People who dislike shotgun starts are maybe most obvious giveaway for PGA troll. What possible reason could you have to dislike a shotgun start? Do you refuse to watch PGA events where people tee off of 10?
So if you were the CEO of LIV, and you weren’t sure if the Saudis would continue to burn money for your continued existence indefinitely, what metrics would you look at to decide if you have a viable product?
I don’t know why I get sucked into these discussions with you, but I did just remember the most glaring example of LIV’s unseriousness when it comes to putting on competitive golf: there are league-wide alternates for the team competition! Given that every score counts, and they are playing for millions every week (and all that prestige!), why don’t teams have their own 5th guys? It’s because nobody cares about the team element.
Oh I don’t think there is a market for another golf league. I just appreciate there are some people trying new things as I think the PGA product was incredibly rotten and stale and the improvements it has made recently are directly due to LIV
Having 13 alternates on hand for a 52 man field would be a long term ideal. I do not think the team stuff has totally worked but it has definitely worked at moments. That’s something PGA never would have pulled off, an incredibly easy way to add more meaning and excitement to every shot
anyone who likes a shotgun start is either drunk at their local course or a not serious golf fan.
There is nothing enjoyable to me knowing the players are 14 holes into a round but having to figure out which player still has which holes left to play and trying to guesstimate the difficulty of their remaining holes. It is the antithesis of how professional (and serious amateur) golf events have been run for more than a century. It is much more natural to know that the leaders have such and such holes upcoming and where each group is ahead of them. Most courses are laid out in specific routing that works best when played 1-18.
Shotgun starts are for drunken local events with unserious golfers. I mean what is the next most serious golf event in the US (or world) that utilizes a shotgun start? Is there a state that has it for their amateur championship that I am not aware of? When the PGA tour has to start players off both sides because of rain, I find it to be a lesser product.
I salute the LIV guys for trying some new things. They just need to recognize that some of it is a terrible idea and should be abandoned.
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You know it shows holes left when they show a golfer.
yes, but it doesn’t show you which holes they have left to play. On many courses there are massive changes in difficulty over different stretches of holes. For example, at Quail Hollow having to finish with 16/17/18 is an insanely difficult 3 hole stretch especially compared to some of the other potential 3 hole finishes someone might have if they started on something other than hole 1.
They show upcoming hole strength on graphics. At Augusta or Sawgrass or St Andrews I agree with you (though last 4 groups do it Sunday, which is really all that matters) but normal tournament I don’t know enough to care that much about that
I can understand how casual fans that don’t pay that close attention wouldn’t care, but that’s not me. I enjoy watching a round progress and seeing how lower players down the scoreboard are fairing on particular holes (and even individual shots) and trying to see how that will play out for the leaders coming behind them. It’s fun (to me) to see how some courses are so easy at the start (think Pebble) but finish much tougher and how that impacts the ebbs and flows of the leaderboard whereas other tournaments play out differently.
I just find it odd you can’t understand how anyone would not enjoy the way LIV is broadcast for consumption. I mean there is near universal dislike of it from what I have seen (and what you can find in online articles and forums). I don’t actively seek out ways to dump on it as a tour. I just don’t particularly enjoy what they offer. I mean to me the literal only reason I would watch it (and I’ve tried) is to see guys like Bryson and Rahm that I enjoy watching. I would just rather watch them on a normal broadcast like in the majors than in the screwy LIV presentation.
But I do acknowledge that others (like yourself) can be free to disagree with my opinion.
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Sure. Then don’t have 4/4 scores counting towards the team total. That was a bizarre choice on LIV’s part. It also decreases the likelihood of a close finish.
You can still see this? The broadcast focuses on the golf. All the info adds to the golf and they show you a ton more meaningful shots. That’s why I prefer their broadcast.
PGA shows exponentially fewer shots, more interviews/corporate stuff
here’s the thing with a golf broadcast on TV, I don’t actually want or need all the info cluttering the screen. I just want to watch the shot. And honestly on Saturday or Sunday I don’t even care about watching the most shots possible, I just want to focus my attention on the top 5/10 players, maybe top 20 at most. I mean sure show the awesome shot from a guy t39th and 11 strokes back, but I am mostly just following to see who is going to finish at or near the top.
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Pga events do not show the shots from the top 10. Liv can
Even more glaring example of the unseriousness of LIV’s team element: players are “traded” for nothing. Ancer is going to Torque for nothing in return! Presumably because Yasir thought it’d be best to rearrange teams in this way.
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A fair point. I think the teams are a fantastic idea that haven’t been executed super well (likely due to them trying to convince biggest names and fear of relegating big names)
Funny if this is the official LIV thread. I’ve been sitting refreshing the leaderboard page thinking they’ve been having the longest ever playoff before realising they sacked off the 54 holes. Hilarious given that Rahm vs Bryson in a playoff in their Aussie event is maybe their ideal outcome (Cam involved I guess).
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Haha yeah it’s weird. Last week they did a wed-sat tourney and even DataGolf live model seemed confuse by the 4th round. I remember seeing a ‘’playoff underway’’ mention after the 3rd round.
Don’t mean to change the subject on you … but I’ve been paying attention to Liv a bit this year…mainly for betting reasons and because they play at hours I can watch at work at night.
But Anthony Kim has been looking decent this year. T22 (best result since his comeback) last week and 3rd before 4th round this week. He also ‘’won’’ his place on LIV at the qualiying event. Not saying he’ll ever come close to the level he was 15 years ago but that’s cool to see. Especially on a human level for him to come back after all this time off, get his life back on track and play some decent golf 2 years in.
A ton of fun was made of him on twitter when he came back and yadayada …now he doesn’t get credit for his good play and I don’t know if this ‘’form’’ will last but this is my favorite LIV storyline since the start. Through all the money and conflicts and drama, this is one positive thing. Good for him and let’s hope he keeps going !
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I agree. I love his story and the fact he made it through Q School and basically earned it. Best story in golf imo and a refreshing change from the spoiled and lazy Koepka type storylines
And he’s got a great chance to win
I do like Ripper doing well in front of these huge crowds and do like the LIV shift to young guys. Puig, Smylie, Surratt and Lo Sasso more fun to watch than Brooks, DJ, Poulter etc
Truly incredible golf product on TV tonight. Don’t quite get any golf fan who doesn’t like this. Has driven the game so far forward