Tag: PGA

LIV Golf Going Away (After 2026?)

In the words of LIV CEO Scott O’Neil:  Even though the 2026 season for LIV Golf continues as planned, “the long-term viability beyond this year is in question.” That’s a short answer for the potential uncertainty that lies ahead for golf’s hot sensation with hefty payouts and all kinds of seasonal flexibility designed with pro players in mind.

Designed to be wild ride like the Phoenix Open on steroids, LIV Golf came in with a bang. They swooped up some key players and made some big promises about what they were going do (and what they were definitely not going to do). That made it a big deal for guys like Lefty and Brooks, even some guys who had lingered on the lower end of the PGA Tour.

Nowadays, I’m just as mixed up about who’s who and what’s what in LIV Golf as the roster of players lined up to tee off in Mexico City this past weekend.

What we do know is that if top-ranked pros like John Rahm return to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf suspensions might be placed upon them. Imagine the impact of a one-year suspension from the PGA Tour for pro golfers. Loss of endorsement deals and sponsorships? How do you plan to pay for coaching and training, even that wellness coach and nutritionist, who have contributed to your recent success? It could hurt a few careers which do not have opportunities in the broadcast booth or with any type of Golf Channel specials or Netflix golf documentary series in mind.

In the meantime, as I tried to watch the final round of LIV Golf from Mexico City, I somehow lost interest before John Rahm had a chance to tee off. There was some great golf being played. Bubba Watson made an impressive reading of the green with a roundabout putt on his first hole of the day, while some of the approach shots to the greens opened doors to potential birdies and even eagles.

And I think that might be it. . .

While I do not care for the PGA’s tendency to overdo its restructuring of holes and fairways as if they’re seeking to make par near-impossible, I can see where the LIV Golf course seemed almost “too easy” for some of these pros to navigate. The mystery of the challenge seemed lost as I observed guys master holes that they might have conquered after their initial rounds and some decent practice rounds.

It didn’t seem like they were really facing the pinnacle of pro challenges in the form of course design. In fact, I watched on golfer almost mirror his performance on a single hole from the prior day (same club, same shot, similar hole placement, etc.).

We just finished witnessing a historic PGA Masters Tournament as golf fans. We don’t see that Rory 100% of the time. We got a glimpse of him last week. We won’t get that type of story on the LIV Golf broadcasts. LIV Golf doesn’t have the attachment of a storied legacy like Augusta to compete with the PGA.

So is LIV Golf going away after 2026?

We don’t have any real answers to that yet. We’re still having too much fun with the 2026 tour in play. Right now, as far as we all know, it is a lot of talk with very little substance to go with it. No decisions have been made. No changes have been implemented. It’s just the buzz of the business right now.

Read the April 15th ESPN article from Mark Schlabach available online.

Also, check out Joel Beall’s article on LIV Golf’s finances and future for www.golfdigest.com.

Rory Goes Back to Back at Augusta

Only four people have done it.

Tiger.

Nick Faldo.

Jack Nicklaus.

And now. . . Rory McIlroy.

Aside from the Southern charm and the pageantry of the Masters, Rory faced a challenge many kept buzzing about all the way through the final hole.

Plenty of folks second-guessed Rory. They felt like he was losing his grip. They saw him as one of the guys who had passed his prime.

Greatness will always be met with some form of criticism. It attracts naysayers and haters alike.

Now, as Rory makes his victory lap amid the PGA superstars, you can only imagine what will be said next.

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Scottie Scheffler on a Wild Win Streak in the PGA

Scottie Scheffler is on a hot streak. While he’s not quite doing what Nelly Korda is doing in the LPGA, Scheffler is making a statement among the top golfers in the PGA. By winning 4 of his last 5 starts, Scheffler has positioned himself as the man to beat for 2024 at this point in the season.

The battle for the RBC Heritage plaid jacket saw Scheffler fend off some serious competitors like Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark, even Sahith Theegala who edged up to second place at 16 under. This win allowed Scheffler to earn another $3,600,000 on top of having recently won the Masters Tournament.

What’s next for Scheffler?

Who’s to say? Just like we saw Joel Dahmen say on ‘Full Swing’ via Netflix, “It’s so hard to win a golf tournament.” Let’s not overlook the feat that Scheffler just pulled off.

We got caught up and swept away by watching the drama play out as we saw UConn winning back-to-back NCAA championships during March Madness. That’s a feat that few colleges achieve.

Yet, what Scottie Scheffler is doing in 2024 is phenomenal and shows us how focused a pro golfer has to be to wipe out a slate of golfers hitting at 14 under or beyond. He’s doing that kind of stuff and I’m just trying to stay consistent enough to break 90 again and again.

Year-End Golf Game and Golf Goals for the New Year

During the Christmas break, I usually work in a few rounds of golf here and there. I was able to squeeze in a round at Carlton Oaks in Santee, California, the day after Christmas. This is a course formerly used to qualify golfers for their tour cards. I love the challenges of the front nine versus the wide open fairways of the back nine. You can plan out your approach and attack plan, but the angled fairways and elevated decks make adjustment a big part of the game.

I love how Carlton Oaks gives off a mystique of a course much older than its 1958 start date. Its first tee has you veering to right, only to quickly force you to dogleg left for a par 4. Launching my approach shot over the green, I lost my nerves and flubbed a chip shot onto the green. That forced me to put my pitching wedge to work around the back end of the green to come out with a double bogey.

From there on, the rest of the course gave me grief. Somewhere around the 7th hole on the front where I realized that my finish on my pitches and chips had too loose and light. After that realization, I added some changes to my chips and pitches. But those approach shots were killing me.

Finishing off the front nine, I messed up by using a fairway wood instead of a hybrid to carry my third shot over a waterway. The shot went wide to the left and barely still within the stakes. I scrambled my way to pitching a nice roller onto the green, but that wasn’t enough to save par or even get me bogey on a par 5. I walked away with a 7 on that hole and a bad attitude on the 10th tee.

The remainder of the scorecard tells a different story. I didn’t do anything drastic except cut down my double bogeys. I marked down a double bogey on 11, and then I pretty much settled down. In fact, on hole 16, I hit a par from the fringe muh like I have done in the past on the same hole. Simply cutting down those double bogeys, cut down an additional 4 strokes compared to the front nine.

A New Set of Golf Goals for a New Year

I looked back at this game and considered my golf goals for 2024.

Let me correct that with complete transparency.

I walked by the mirror coming from the restroom prior to my tee time. . .

. . . and I was disgusted at what I saw.

My belly was protruding out like Santa on an off day from his sleigh. Not that my multi-striped golf shirt helped any, but I looked a lot more like a lost Christmas ornament than a golfer.

I’m an athletic coach and a former athlete, so I surely did not like seeing my reflection at the moment.

I was reminded that one of my most popular articles of the past spoke of a focus on fitness. That gave me motivation to do more than try to just shoot for breaking 90. I was motivated to leave the course after my round and work on overall health.

https://twitter.com/RevBruceJ1/status/1743347631391375679/photo/1

Part of 2024 is going to include me running 5Ks again, maybe even that Hot Chocolate 15K, and daily pushing myself to take on new adventures in health. From food to fitness, I’m taking my health seriously to combat the effects of a poor diet of the past. If that means walking around a nearby downtown venue to speak to the homeless and get a feel for what type of outreach ministry that can take place there, then let it be so. If that means pulling on some hiking books or trail runners in order to hike a local peak with a group of folks who have been body-shamed and seek to create a new image of themselves, so be it.

In 2024, I’ve got more than just golf goals. I’ve got life goals.

Rooting for Rory

On Twitter their present with handles like @RoryMcllroyFans or @RoryTrackr, even @RoryStats. They’re on there. And they’re big fans of golf’s 3-time FedEx Cup winner Rory McIlroy.

Admittedly, I am a fan of Rory. I root for Rory usually at every turn with the exception of when he goes up against a fan fave like Rickie, Tiger, or Kevin Na. (Tiger, well, he’s in a realm all his own.) Other than that, I can see Rory swinging with power and looking to shave strokes all of the time.

Bubba takes it over the trees with SW

Let’s be real, though. Rory isn’t the type of big personality like John Daly. He’s not going to win you over with Southern charm like Bubba. ( I can’t lie. I will always come back to Bubba shutting up a fan with a pure shot to the green over some trees.) No dangling locks like Pat Perez or Tommy Fleetwood. That’s not Rory.

Seeing Rory do his thing is something to behold. The natural flow of his swing is stunning. The amount and degree of torque he generates drawing the club back is superhuman. The yardage he registers time and time again is feat of pure power unleashed. I really enjoy seeing Rory take on the major courses.

When you root for Rory, you want to swing it like Rory 100% of the time.

Oh, that 1 footer at the BMW?

Oh yeah. That one kind of stung a little bit I bet. It was hard enough to watch. I can only imagine what that must have been like for him after such a stellar FedEx Cup run.

Well, I have to admit we all have been there at some point. I’ve had my head down with my eyes on the ball but my head just wasn’t in it. It happens and we move on. That’s just part of the game.

So maybe it’s not 100% of the time. Let’s say 98% of the time.

Needless to say, that 1 foot flub isn’t stopping anyone from rooting for Rory.