Mad Dog questions Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson & others for leaving PGA Tour for LIV Golf Series

[@FatMaverick]

Besides the opening in England, not a single event is played in Europe. That’s why he’s not called Map Dog.

[@angel-po8wo]

gulf sucks anyway

[@samyarlagadda9981]

Map dog😭😭😭

[@jacoburanga218]

And he said Sergio Garica is a great player who’s on the pga tour😭😂 Sergio went to LIV😂

[@cynicalexpat]

1 out of 8 events are in Europe. 5 out of 8 in the US. The lack of knowledge of the subject he is supposedly debating on, clearly means he shouldn’t be debating?! Mad Dogs - usually loud and nonsensical.

[@blackout07blue]

Anyone cheering LIV would be cheering golf leagues & players paid for by Hitler or Putin too. Disgusting…

[@jakeallen476]

Dustin Johnson being top 3 or 4 all time is an insane take by itself.

[@jeffreyval9665]

Hes not even top 25 of all time and even that's being generous.

[@braxtonandrews4047]

He even tried to whisper it lol

[@JK-br1mu]

He meant 3rd or 4th best golfer in the world, 15th best all time. Which is still a stretch I think.

[@dmoneyas24]

@@JK-br1mu he meant what he said and what he said was BS lol

[@gregorycampbell9386]

He clearly doesn't know golf or he thinks the majority of the people watching this don't know golf, either way it's negligent reporting that's become commonplace with espn anchors.

[@Paulafan5]

I'm baffled as to why people on tv are so angry that golfers are "daring" to leave the PGA tour. PGA doesn't pay anyone's salaries; the players EARN their paychecks with performance. And if they want to play somewhere else, that's their choice.

[@RoughOnStuff]

Arnold Palmer won 62 titles and made less than two million dollars. Justin Thomas made seven hundred thousand dollars more for winning the PGA championship a couple weeks ago. That’s the tours doing, not the golfers. And this group of has bins is cashing in on their generations of work for blood money. It’s gross and everyone has a right to be deeply offended at the betrayal.

[@jeffreyval9665]

They should be banned from ever playing in a pga event ever again. Most of these guys are already set for life anyway. Just a bunch of guys that can't beat the best players in the world anymore.

[@madD8845]

The players are independent contractors. The PGA tour pays no one. If you are on the tour you have to earn everything you get. Question…. Name a professional league where the rookies have to come up with $200k to participate in the season. The PGA’s policies has hindered the ability for poor and middle class people to join the league because of the cost which has been a huge barrier to entry. People thought that because of Tiger you would see more black and brown people on the tour but the opposite has happened. We had more black golfers on tour in the 70’s and 80’s than we have right now. The PGA is a joke of a league and organization and this league is exposing them for what they really are. I bet most of y’all didn’t know that the PGA tour had a Caucasian only clause up until 1961 and then after they removed the clause they put it on the golf courses to police, who still wouldn’t let blacks play.

[@jeffreyval9665]

@@madD8845 don't make this a racial thing. Most blacks just aren't that good to compete on the tour. Of your good enough believe me your sponsors will get you thru until you start winning money and if u can't win money then u weren't good enough in the first place.

[@williamgray9692]

@@jeffreyval9665 sounds like your trying to cope

[@benedquistbaritone]

“He’s gonna go beat charl schwartzel?”… Well this aged like milk

[@Bonelesswatrmelon1]

Why does espn have guys who don’t know anything about the sport their supposed to talk about talking about other sports they clearly have no clue about

[@billyoliveira910]

Dustin Johnson is going to have more time to be his family. They also don't have to play 4 rounds any longer. Having said that, they are going to well paid.

[@thehop639]

yea because he couldn't pick and choose tournaments with a 100 million already in the bank could he........

[@ACT1O1]

@@thehop639 someitmes you gotta leave Amazon do your own thing.

[@thehop639]

@@ACT1O1 agree but not jumping ship from a place that has made you to a corrupt pile of nonsense funded by blood money!

[@zbabyg6998]

@@thehop639 tell every billionaire in the world that they should donate everything they have over 100m and let me know how that goes. Everybody always wants more than they have.

[@ACT1O1]

@@thehop639 this is part of life. People get rich on your hard work.

[@golfingdad3321]

Have the PGA tournaments become great because of the players who played them, or are the players great because the played and won at those courses? I think it's the former rather than the latter. Things change, evolve or stagnate.

[@jensgronning4436]

It’s a devolution not an evolution you dolt. I hope your wife’s boyfriend is a role model for your kids.

[@blackout07blue]

Anyone cheering LIV would be cheering golf leagues paid for by Hitler or Putin too. Disgusting…

[@MoMoMyPup10]

It's the latter, not even close. You can't have the former without the latter.

[@golfingdad3321]

Of course you can. Great players are great on any course. The tournaments are what they are because of the players. The PGA's true value is the players, not the tournaments - it needs to treat them better.

[@mleonard1223]

A wise man once said, "The biggest problem with media is that people tend to talk about something in an educated manner when they know close to nothing about it"..

[@antoniosaxon8605]

ZZZZZZZZZ

[@brandonbeil6736]

Was that Sir Skip Bayless?

[@blackout07blue]

Anyone cheering LIV would be cheering golf leagues paid for by Hitler or Putin too. Disgusting..

[@mleonard1223]

@@brandonbeil6736 Skip is only wise about Lebron and TB12 stuff...lol

[@bobbygreene7748]

For one of the first times ever, I'm with Stephen A. The PGA is trying to stand on some moral high ground when they're really doing nothing more than trying to monopolize professional golf.

[@blackout07blue]

Foh. Anyone cheering LIV would be cheering golf leagues paid for by Hitler or Putin too. Disgusting.

[@prescottmotley5225]

Just because they are doing it for the wrong reason does not mean the cause is wrong. What ever happen to never forget 911 but I guess all you non patriotic Americans put money over American values.

[@MoMoMyPup10]

Let's say, you're a good young baseball prospect who wants to one day hopefully make a living playing the game you love, because what's the alternative -- Wall St. or laying brick? You're just hoping to be good enough to make it playing. Now, MLB drafts you and _here's your opportunity_ -- which one you going to take -- Wall St. or MLB? These professional _leagues_ they offer you a place to make _millions_ and play the game you love at the same time. They put up the money, they generate the income, and you get the big check at the end of the week. Yeah, they make millions more than you but what's a zero or two between fellow millionaires? Now you're going to sabotage this league after the amazing opportunity they provided for you and your family to enjoy the sweet life (that may've not been so easy laying bricks) and retire a wealthy and healthy man? For a monopoly, that's quite the rich deal they offer you if you can hack it. BTW, there's also a European Tour, and an Asian Tour, if you think you're 'stuck' playing here.

[@bobbygreene7748]

@@MoMoMyPup10 the difference is, in baseball you get a check each week whether you bat .400 or strike out. In basketball, you get your game check whether you score 30, or score 4 pts. League minimum is $900k/year. So, you get that even if you're the last guy on the bench and never play. Football and soccer, same thing. In the PGA, you have to win or place high to make millions. You have to make a cut every weekend just to get a paycheck. You also have to be a top player to get the lucrative sponsorship deals. These are professional athletes who have sacrificed years and put in an unimaginable amount of work to become a pro golfer. They deserve some kind of guaranteed money. I can't get mad at players for seeing guaranteed money with a commitment to only have to play 8 tournaments a year, and taking it. For the players with exemptions, they still get to play majors. It's a win for the players, and a win for the PGA tour. More of the world will get to see these golfers, and the game will grow.

[@tonychen1860]

@@MoMoMyPup10 the league doesn’t make the players, it’s the players that make the league. 10 times out of 10, I will choose a 100m/5y guaranteed contract over 20m one year, 5m the next, etc. But by your argument, LIV allows players to play the game they love while making millions? Why is the PGA Tour on a pedestal? If LIV makes it seem like the PGA is underpaying their players then maybe they need to rework their business model to accommodate the top players. Btw an extra zero is a multiple of 10, so yeah it’s a fat difference. 10 generations of wealth or 1? You pick.

[@blikketty77]

Golfers only care about money? Next thing you gonna tell me water is wet!

[@DoronBond]

🤣 no not wet but moist 🤣

[@Anthonycheesman33]

Blood money .

[@RealYoutube33]

ESPN upset that they will be losing money.

[@madD8845]

Professional athletes care about money. Most of us who are professionals in our field are always looking the next best opportunity that’s going to pay us more.

[@DoronBond]

@@Anthonycheesman33 and Americas no different? …🤨🤔

[@marksias6764]

The PGA is threatening it's own players. No wounder players are leaving. The LIV gives players choice. The PGA takes choice away from players.

[@MoMoMyPup10]

Most ignorant comment on here. Congrats!

[@rickcastellon9090]

Take your blood money. And learn how to SPELL WONDER.........

[@CC-xl9ow]

He was cracking me up saying you're telling me Dustin Johnson is going to get turned on by beating Lee Westwood and Charles Schwarzel 🤣 🤣 🤣

[@DanielSong39]

He finished miles behind Schwartzel

[@cameronschmit6472]

The quicker they have to lean on stuff like “tradition” and “prestige” the worse argument they have. The issue for me, is the ultimatum the PGA is leveling. There’s no reason they can’t play in both leagues. The PGA is harpooning themselves

[@jcx5659]

I expect the PGA has every right in the world to set their own rules.

[@hsld8930]

What’s the movie quote? Only siths deal in ultimatums.

[@heynowls3058]

Wrong. Ban them. Shame them. Tradition ha! Taking murderers $$$ is more important. Tiger and Nicklaus knew better. Good for them

[@cameronschmit6472]

@@heynowls3058 there isn’t any reason they can’t do both.

[@tonychen1860]

@@cameronschmit6472

[@Sffhjjngtggb]

It’s like PGA never tasted Saudi money. 😂

[@hottakes2633]

Phil is 51 and already has a great legacy as a PGA Golfer. Now he wants the bag, which is totally fine.

[@DoronBond]

Just like the nba players

[@DoronBond]

@Fire Haze easy!!!

[@joeterzio7175]

Phil has a legacy of being a scum bag. Do more research on him.

[@nicksandmann5874]

Wait a minute hold on let me get this straight we had a former president and a current president who have both been accused of being foreign assets and you guys are tripping over Phil Mickelson making a couple dollars in the sand.

[@garland1123]

Your on the sports network. You can hear talk about your fake political grifts on CNN/Fox news

[@Beey56]

Always funny to see Americans outraged when other countries do it but it’s totally acceptable if it’s Amurika

[@daedae1522]

A couple of dollars?

[@Legendary_UA]

Yep, Obama and Biden are traitors.

[@mullumadaan]

PGA tour at one point had no legacy, it all starts somewhere

[@IRONMIKE_D]

PGA is shook ! They are afraid it might grow to something HUGE !

[@jamesnelson5618]

Like what huge There Scared of?

[@chuckwalla2967]

shaken.

[@IRONMIKE_D]

@@chuckwalla2967 in the south we say Shook.

[@shaketin]

@@chuckwalla2967 shaken lmao. I’ve never heard someone use that term like that. PGA is shaken!🤣🤣🤣

[@RayNLA]

@@jamesnelson5618 Scared of becoming irrelevant!

[@kup4ever]

SAS said "stop bringing up other people's pockets" Bruh☠️🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣gtfo

[@icjmcmullen]

Stephen A. jumps on every sport 😂

[@rayreese8924]

And knows nothing about almost all of them

[@ayubhussein201]

@@rayreese8924 He knows what’s important Baseball, Football and basketball.

[@krynnC]

He has really Good take on this because it's not just Golf but about business.

[@jakesjacobs5075]

Liv golf format is like a breath of fresh air, and will grow in popularity.

[@lakeozarkrei3767]

Really? You like those +23 & +24 scores did you?? That tournament was like watching a minor league Korn Ferry Tournament 🤢😅

[@andrewvancura2901]

Dustin’s had back issues more money less rounds makes sense

[@Tesla99]

The pga golf courses should step in and support liv tournament play! That’ll hammer the nail right in the pga!

[@charliefrey4782]

Absolutely! You know that LIV will throw money at Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, Oakhurst, Pinehurst, Bethpage, etc... to host LIV events. What's the PGA going to do then? Suspend having tournaments at these legendary courses?

[@lakeozarkrei3767]

@@charliefrey4782 Why?? Because of the level of play at the LIV tournament in London?? They probably don't want 80% of those golfers on their course tearing it up.. +23 & +24 scores!? Dam.. I shoot better then that!?😅🤣😅

[@DanielSong39]

@@lakeozarkrei3767 The course was way tougher than the course they played down in Canada

[@SOLDOZER]

@@lakeozarkrei3767 You shoot better? I did not see your name on the board.

[@JL-po3wl]

The problem is the PGA Tour!

[@natethompson8740]

Agreed

[@retsoptihs0]

@Robbie Hynes Breaches against Yemen, too? Whose weapons did they bomb Yemen with? Oh that's right, US and UK weapons. If our governments can form an alliance with and even arm the Saudis why can't our players take their oil money? It's not blood money, that doesn't even make any sense (I know you didn't call it blood money but plenty have, and I find that an absurd statement unless they're literally paying the players with $100 bills covered in blood. More likely a bank transfer). There's just too much hypocrisy. The PGA Tour had no objections to letting Harold Varner III, DJ and plenty of other PGA Tour members at the time play in Saudi Arabia earlier this year and last year. That's because the Asian Tour doesn't represent a threat (yet). They let their players like Billy Horschel, Rory, Rahm, etc, play on the DP World Tour. Why? Again, it doesn't represent a threat and is even a strategic partner (i.e. the PGA milks all the best talent from Europe until there's nothing left but a load of schoolkids and the ghost of Seve).

[@decarlocalloway01]

Stephen A. right on with this.

[@TheGolfCommunity1]

ESPN IS SALTY AND I LOVE IT 😂😂

[@omo708]

Same 😂

[@mrb43605]

They play at 3 top 100 golf courses in the world! The courses are great!

[@sayhey5323]

The golfers, not so much.

[@christophercarpenter3807]

they will play some awesome golf course

[@tonychen1860]

The PGA Tour is afraid that if they allow LIV to coexist, top players will earn so much from the 8 events that they will focus solely on those tourneys, the majors, and take the rest of the season off. There’s two ways to deal with this, either let it coexist, which would enter a new player in the market. Or, they can denounce it outright. If money attracts all the best talent to play LIV, the PGA would eventually lose most of their revenue stream, which is generated mostly from the top .1% on the owgr anyway. I can see why they came to this decision. It’s a way of retaining most of their best talent instead of quickly losing it to a rival tour, and thus quickly losing all their revenue. They chose to lose later instead of lose now. If they let all their players partake, LIV will outgrow the PGA tour and redirect most of the tour’s revenue to the Saudi’s pockets. If they let players slowly funnel out with a threat of barring them from returning, they would dissuade players from leaving and, thus lose less revenue. However, we all know this is a bluff. If enough high ranked players leave and Bryson wanted to come back, you think the PGA Tour would say no? BUT, the PGA Tour still retains strong support from Tiger and Rory, their first and third most revenue generating contractees, and a slough of the best players in the world. Their best case scenario is that LIV will die out in a few years when their revenue is far outpaced by their spending. The PGA tour is still regarded as the premier tour, ranking ahead of the DP World and KFT. So they’re essentially a monopoly with the best talent. I personally think they’ve been more than fair with the prize money and last year’s social media fund, but it’s also fair that players take that amount of money as it guarantees generational wealth. (Think of Anthony Kim’s insurance case). Wait. He’d actually be perfect for this tour. Anyways thanks for listening to my rant. It’s my analysis from a game theorist’s perspective.

[@s.marshian8455]

Problem is Tiger is getting up there in age and I don’t see him ever getting back to total dominance again. Lol and I don’t think LIV can run out of money since they’re financed by Saudi Arabia money.

[@tonychen1860]

@@s.marshian8455 Definitely not, but Tiger will sell tickets well into his 60’s. He barely played 2 tournaments last year and made the PGA Tour the most money. Not sure what the situation is with LIV, haven’t dug into it. But even the most ambitious oil money projects get stalled when it is determined to be unsustainable in the long term. The Kingdom Tower was supposed to be 1km tall and has not resumed construction in nearly a decade after building the first 1/3 of it.

[@Pulse2AM]

The Olympics are held all over the world in questionable countries nobody snubs them.

[@TheIncomparableGolfer]

Finally we get the real truth of what Phil said, and not some cut up version to make him look bad.. Thanks Steven A

[@milly7205]

You didn’t say anything about Rory mcilroy leaving the European tour , to play in the US..best course in the world are in Scotland.

[@greenbeech3055]

Tiger Woods is one of the cheapest/greediest people out there. The Navy Seals let Tiger train with them for a few weeks, and the last day they all went out to lunch. Tiger who is a billionaire, made each of these guys pay their bills instead of picking up the tab. These guys still talk about that.

[@rayreese8924]

Tiger didn’t leave the PGA Dafuq Tiger got to do with this

[@soisaidtogod4248]

@@rayreese8924 Had to get the racial dig in. They seem to search it out on the net. Sad lives they have.

[@pitbull64]

This is so much fun with these two. Russo needs to be on more than one a week but he's got MLB and Sirius XM so I understand.

[@Ryanlexz]

I don't blame them! PGA still love tiger woods

[@omo708]

Cause he brings the money

[@tony84.]

1:58 😂These two are gold!

[@Roroncy-eb8xj]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥wow finally someone is calling out the PGA on their BS!

[@keithtobin4786]

Steven A very well said!!!

[@Flatzee1]

They can still play the majors and LIV. Why wouldn’t they do it? More golf is good for golf.

[@lakeozarkrei3767]

Lol! Ummm... yea... I hate to tell you.

[@julianpapin9428]

Love how mr uppercut king is now expert in golf as well.

[@Simon-nv5zj]

We will see after a few years whether this will take off or not. If LIV golf doesn’t recruit more top ten etc players, it will fall in a heap. The Saudi’s are not dumb, the amount they are spending and the purse prize won’t be sustainable unless they attract the best players in the world.

[@clancyflood5950]

Let's revisit that conversation lmao. Love the moral highground

[@Steelers2841]

Phil made a good point there needs to be change at the PGA Level. & Don't even blame the players either if they want to jump ship

[@authenticapparel1906]

This guy is such an Italian wise guy.

[@This_Old_Man_68]

I believe the viewers will decide how relevant LIV GOLF will be. The talking heads only care about maintaining the PGA monopoly on golf.

[@lakeozarkrei3767]

Well.... a hundred thousand viewers on streaming and about 50% attendance in London... so..🤢😅

[@This_Old_Man_68]

@@lakeozarkrei3767 Well I'd say that outpaced the first PGA event exponentially then. 🙄

[@greenbeech3055]

These dudes are more upset about golfers playing for the Saudi tour, than they were about Tiger Woods driving 90mph during rush hour in a residential zone, lucky he didn't kill someone.

[@felix207]

It's gonna happen in disc golf also. Don't call it frisbee golf!!!!

[@per_growth]

Everyone talking about how the "defectors" made the right or wrong decision. Everyone talking about how this is 'nothing but greed' or 'for growing the game' Everyone talking about how this is good or bad for the game. It stands to reason that 99% of those who comment here (me included) HAVE NO REAL IDEA how the PGA inner workings go. Phil does. DJ does. Those handful of PGA professionals do. Maybe there is a reason - which they are privy to (and we are not) - that we should all be looking at before judgments can be made.

[@floridianpicker]

Actually have to applaud Steven A for mentioning China and Saudi Arabia in the same sentence.

[@Entername-md1ev]

Saudi, China and Russia are all from the same cloth

[@jacedaace01]

SAS aligning himself with Phil's sentiments on the PGA trying to monopolise how the public watches pro golf is significant & intriguing. Jay Monahan & the PGA are risking a lot by thinking that the public's interest in pro golf will start to wane with the introduction of a new golf tour/series. As a golf fan, I really don't care where the golf is being played, how much the prize money is, what tour the tournament is associated with....I just want to watch the best players in the world playing golf! It's that simple. LIV Golf, carry on...

[@lakeozarkrei3767]

So you enjoyed watching that sh*t show LIV called a tournament this week then?😅 48 golfers.... 8 shot par or better and there were even some +23 & +24 scores in there... You think you were watching the best players in the world?😅🤣 🤡

[@violabeaumont3758]

Golf was already in a stagnate and dying state as a sport anyways. Golf Courses have been struggling because the PGA has utterly failed to drum up interest, and lets be honest the PGA tour has never drummed up interest. Gold exploded thanks to the emergence of Tiger Woods. Before that Golf exploded thanks to Jack and Arnold. PGA tour has done nothing but cater to ultra elite sponsors who shill overpriced watches, clothing, and Golf Equipment.. driving up the cost to even participate in the sport as a hobby beyond a great portion of the worlds reasonable means.

[@retsoptihs0]

@@violabeaumont3758 Excellent points. The only tournaments that pay decent prize money on the DP World Tour are sponsored by Rolex. Who can afford a Rolex? Older people, mostly. That's not the best demographic for long-term growth. Jack and Arnie set the tour up by the players FOR the players, not for Jay Monahan. Jay needs to remember that because I think in the near future the players will revolt (not necessarily to join LIV but to oust Jay and take control of their own tour and not be beholden to anyone as independent contractors). Tiger's presence is what made the PGA Tour lucrative. It has nothing to do with Monahan.

[@visionaryinsightsports]

Stephen A & the Dog are a good combo

[@226butters226]

And JJ Reddick has been a great addition keeping SAS at bay. Hope they keep him around

[@solenvy]

Mad Dog nails it.

[@dantediego]

Soon as you say China producers Jump in like go to break

[@MissDaisyTheRacoon]

$220 Million sounds better than $95 Million. If LIV offered these guys $25 Million a year to be an analysts, they would be praising the players that moved to LIV Golf.

[@EllisEntertainment]

Let the comments get spicy 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@solemander9856]

He ain’t right all the time, but Stephen A hit it on the head. The PGA is acting like that kid who got beat the first game, complained and took his ball home with him.

[@jaymaster2215]

Great player and Champion of the game.

[@billyhassett2728]

Love The Maddog. He’s a great addition to,the show and he’s not a lib hack like Max. Go get’m Maddog!

[@dylantenbrinke3260]

I think this is going to be amazing.

[@schnare1]

Well said!

[@pastusek1]

Money talks

[@travissmith6380]

We get it, SAS will do ANYTHING for money. You want him to act like a clown. No Problem, You want him to put a cowboy hat and do a stupid accent, sure. You want him to shuck and jive...stay tuned.

[@Gnofg]

you do realize shuck and jive is pretty racist.

[@bayodaman]

lol Bro what's your problem? I bet you would do it for a 100 million dummy. This isn't real life bra the Stephen A on TV is not the same person in real life. he's not our friend he's a personality.

[@travissmith6380]

@@bayodaman so you would do anything for money?? No questions asked. And you don't need to cape up for SAS. Stop D1$k Riding

[@PGO_Gaming]

@@travissmith6380 You have no idea how many people would sell their souls for 1 million dollars, let alone 100 million. The vast majority of people around you are just robots. They don't think for themselves. They can't function without someone else beside them. They'll sacrifice their families for their own success. Disgusting human beings.

[@obsidian7644]

Stop counting other people's money, it's their life they will do what's best for them and their families.

[@Blacklist324]

Pro golf was ran by the PGA of America, the PGA was started because the players wanted bigger purses but the PGA believed the money should go into the general fund to "help grow the game" a group of players led by Arnold Palmer & Jack Nicklaus left the PGA of America and started the PGA Tour. It was all about money, not history not trophies.

[@mikebird5148]

Not nice courses? Has this guy seen the opening event course?

[@lookfeelbehealthy6320]

I don't say this often, but good points, SAS.

[@scoopmendenhall1008]

I. Agree with this man

[@prosports7908]

1st time talking golf and not mention tiger. time changes.

[@mikekrispey6136]

So y’all are defending the golfers but were the first wanted to say college athlete shouldn’t be paid…? Make it make sense

[@recyclops3587]

When do you see real competitors take more money to compete with lesser opponents, less coverage, less legacy, less history, and play in a lesser league? They took easy money and didnt care whose pockets were providing.

[@RealYoutube33]

Oh the saltiness of ESPN and pga monopoly starting to break.

[@rdz5703]

It is quite common for independent contractors to have work restrictions while they are working for their "contractor" and also for a year or two after their job ends (depending on the circumstances - unless they live in a liberal anti-business state like California that prohibits enforcement of such a restrictive covenant. Also, the players are tour members that aside from agreeing to contractual restrictions , they are aside from being an independent contractor, they are also your members that agreed to and are technically part of the rule making process. Restrictive work covenants (depending on circumstances) are quite common in independent contractor relationships. Freedom of contract which is a free market principle, none of the players had to sign their tour contracts or agree to the tour rules when they joined...Too many misinformed fans....

[@2Thes22]

Wow! Mickelson’s comments have been proven correct. LIV leverage has forced the monopolistic PGA to make changes. In fact, the PGA’s changes make it more like LIV.

[@erictriplett33]

1) "Nobody cares" -- that's not true. I watched the first LIV golf event and it was very entertaining and the new format was refreshing. 2) "not going to play on any great golf courses" -- also not true. That Centurion Club in London was a beautiful course. The last LIV event is in Miami on Doral / Blue monster, which the PGA Tour should never have left IMO.

[@azharcassim2795]

4 months later.... LIV is rocking it. PGA just sour grapes.

[@correcttheculture1829]

Dog left the best talk sports show ever for more money.

[@lesterpeters1359]

Stephen A couldn't of said it better

[@antoniocampos5752]

Like no one talks about the World Cup being in Qatar is winter and how bad it is over there

[@davidolmstead9694]

it's the Bone Saw Tour.

[@dm-ns4zt]

WELCOME PGA TO FREE AGENCY. IT'S ABOUT TIME. LIV GOLF PLEASE HIRE HOLLY SONDERS - WOULD BE AWESOME

[@nickddd333]

Outside of a few players it's attracting 2nd tier old guys looking to grab some cash. Grahame McDowell hasn't broken 80 since the 90s!

[@nicholsdeshan]

Mad Dog was singing a whole different song earlier it's bout the money

[@joshcruz4058]

Mad dog always reminds me of a young skip

[@mrfabulous17]

Mad Dog is an angry old man holding on to the past.. ESPN reached with this one..

[@grants5781]

Make your money while you can; you only live once. DJ and Phil made more money in their signings than any other players on the PGA tour will make in their careers. Going to be interesting who jumps ship next year.

[@CJ-qg6ur]

Random fact that's should help the PGA tours mandates that the players sign an agreement to the rule handbook which basically states if they participate in unsanctioned events they'll be suspended so they sign that which has NOTHING to do with salary or money. What's happening now golfers are seeing the viewerships with celebrities and athletes with golf and their on salary. At this point golfers are similar to college players with the NIL they earn money based on sponsorship and recognition and their professionals who've made the PGA tour what it is!

[@AB-nv7bz]

Its so much money. I completely understand why guys would do this. Its definitely going to fold at some point, and the pga tour will welcome these guys back. Also it may force the pga tour to make some changes. It sure makes a lot of money for not providing much value.

[@natethompson8740]

It won't fold ANYTIME soon... They have so much money over there!! So MUCH!

[@AB-nv7bz]

@@natethompson8740 ya i'm thinking 3-5 years. They will get bored with spending money. But maybe it works out, i just don't see how. They could get all the best players by throwing money at them, then maybe TV will be forced to pick it up.

[@landon776]

Dude there are 30 players that prop pga tour. If these players that draw leave for Liv pga is done. PGA tour is stone age they gotta make some power mover or they are gonna be gone.

[@phuglee]

LIV making people talk about golf.

[@timmyturner013]

Pretty sure the pga doesn’t pay for salaries, it’s just performance based winnings, on top of club fees and all that. Evolve and Go chase the bag

[@erichbiggart6366]

It’s naïve to say someone should care more about the legacy of a tour or historic players vs the best way to make their own living as a professional. This is a business for the players and the Tours and no one is in the business of giving money away. The employer now has to figure out a way to replace the talent that felt undervalued and underpaid and found an option that meets their current professional needs. Period.

[@RoughOnStuff]

I’d call it naive to conflate making a living, which the tour has allowed hundreds if not thousands of young men to do, with hundred million dollar pay outs for yesteryear’s stars. As for replacing talent, that’s not an issue the PGA tour has.

[@jasonwiercinski5250]

The best golfers should be able to play wherever they want. It makes no sense to pass up that kind of money. Life is about money anyway. It's the one thing that gets everyone's attention.

[@luckbox4768]

95% of the people here defending the LIV tour did not watch the first broadcast. They only generated 805k views worldwide on KZbin. That includes replays, partial views, etc. The primary issue with LIV is the same issue with the XFL. It is a substandard product in both talent and broadcasting. The leaderboard looked like it belonged on the slime cup on Nickelodeon. 54 holes, no cut, shotgun start… that’s not competitive golf, it’s a money grab for old, chronically hurt, flailing, has beens who know they can’t compete with the new crop of golfers grinding up the OWGR rankings. If OWGR shoots their request for points down, the tour folds within 24 months.

[@gregjonglee]

Mad Dog, you are an old timer! Times change. PGA Tour is a monopoly non-profit organization. Good competition is absolutely necessary.

[@patriot4usa]

Most of the players leaving for this Saudi league are washed up and over the hill and will never win on the PGA Tour again. So they are chasing the most money they can get from this circus league. Can't really blame them. But if they choose that, then they should not be allowed to play any events on the Tour ever again. What really is a slap in the face is the LPGA and how it might affect them.

[@matthelm464]

Exactly. MANY of the names changing tours haven't done much in several years, and I am convinced that players like Fowler and Garcia are moving so they can make all they can, while they can. I am good with that. They just aren't making the money they used to make on the PGA Tour. THAT BEING SAID, if all of the current PGA players moved over to the new tour, Fowler and Garcia, along with many others would not be able to make much of a living on the new tour either...because of the same competition they can't beat out on the current PGA Tour.

[@patriot4usa]

@@matthelm464 I don't think Fowler is going over yet. His buddies like Justin Thomas and Jordan are staying put so I don't see Rickie going - yet.

[@matthelm464]

@@patriot4usa ...one thing is for sure, we will know shortly.

[@BlackRose-vi2yg]

Up to them, they can play where they want. Never heard such tripe as I have around this

[@parrisrawlins370]

Whatever they can say to keep the pga tour number one. They see competition for the first time and don’t know what to do. They’re bashing liv tour because of fear others will leave as well!

[@smdlgy]

If Jack, Arnie, Lee had this opportunity they may have thought twice about the PGA tour.

[@jacobr4558]

Imagine when ESPN started as a "new" network and all the HBO analysts were saying "you can't have a only sports channel that's stupid. What about the history? The legacy? Etc. What a bunch of garbage! We live in a world of "new". Not a bunch of tradition and legacy. It's not like there is a bunch of decency and integrity in society! "Show me the money". This is how traditions and legacies start! With money and big names then it becomes the new normal. Time will tell with this tour but vilifying it isn't helping.

[@wjcorrinne4052]

In a free market economy individual businesses, that’s what each PGA golfer is, have the right to speak out and maximize their profits- capitalism. In this instance it’s hard to fault D. Johnson, P. Mickelson, B. DeChambeau , if they actually got $130 mil, $200 mil, & $100 mil respectively. Reed, Na and others I haven’t read any bonuses for them , though no doubt money did change hands. Mickelson claims its free agency coming to professional golf? Or is it that someone else has had an ongoing grudge against the PGA for what reason isn’t exactly clear. The answers have been explanations of “advantages “ the LIV League provides, more time with family(?), shorter tournaments ( a three day weekend shotgun start like those found at municipals across the country, smaller fields with bigger payouts. What seems to be missing is integrity, loyalty, honor to the fans who come out in all kinds of weather, mentors and role models. Cal Ripkenwhen he still played for the Baltimore Orioles would stay after the game and sign autographs for all the fans and interact with them. And it was a time that baseball needed a figure like that considering the turmoil surrounding the sport at that time. For us average “Joe’s” that play in a league after working 8 hours in all different types of jobs and try to get a Saturday or Sunday 4- some in its a game. We don’t get scholarships, sponsored by equipment manufacturers, and equipment at little or no cost and get it first before it’s ever released for retail. The actions of these few, who have every right to take the money and run are doing a disservice to the smaller weekly tournaand their fans by chasing more money,there is no prestige in their actions, when showing up at these non-major tournaments in the past has made a huge difference in the gate. An extra 10K+ people is a big boost to their local economy. These weekend golfers, especially the young ones, are the future of the game and when an “hero/role model” quits the smaller venues it sends a negative message all around. That money being tossed around the LIV kuldip go a long way to help the LPGA, Korn Ferry, C Schwab and other areas served by the First Tee program in neighborhoods that aren’t middle or upper class. It seems not only are these pros biting the hand that fed them, their message is “you can’t have too much money, cars, planes, boats,houses and villas. And as for spending time with the family, when they “pick and choose” their tournaments, they have the option that most of us wish we had. To take an unpaid few days off or personal days, I usually had five a year besides a few weeks vacation, to attend a special program my kids were in. Another final question, are these LIV pros really doing it for themselves or are the merely pawns in a power struggle game that have been bought off? It causes one to think?