Saudi League drops some intel
SHOULD PGA PLAY SABOTAGE?
On Wednesday, the LIV Golf Invitational Series announced their 8 tournament schedule for 2022. What is the LIV Golf Invitational Series? It's the Saudi League everyone's been talking about. Which, from a branding perspective, the fact that they let themselves be called the Saudi League for as long as they did is a massive stumble. Even Facebook got that memo when they realized it was time to trick us all with the Meta name swap.
Anywho, Greg Norman (the LIV fka Saudi League CEO) finally gave some details around their 2022 plans including an 8 tournament schedule featuring 4 US-based events including a stop at Trump Bedminster (the former site of the 2022 PGA Championship)—okay... so maybe their play this whole time is to just lean in to as much controversy as they can.
Any press is good press, right?
Did he drop a DORA GIF ON US?! Yep—#dadlife.
But also, my take on all this is that the PGA should just "swipe" all the best ideas from Norman as he outlined some notes on the LIV formats and I think there are at least 3 things that they could fold into the schedule, like, tomorrow.
TOP 3 "SWIPABLE" IDEAS FROM THE LIV
1) Team + Individual Formats
Taking a page out of F1's book, the LIV plans to feature both individual prize pots as well as team based prize pots in the same event! The possibilities for this kind of dynamic in golf are incredible. Rivalries among teammates, ending in decisions as to whether you build one another up through competition or tear each other down, is RIPE for juicy subplots.
2) 54 Hole Events with No Cuts
In the day of sports gambling, creating a system by which everyone can be alive on Sunday makes for that much more action. Nothing more damaging to your golf psyche than entering a pick 'em pool for a major and then watching Spieth drop a turd and get cut before the weekend. NOW WHO DO I ROOT FOR?!?
3) Mini Tour Series
Let's face it—the PGA season is a MARATHON. Which, for the sake of having something on every weekend, I love. But for the sake of following a yearlong FedEx Cup Points race... it's brutal. Every tournament you see them flash the FedEx Cup standings and guys like Sam Burns somehow pop up with not a superstar in sight. To which we all say—yeahhhhh right, enjoy it while it last Burns-y.
Mini Tours bring the race in line with college football where every game matters and the debates rage from day one over whether losing the first game dooms a team for the title. Do it for the content.
HENRIK BRINGING THAT BIG TOTO ENERGY
I don't have a ton of jokes or insight for this one—only that Golf Digest's picture of Henrik Stenson (aka 2023 European Ryder Cup captain) is oozing with that Toto Wolff energy. Europeans, man, they just got that Blue Steel swag to 'em.
THE GOLD STANDARD FOR COOL YET CREEPY
Kudos to the Tour for trying stuff—however creepy it may be.
Safe to say that outside of the 17th hole cam and watching pros drop ball after ball into the drink, right behind on the watchability scale was the CGI gold dude from the telecast.
He ended getting a bit too close to the Uncanny Valley for my tastes—maybe it's the semi-jerky leg movements? Not sure.
BUT it made for killer entertainment in between shots and that may be enough to keep him around. The real question is whether he has supplanted Tiger and Phil as the pro we MOST want to see at Augusta in a few weeks???
HOMA WANTS HIS TENDIES
This tweet gave me pure joy this week.
Max Homa not being at the top of the social leaderboard for the PIP standings is criminal when he constantly finds himself in the middle of this content.
Max's response?
"This was devastating."
I'M NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING!
Posted with no further comment, a dad taped his son's golf swings over the past 9 years.
Great, now I'm sitting by Jack's crib listening to Cat Stevens and sobbing. Thanks Reddit.
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