than three acceptable pronunciations. It's probably best to let that one go.

Just a personal pet peeve. Ands it’s more the golf-specific use case. Almost everyone says “am-a-ter” in a golf context but then reverts to “am-a-chur” for everything else. I’d be less annoyed if people just picked one. But I guess I’m easily bothered.

[CameronDuke]

Most money earned in a single PGA Tour season.

1. Scheffler in 2022: $14M
2. Rahm in 2023: $13M
3. Scheffler in 2023: $12M

There are five months left in the season.

@KylePorterCBS official Twitter account.

[CameronDuke]

https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id...nts-56m-purses

The PGA Tour released details of its new fall schedule, which will consist of seven tournaments from mid-September to late November with $56.6 million in purses.

Winners of the seven events will earn a two-year tour exemption and entry into the 2024 Sentry Tournament of Champions, Players Championship and the majors. Winners of each of the seven fall events will receive 500 FedEx Cup points, and points earned in the fall events will finalize priority ranking heading into 2024.

The fall schedule will kick off at the Fortinet Championship in Napa, California (Sept. 14-17), followed by a two-week break around the Ryder Cup in Rome (Sept. 29-Oct. 1).

The PGA Tour will resume action with three tournaments in October: Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi (Oct. 5-8), Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas (Oct. 12-15) and Zozo Championship in Chiba, Japan (Oct. 19-22).

Following another week off, the PGA Tour will return to Mexico for the World Wide Technology Championship (Nov. 2-5) at El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, the first golf course designed by Tiger Woods and his TGR Design company. The fall schedule will conclude with the Butterfield Bermuda Championship (Nov. 9-12) and RSM Classic at Saints Simons Island, Georgia (Nov. 16-19).

The Houston Open, which was part of the fall schedule the past few seasons, is moving to the spring. The WGC-HSBC Champions in China, which hasn't been played since 2019, is not part of the 2024 schedule. The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas, also won't be played next year.

[duke79]

Most money earned in a single PGA Tour season.

1. Scheffler in 2022: $14M
2. Rahm in 2023: $13M
3. Scheffler in 2023: $12M

There are five months left in the season.

@KylePorterCBS official Twitter account.

Not a bad living for hitting a little ball around a nicely-manicured golf course!