Golf thread
 

Just over 400 days since his crash, Tiger completes the first round of the Masters at -1 and at the moment is 3 shots off the lead.

Pretty amazing. Just glad Dustin Johnson is tied for the lead at the moment :)

I don't follow golf at all, but news that LIV and PGA are merging came out of nowhere, right? I was bound to run across something that mentioned it before it hit as breaking news, I would have thought.

Yeah, feels very out of left field. I wonder if it's just a straight buy out for legitimacy given the money that LIV has tossed around?

It says merger


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LIV was failing. They weren't making the inroads with sponsors and networks that they needed to be a serious threat to the PGA. It just had so much money backing it that it could continue as long as they were comfortable losing money.

With the minimal details available it sounds like a win for both sides. The PGA tour kills its competition, gets more financial backing, and gets its golfers back. For LIV, their money people get power within the PGA tour and legitimacy within the sport.

"We won't do business with you because it's not worth the blowback"

"Fine, we're going to steal your players and run our own tour."

"Don't like it, but still not worth it"

(time passes)

"It's been a bit... are you ready now?"

"Still not worth the blowback!"

"Ah, I see the operative word. "Worth" I have the fix here. (shows a check with a ludicrous amount of 0's at the end)"

"WELCOME VALUED PARTNER!"

Did you literally bug their phones? Because I'd bet that is exactly how it went down.

I'm on my phone and can't post a tweet so it will show up, but there's a tweet by some guy named James Hesky that is getting a ton a play. Damn!

https://twitter.com/JamesHesky/statu...12128703406081

this one. eek.

Ok, that is quality right there. Crass and super insensitive to the point of being insulting to the 9/11 families but quality nonetheless.

#wewillneverforget

Oof but such a burn and valid

And I've been Team LIV all the way, but it's a quality burn regardless

Those golfers who took the money and went the LIV are making out like bandits. This is why you always look out for yourself in business. Those who stayed "loyal" to the PGA brand got roasted.

I wished I watched the PGA so I could now boycott it.

Basically how I feel about Chik Fil A and Bud Light. Since it's what all the screaming mad people are doing for fun these days, I just feel left out.

Right, I said to myself "this is going to revolutionize the ways I don't watch golf."

Woke Wannabe!

I don't watch golf either, but I thought its been humorous that the golfers that went to LIV have been blasted for taking blood money. Why are golfers held to a much higher standard than the absolute tons of companies in the US that take Saudi money?

Nobody really holds the WWE to that high of a standard. ;)

Because it's easier to call out individuals than faceless entities. It's the same reason ballplayers always take the brunt of the bad PR during labor fights with leagues.

On a related note, I don't pay much attention to international soccer news but there have been a few high profile moves to the Saudi league. Has that caused much outrage?

Some, yes, but money ultimately makes bad things go away if there's enough of it to the right people. It's clear that's still the goal.

Funny enough, I think in club soccer, the faceless entities have bore more of the bad PR than the individuals. Occasionally, a manager or a player of a club is asked an uncomfortable question or two or mild criticism but that is about it. The "clubs", the leagues, the confederations and FIFA all get more criticism.

In my line of work, we call people who are only interested in themselves, and their gains on the backs of others......scabs.



It's the equivalent of how I see the guys who played with LIV. They're scabs.

lol

All of the guys that stayed with the PGA and believed what they were saying should get double prize money from now on. They really got screwed for believing there was something more important than cash.

Is the coast clear for the NBA to go all in on the Chinese money now? Or maybe even the Middle Eastern money? ICYMI

NBA Courts Investment by Sovereign Wealth, Pension Funds

So it was basically a stupidity tax

Anybody who ever believed this whole kerfluffle was about anything other than money & power had to be pretty naive ... and I'm using that word just to be polite

In Jon's america the powerful control everything and the people love them for it, because they are too dumb to do anything, and they know it. All they need to worry about is keep the cogs of the powerful going so they never get trampled under the boot of ruthless efficiency and profit.

Did you read what I said? Or do you just fucking troll these days? Cause that's about all you seem to do around here for the past year or more.

I said it was about power & money from the jump. I didn't make a moral judgement in either direction about that, I stated what seems to be a rather obvious fact. But that doesn't stop you, as usual, from just imagining shit from that increasingly irrational mind.

If anybody, regardless of race, creed, color, or party affiliation was too fucking blind to have spotted that from the jump that ain't on me. And believe me, I saw plenty of that from both sides of the aisle.

I don't get the scab comparison. In your line of work, your union is fighting for higher compensation for your labor. They don't care who owns what percent of United or American Airlines stock. There aren't "moral" issues on the negotiating table. They're trying to extract the most amount of money from the company as possible. It's capitalism.

If Riyadh Air offered you 10 times what you're making now for half the work, would you work for them?

I have to agree with Jon on this one. If those golfers truly stayed because they thought the heads of the PGA cared about 9/11 victims or whatever else they claimed to the press, they're gullible rubes. Whether it's the PGA/PIF or United/Riyadh, the people in charge view you as nothing more than a means to an end. It might be depressing to accept, but that's how the world operates.

No, you're right. It's not a fully functional comparison. But the scabs I have worked with, are really only out for themselves. Bottom line is that everyone has a price, and money is powerful enough to cleanse the soul of whatever needs cleansing.


The middle east (Saudi, Qatar, and Emirates) all tried to use their money to take over the global aviation industry, and the pilots did their part to push for support that would have, you know, ruined the US aviation industry. Golf, World Cup, WWE, trump, it's all a part of the same process to exert influence and use money to put themselves at the center of the global table.

Oh I don't imagine anyone around here needs me to put things into Jon speak. But you are team LIV and always have been. You love power, and you love the powerful who are unafraid to wield it. So you would be full on board with money, dirty or otherwise, being used to exert whatever disruptive means necessary to upset whomever. I'm not wrong.

Again though. Team LIV. Go Team, but you haven't made any moral judgements. I see.

Yeah, it sucks but I also get it. I wouldn't want to work for certain people but I freely admit that I probably have a price.

And I don't have anything against the people who stayed. You should do what makes you happy. But I do think it's naive if they bought into the PR stuff that the PGA spouted about LIV. They should have known the PGA didn't really care about that stuff and would throw every golfer under the bus for an extra buck.

Tiger was the only one who I really think was smart to leave the huge money behind. He's got a brand that will be generating tons of money for decades to come. Would have been nice in the short term, but probably not so much in the long term. For a guy like Brooks Koepka though? You have to take that money. Especially when he thought his career was on a downward trajectory due to injuries.

As part of the merger, the PGA will control holes 1-8 and 12-18.

The Saudis do 9-11.

— James Hesky (@JamesHesky) June 6, 2023

Looks like those who stayed loyal to the Tour will get pieces of equity in the combined company, while those who defected to the LIV tour will just have their contracts.

Jimmy Dunne outlines plan for PGA Tour loyalists, LIV players who want back - ESPN

This is the best joke I've seen this year!!!! :D :lol: :D :lol: :banana:

Polonium overdose from the Saudis? (no, I'm not accusing them. Now if they had just merged with the RUSSIANs, I'd be a lot more suspicious)

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan recovering from medical issue - ESPN

His BS levels reached near-lethal toxicity is my guess.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the stress of the last few months (with super-secret negotiations that couldn't slip out), and then being barraged unendingly by everyone caused him to flip out.

Blood pressure and/or heart issues would not seem unreasonable given his past year.

Scottie Scheffler detained by police before start of PGA Championship - ESPN

Misunderstanding?

No misunderstanding.

He is an entitled prick who gets everything he deserves.

He is definitely going to be charged with something. If that was you or me, that is resisting and probably assault on an officer.

Lol

I'm not sure what's crazier...the world's No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler asking @JeffDarlington for help as he's being detained or an officer asking Darlington "who was that we just arrested?"

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) May 17, 2024

������ JUST IN: Scottie Scheffler has been booked into jail. pic.twitter.com/Og38Vrp7sa

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) May 17, 2024

I just watched Darlington, and he said Scheffler drove ten yards with the police officer hanging on to his car. That would definitely be considered assault on a police officer.

Yup. Here it is:

pic.twitter.com/C6qlLL6MXc

— Miranda Trible (@Miranduhh5) May 17, 2024

I feel like there might’ve been a bit of baton usage if it were a commoner but I agree with your general assessment.

Yet another difference that would not happen if it were you and me, Pat Forde says he has already been released on his own recognizance. Seriously? Not even bail on an assault charge?

The Venn diagram of people defending Scheffler and people calling Jan 6th a tourist trip is a perfect circle.

All he had to do was get out of the car and talk to one of the cops and I'm sure they would have worked out a way in.

This was the conversation my wife and I had. Trying to go around the traffic wasn't the issue. Driving several feet with a cop on your hood telling you to stop is the issue.

Well it's not like they won't be able to track him down on the course...

"The Venn diagram of people defending Scheffler and people calling Jan 6th a tourist trip is a perfect circle."
Worse. I think it is a circle with people who think Derek Chauvin was innocent.

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Yeah the cars are supposed to be marked so police know its okay to waive them through, like several already at the course. ignoring the cop who's now riding on your hood was obviously not the right way to deal with this.



Condolescences to the spectator and family who lost their life today.

Yes saw a few 'louisville will never get another golf tournament after this"

That pic reminds me of every current country singer I've ever seen.

This cop is about to go through some things...

They charged him with a felony too! That has to be the quickest I've seen someone get out of jail with a felony assault charge on a cop.

I guess like everything, the internet seems very split on who is in the wrong here. Honestly I have no idea.

Am I the only one who was surprised that he would be driving himself to the course?

Am I the only one who thought there would be a separate entrance for the golfers? Or maybe there is one and that is what he was trying to get to?

No, on a Teams meeting this morning, we discussed the "why the hell was he driving himself?" question. We're based in Louisville, so this was a big topic today, as you might imagine.

I wonder when the last time was that I had never heard of the "#1 Golfer".

And I think the manual of uniformed internet opinions is unclear on who you're supposed to automatically support between a police officer and a rich white guy.

Fortunately, I have spent most of the day in spaces that discussed this in mostly humorous tones. The jokes/memes about what the other choices were in the race dropbox beside the White/Eur/N Afr/Mid Eas choice and the combination of Matt Gaetz and MTG standing with AOC to introduce a police reform bill have been among my favorites

Funny to see that people showed up already wearing a t-shirt with a print of his mugshot, and I also saw someone dressed in an orange jumpsuit.

Louisville police release Scottie Scheffler arrest videos, say officer violated policy - The Athletic


There has to be another camera angle. There is no way the officer lied in that police report. NO WAY!

Jeff Darlington said he saw the officer on the car and Scheffler driving another ten yards with him attached. So either Darlington was lying, or the video gas described isn't the whole incident.
x.com

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He probably misinterpreted what he saw. Another example of the unreliable nature of eyewitness accounts. Here's a longer video.

Watch BREAKING_ @LMPD releases the only official video w | Streamable

You can see there is a blind spot there, right? Some interaction happened between when he his pulled beside the police car and the officer came running at him.

No? I see the cop running up after the car makes the turn and you can see his head over the bus running towards the car. The dragging would have had to taken place before the video started.

Have the shown the officers pants that were supposedly ripped to shreds? I have to believe this is dropped and Scheffler sues. There's nothing on that video remotely warranting a felony arrest.

Grgason Murray died this morning at the age of 30. No reports on cause of death. He withdrew yesterday after shooting a 2 under in the first round, he was 5 over on the second when he pulled himself on the 16. It was a reported illness. Usually though when there is no immediate cause of death you start to wonder, especially with someone that has admitted mental health issues in the past.

How horrible, curious to hear more from the doctors if it was something like an aneurism or if he killed himself.

Still no official confirmation, but just from the reaction from people on the tour, it sounds like suicide.

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Just ... :(

Family reveals PGA Tour golfer Grayson Murray died by suicide - ESPN

how sad. :(

Just a firm example how terrible and pernicious a disease depression is. This is a guy that from every appearance that had everything to live for, but the demons in his mind kept telling him the opposite. It also highlights how much we still don't know in how to treat this disease. If anyone had every resource at his fingertips to get the help he needed, it was him. Yet still, there wasn't a magic pill or therapy that prevented this. Even with every advantage, the disease can still win.

The first part is done.

Charges dropped against Scottie Scheffler from Louisville arrest - ESPN


I know they defined the legal definition but with prejudice using the more widely used definition of the word prejudice is much funnier in this case. Sorry, I am still here for the jokes, not the thinkpieces. One day though...

I suspect that Scheffler will not sue. He seemed to have a good time with the jail fantasy camp experience he went through. No need to mess up the good PR by trying to take money from the police department.

Given the cops in Louisville got off in the Breonna Taylor case, I have to believe in this case......

Probably not. Maybe a small settlement to cover expenses and the inconvenience. Have to imagine the city doesn't want more information about the cops lies to come out.

Actually it seems that part of them dropping the charges was that he wouldn't pursue other legal avenues. Maybe that's what he wanted but that feels like something that should be illegal.

I know I'm old when I remember my grandpa complaining about the guys who used to shout "YOU DA MAN!" after every shot. Now it's me complaining about the guy yelling "HAWK TUA! SPIT ON THAT THANG!" in the exact same fucking manner at The Open. Fuck that guy.

Surprised this didn't get a bump from the Masters yesterday. I don't watch a lot of golf, but took in the final round and was among those rooting for Rory to get the Grand Slam. Needless to say, that was a wild ride, particularly across the back 9. Hard to envision a major anytime in the next decade or so with that kind of drama.