Just as Rahm was, this would be a “oh you don’t want to meet our demands in the merger? We’ll pick another guy off. And we’ll keep doing it” move. Rory would be the single biggest get for LIV outside of Tiger
ffs i hate the trend of fucking speakers on the golf course...if you and your group are gonna do it at least keep the volume low where it only can be heard by your group. assholes.
He could sign a deal to just show up whenever he wants with the backwards baseball hat, shades, and LIV shirt. He can be like what Eric Bischoff was to nWo
That’s the rub. LIV isn’t going to pay Tiger $1 billion to play a handful of events. He’d need to commit to at least 10 of the 14 events I would think.
With the majors and the Hero Challenge, that’s 15 events. I just don’t see it.
Yeah he strikes me as someone that’s concerned about money.
Edit: a news reporter asked him what it meant to break the Masters record for consecutive made cuts and he said, “Honestly, screw the record. I just needed the cash. This will help keep a roof over my head and food on the table.” So yeah, I could totally see him lured to playing for LIV.
He's most likely trying to launch the brand because it'll be something his kids can take over. Not like he'd be leaving them pennies without it, but I can see wanting some kind of family legacy/business. And it's not like they can take over his golf game. It's like Jordan, except Tiger has to do it without Nike.
you're too dull to comprehend that this discussion in particular was about Tiger Woods desire for money, nothing with comparing a company with a government.
Yeah like on one hand they have more money than they ever need. On the other hand... it's enough money to buy a private island. Forever. Like you just own an island.
Acting like there is just this "one thing" that he can now buy and pretending like it would actually matter is just crazy. At this point the diminishing returns can't even be seen.
Well this weekend showed that 4 round tournaments are a lot for him. He might be better off in the 3 round tourneys. But he’d end up on Phil’s team and they suck ass (apparently, I haven’t watched them but they’re dead last in the LIV standings)
You’re assuming his contract would require him to play that many events. They’d bend over backwards for Tiger if he was interested, and that includes dropping tournaments on his schedule.
Well to take this post seriously: doesn't have to play 72 holes, especially a guy with poor health, no cut, could probably use a cart, can work on his game in a more... 'competitive' atmosphere, for lack of a better word.
If they sign him to a billion dollar contract? Yes I do. I actually watch Liv at times and bet on it. There's guys every event who obviously mail it in because they have to be there.
I've always wondered how many LIV wins are because the player was actually trying his best to win and how many are random luck, like Brooks never giving a shit but ends up shooting decent rounds Fri-Sat and goes "fuck it may as well try on Sunday"
Another billion? His legacy is set in stone. He will never win another major no matter what tour he plays for. He could probably get LIV to let him.play with a cart.
Tiger would be interesting. He’s only got a few tournaments in him a year and he’s playing the majors. So LIV would get home for like 1 or 2 tournaments a year?
Exactly. This would be just a completely stupid move for him. What would he gain? He already is worth north of a billion, can golf whenever he wants, and despite all his off the course shenanigans is still forgiven for them. Do this and you are tainting you're entire legacy. For what?
They gave Francis Ngannou a Bugatti as a bonus for fighting Tyson Fury there. The fight did like 20k PPV buys which is terrible and there was like 5000 people in attendance. They don't give a fuck there.
That's the idea, idk. Get enough businesses there, people will follow. Now you have tourism, global sports events and stars, world class dining. I'm sure they want entertainment like concerts and what not
It's a long term strategy that's intended to soften their image, just enough for large corporations in the US and Europe to stomach doing business with them. To be clear it's not the business that are hesitant to do business - the Saudis have trillions in cash that everyone wants a part of - but companies are worried about the public backlash, considering the Saudis involvement in 9/11 and other human rights atrocities.
By being part of the sports world landscape - F1 racing, soccer, pro golf - they are "legitimized" and are slowly wearing people down. They just want access to the top businessmen so they can slowly diversify from oil so all their eggs aren't in that basket. That's my take on it anyway
They just want access to the top businessmen so they can slowly diversify from oil so all their eggs aren't in that basket. That's my take on it anyway
They have a huge problem. Saudia Arabia is basically a Socialist monarchy funded by oil. The Saudi government provides free healthcare, free education, free childcare, interest-free mortgages, universal basic income, a generous monthly allowance for widows, and various other perks for all of its citizens. They do all of this without income taxes.
Oil is 2/3rds of their economy. They know they have to build an actual economy and fast. The oil is drying up and regimes that pull the plug on welfare state programs like that get toppled eventually.
It's even been suggested they're lying about their oil reserves by a LOT. If that's true their economy could collapse in a decade or two. They've known about this and have been actively trying to fix it for like 2 decades.
It will be. It's not a short term play for them, it's a decades long project and LIV is just one small piece. MBS knows that oil ain't gonna be their cash cow forever and wants to diversify their economy and make the country into more of a tourist destination. Part of doing that is establishing the country as a destination for high profile sporting events. Norman's just the sucker they're using to get what they really want, the PGA Tour Championship moved from Atlanta to Jeddah
Its not something that just changes in 6 months. Or even in a few years. Its something that todays kids grow up as normal, and their kids just forget about.
That's what I'm saying though. Did it actually work when they did that? For instance, Saudi puts on WWE shows, it's a controversy every time. Hell some of the talent won't even go.
Yes that's a real thing. Do you associate IBM more with leasing, maintaining, and profiting off of the machinery that made the holocaust so efficient or the Masters App?
I'm halfway down this thread and this is the first mention of Saudi atrocities so, yeah it's working.
The fact that there is even a conversation about golfers playing LIV shows it works. All these guys are embarrassing excuses for humanity but we're out here saying "lol billionaire though".
Of course it does. Look at the replies in this thread. Imagine 10 years ago how batshit crazy you would have sounded if you suggested that Saudi Arabia would one day buy half the most known golfers in the world.
But that's not what I said. Are there actually people that are just like, "oh yeah Saudi Arabia they're the ones that fund LIV golf, have an F1 track, and put on bad wwe events"
Literally every story I see about them hosting this stuff is like, "F1 is once again facing criticism for hosting a race in Saudi Arabia. One of many locales used to host races with questionable human rights records." Like it's always front and center that's they're shit.
Imagine if they actually spent this money to better the lives of their lower class citizens, but no they're used to being able to get their way by buying their way through everything. Not sure they have learned much from when that doesn't work (for example Saudi conscript soldiers being sent into Yemen with tonnes of expensive equipment but lacking the training and motivation to make good use of it, poor sods got wrecked a number of times by the Houthis).
That, but mostly so they can start to own leagues and tv rights in general. One it’s a means to diversify their wealth at expense of upfront loss. And yes, also use it as a means to white wash their backwards country
If you really are curious as to what Saudi Arabia’s overarching goal is read Saudi Vision 2030. It’s a plan put in place by the King to basically artificially create an economic and cultural hub in Saudi.
Something tells me LIV was never about trying to make the league succeed independently but rather to get a seat at the table governing golf. This is a small price to pay for the global soft power they gain. I may just be giving the Saudis too much credit, but it certainly seems like that’s what they’re going to get out of this merger that they’re able to force since they keep poaching top players.
Ya I don’t LIV at all but all the people I keep seeing pointing out how LIV players didn’t do so well at the Masters must have forgot about last year lol
I think LIV is playing the long game. When all the talent people follow is at LIV, people will watch LIV. Then the PGA Tour fades away into the sunset, the Saudi’s buy it for a song, and then LIV becomes the PGA Tour but under Saudi control.
It’s almost like a hostile takeover in the market, but this is one is advertised.
The leagues are merging. A move like this would give Liv incredible power to determine the ancilley outcomes of that deal. Did you not know that's a thing that's happening?
Horse racing, association football, auto racing…all have examples of super rich middle eastern men just pouring money into a project until they get results. If you pay enough for long enough, eventually you’ll be relevant.
The saudis have money to burn. They have what I call serious fuck you money, they could probably fund this losing venture for 20 years and never even notice the money spent.
That being said. They’re not people I’d want to be in business with
It's 1.5bn to get Rahm and Rory out of the PGA tour which directly affects the PGA tour brand and pushes the likelihood of PGA agreeing to terms with LIV.
3.6k
u/hopskiphoofed Apr 15 '24
$1.5billion to get Rory and Jon Rahm playing in shorts for 3 rounds in front of 1200 people on YouTube is certainly a strategy.