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By Alex Lauzon from the “Course of Life” podcast
Golf’s Merger at the U.S. Open
Still catching your breath? As the scandalous headlines and juicy details continue to emerge from the landmark merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi PIF (LIV Golf), it’s perfect timing for a major championship week of drama to stir the pot! In previous iterations of these previews, it’s been about two RIVAL tours gathering which had become a rare sight. Now, with the merger taking full flight at the start of next season, players from the PGA and LIV Tour will be all squeezed back together again as one happy family. Sounds easy, right?
Representatives from both tours (soon to be one tour) will be dueling it out for major glory at Los Angeles Country Club, and officially 12 LIV Golf members are in the field at the U.S. Open. As if Brooks Koepka taking down the PGA Championship wasn’t enough of a boost for the LIV golf cohorts, now having the empowerment of the merger in their future and feel as vindicated as ever should free them up on the course even more. Here’s how each side of the strife is handling life post-merger.
Common L For The PGA Tour
I think that’s how the kids would phrase it these days. We’ll be given the spin for weeks and months that this move is beneficial for the fans who love to watch golf – which it is. Don’t let that distract from the fact that the PGA Tour and namely Jay Monahan made their best players and biggest allies look like sacrificial lambs, to quote Rory McIlroy himself. The vibes have admittedly plummeted in McIlroy’s camp, as the honorary player commissioner for the PGA Tour has shown dejection, resignation, and shoulder shrugs as his commish turned on him in the 11th hour. As for how this affects Rory’s week at LACC, it’s feast or famine. The news either lightning charges his drive to win for solely himself, or it has him questioning everything he did in the last two years and being mentally checked out of the event.
As for the rest of the PGA Tour allies like Masters champ Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, or Jordan Spieth…can they carry out a “win one for the good guys” type of performance and reiterate their dominance? All of this news and drama could be fuel to the fire for them, or it may further cement their anger towards their commissioner which costs them hundreds of millions of dollars and headaches.
LIVin’ It Up
Meanwhile, even with the future of LIV golf being deeply inquisitioned, the PGA Tour’s brass that made the bold jump are all taking victory laps heading into this week’s major championship and the rest of the season. The status quo remains with separate tours (for now) but they not only pocketed the exorbitant sums of Saudi money, they only faced a year or so of backlash before the merger took place. The leader in the clubhouse of bragging rights this week is Mr. Phil Mickelson. He may have gone about it the wrong way but I’ll be darned…all the changes he suggested for golf are getting made. The #philwasright crew is alive and well.
Brooks Koepka heads into LACC as the PGA Champion and the one-round knockout win over Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee. Dustin Johnson, Cam Smith, and Bryson DeChambeau all return back to normality in a merged tour world in 2024, and they’re conveniently 9 digits richer in their bank accounts as well for their troubles. There’s every reason for the LIV golf contingent to be playing more freely and at peace than any major championship in the last 12 months.
The Future
As for what’s been laid out to this point, the merger will not become official from a tournament golf perspective until 2024, meaning both tours will operate as separate entities for the remainder of 2023. LIV Golf has seven more events scattered between now and their November season finale, while the PGA Tour has 15+ events left including Fedex Cup Playoffs before the 2022-2023 season reaches its endpoint. Some questions do still loom about the fall 2023 schedule in place and answers are hopefully imminent on that front. The lone remaining spots where we WILL see the LIV and PGA Tour elite collide are this week at Los Angeles Country Club and at Royal Liverpool in July for the 151st playing of The Open.
Favorites at LACC
As tempted as I am to lean into the LIV golf takeover that the Koepka PGA and the merger have yielded, my card is going to be filled with a majority of PGA Tour pros that are due for a big breakthrough this week. Regardless of who wins, we’re all just cheery happy friends again in professional golf with no leftover animosity whatsoever! What could go wrong?
Golf FAQs
How do PGA Golf Majors Pools work?
In PGA Golf Majors Pools, member select six golfers to compete on a roster over the course of an event. The member with the best combined score from the six golfers wins.
Can you include all four majors into one pool?
Yes, but your commissioner can also customize these setting with RunYourPool. Pools can include up to all four majors, repicking golfers each time or adding bonus points for finishing positions
How do I assemble a roster?
Golfers are broken up in to six tiers, as members select one golfer per tier to be on their Major roster.
What happens to golfers who miss the cut?
Any PGA Player who does not make the cut will be given the highest score of Round 3 and Round 4, respectively.
What are the four golf majors?
The Masters is the first major of the season, in April. The PGA Championship and the U.S. Open follow, with the British Open ending as the final major.
How do PGA One and Dones work?
Members in a pool select one golfer to win a tournament, but can't pick that golfer again for the rest of the season. The member with the best score at the end of the season wins.
What is a PGA One and Done pool?
A PGA One-and-Done Pool is a contest similar to Survivor Pools, in which members can only select a golfer one time per season for events.
Which tournaments are played for PGA One and Dones?
Pool commissioners can set up the season for as many or as few tournaments as desired. Go crazy and do all of them! Or dial it back for the major events. As commissioner of a RunYourPool contest, you decide which events to play in!
How to run a weekly golf pool?
In order to run a golf pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like One and Done or Pick-X Pools. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.
How do golf Pick-X Pools work?
Members select a certain number of golfers per tournament, set by the pool commissioner. The member earns the total winnings that their selected golfer won for the tournament. Whichever member earns the most winnings over the duration of the season wins.
What is a golf Pick-X Pool?
A Pick-X Golf Pool calculates tournament winnings rather than strokes gained when deciding a winner. This amplifies the big name events that feature a higher prize purse.
How to run a golf pool?
How you decide to run a golf pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.
What is a prop bet?
Prop bets are any sort of pick or wager on a game that has nothing to do with the score or the final score outcome. Props can range from game types, to team types and even player types - such as who will score the game's first and last touchdowns? Other props, such as novelty or exotic, feature bets on things such as the coin flip or the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
How do Masters Prop Bets Pools work?
Pool members simply fill out a wide range of prop questions, each question worth a different value. Commissioners decide on the point value for each question, along with the amount of questions. Whichever member earns the most points based on corret answers wins the pool.
When is the Masters?
The Masters is typically in April and the first major of the golf season. The 2023 Masters is set for Thursday, April 6 and will run until Sunday, April 9.
Where is the Masters played?
The Masters is annually held at the Augusta National Golf Club located in Augusta, Georgia, USA.
