Will the PGA Tour suffer due to the LIV Golf Invitational Series?
It’s the talk of the golf world, and the question of whether the PGA TOUR will suffer at the hands of LIV Golf continues to play out in front of us all.
The world of golf is seemingly at war. The LIV Golf Invitational Series has moved away from being the stuff of rumor and speculation to being very real, and it is something that will see some of the top names in golf play in one of the most controversial new tournaments created in decades. So, will the PGA Tour suffer? What will be the likely consequences?
The gambling industry’s continued growth helps to ensure that top sports continue to thrive. For instance, there are still more people looking for NFL betting odds, NBA form and golf betting markets than there have been before in the US, as more and more states have introduced sportsbook gambling. This could mean more revenue going into the sports and into local economies.
So, the PGA is not likely to find their tour short of spectators or short of money any time soon, but they have still gone to war with the Saudi-backed tournament.
What is the LIV Golf Invitational?
Recent episodes of the Golf Unfiltered podcast have focused more on answering some of the questions golf fans have after seeing more headlines about the LIV tournament.
LIV Golf is a new organization that is fronted by Greg Norman, former world number one golfer. The golfer is CEO of LIV Golf Investments, a company set up to build new sports events and Asian tour events in the world of golf.
The source of the funds is Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which is also where the money came from to fund the recent takeover of Newcastle football club.
They are putting billions of dollars into recruiting some of the best talent in the sport, and aim to create a calendar of 14 events in the next few years. This could be seen as being in direct competition to the PGA Tour.
The controversy attached to the series comes from the source of these funds, which is linked to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has been accused of being involved in the killing of a journalist who was in opposition to the regime.
Current players shifting to the sport
Bryson DeChambeau recently became one of the biggest names to move over to the sport, and is the most discussed player to move over and make a controversial decision to join the tour.
One of the reasons this is so controversial is that it is a divisive move. The PGA Tour has made its stance perfectly clear, dishing out suspensions to everyone who signs up to play at the tournament.
This means that a player at the top of his game, who won the Open back in 2020, is moving to become the poster boy of the Saudi-backed tournament rather than staying loyal to the PGA Tour.
Losing some of the biggest names to play in the sport will, of course, be a blow to the PGA Tour, but they have made their stance perfectly clear to the players.
Not everyone is in agreement with the decision to ban the players. Ian Poulter, one of the British golf stars to sign up to be involved, lamented the decision:
“I didn’t resign my membership because I don’t feel I have done anything wrong. I have played all over the world for 25 years. This is no different, I am committed to playing around the world like I have done for so many years so it is a shame if they view this as different.”
The money on offer for the players is undeniably one of the biggest attractions.
The series will have seven tournaments in the year, some in the US, but also one in Saudi Arabia and one in Thailand. All of them have a $25m purse to be split among the players who take part. Many players also have certain deals to guarantee them income during the time they are involved.
The $25m prize fund means that they will earn more than they would at any PGA Tour event.
The tournament is a little different, too, and it remains to be seen whether this might change the way that people see the sport. The players will tee off together at the same time, but on different holes, which is one of the ways the event is designed to be more exciting, and it also involves a team competition with captains.
It remains to be seen whether the event will have a huge impact on the PGA Tour, but it is clear that many of the players will have to choose where their allegiance is.
New Look, New Focus, Same Voice
A series of updates to Golf Unfiltered has been put in place to provide a new look and feel of the site. Learn more here.
Visitors to this Golf Unfiltered will notice an updated look and feel to the site. This new look coincides with a new primary focus of GU: building up the podcast. However, the secondary focus will remain bringing readers equipment reviews and news from my point-of-view. You will notice a couple immediate changes to the way you navigate this site.
First, all new podcast episodes will be front and center at the top of the homepage. It's easier to subscribe to the podcast (if you haven't done so already) or to the pod's RSS feed via the click of a button. In time, you'll also see what's coming up next on the show.
Secondly, you'll notice that the blog portion of GU has been downsized and relocated. Never fear: all past content remains on the site and is searchable via Google. However, any non-podcast content will now appear in the "Blog" section of the site. This binary approach -- podcast vs. non-podcast content -- will make navigating the site easier and less jumbled from past iterations.
Over the next few weeks I'll be working closely with my friends from THP Media to rejuvenate the way GU covers golf and golf equipment. My hope is to bring more opinion articles about golf in general and not just the professional game.
In fact, don't be surprised if pro golf is covered minimally on this site... if at all.
Instead, it has become glaringly clear that the majority of visitors to this site and listeners to the podcast prefer news on golf equipment. This part of the game has also become my favorite to cover. After all, the equipment we use to enjoy this game is the one common thread we all share.
That's why GU will be offering more contests, giveaways, reviews and results from equipment testing for you all to enjoy.
The best way to stay informed is to follow me on Twitter at @golfunfiltered. You can also subscribe to our podcast via the homepage.
Thanks again for your continued support over the years.
PREVIEW: Callaway Epic Driver
The new Callaway Epic drivers and fairway woods are promising greater distances and drastically improved tech from the company's previous offerings. Read on for more info.
On January 4, Callaway Golf announced their new Epic driver and fairway wood line. Despite having a peculiar and over-confident name, the Callaway Epic series has been well received by club reviewers. Could this be the best selling driver in golf this year? At the time of this writing I am still awaiting my chance to review the Callaway Epic, so in the meantime, here's a quick preview of what this club has to offer.
Callaway Epic Driver Features
The "Jailbreak" technology is highly intriguing since it's the first of its kind among OEMs. Adding physical bars on the inside of the club face is a bold move, especially since most players prefer a softer feel at impact. If anything, this tech will harden the club's feel.
So why include it?
What Is Jailbreak?
The key structural components of a driver – crown, sole and face – deform at impact. Because they’re connected, they influence each other’s dynamics. Jailbreak incorporates two slender titanium bars positioned parallel to each other behind the face, connected to the crown and sole. The size, strength and position of each bar creates a new dynamic relationship between the crown, sole and face. The result is a profound change in how the head, as a whole, behaves at impact, resulting in more speed across a much larger area of the face.
Summary of Callaway Epic Woods
Golf Equipment Reviews: Is Perception more Important than Reality?
How important is data in golf equipment reviews? Do golfers make purchasing decisions based on this data, or is it true that perception is reality?
Golf equipment reviews are the most popular articles posted at GolfUnfiltered.com. For whatever reason, my readers seem to enjoy what I write about new golf equipment and how it can help my game. Golf equipment is also the only topic to which any participant in this sport can relate. But has the performance of golf equipment plateaued over the years? What do consumers base their product purchases on today?
This month on this site and on the Golf Unfiltered Podcast we will focus on the old adage that "perception is reality." Simply stated: if we think a golf club performs better than our current gamer, is that good enough to make a purchase?
Or should we instead base our decision on cold, hard data?
Obviously, there are two schools of thought on this topic.
The Practical Approach
If you hit a golf ball longer with one driver compared to another, and you can see those results in real time, do you really need data or statistics to prove that you just hit that ball further?
No, you don't.
Feel, confidence and good ol'-fashioned personal preference play as much a role in how a golf club will perform as any technology built inside it. I'm willing to bet that you have a "favorite club" in your bag that you trust more than any other. You've established a relationship with that club over the years and someone will have to rip that sucker out of your cold, dead hands.
Your favorite club is your "favorite" because you can trust its performance.
But aside from personal preference, the technology gap between different club options has been reduced to a sliver. I don't care what any golf review says in the data: chances are the average player won't be able to tell the difference. Dan Hauser said as much in a recent podcast.
Don't believe me? Just look at what notable YouTube golf equipment reviewer -- and teaching professional -- Rick Shiels says in his review of the new Callaway Epic driver.
Did you catch what Rick said around the 3:45 mark? "Exactly where I see a ball speed for me..."
Compared to what he is already playing, this brand new driver performs "exactly" the same in one category. That shouldn't shout "technological breakthrough" to the layperson. While a very positive review overall, I would venture a guess that Rick isn't going to replace his current driver with the Epic. (Note: We will be testing the Epic driver in coming weeks.)
What's interesting in his review, however, is how often Rick comments on the ball flight of the Epic. He takes note of how straight the golf ball is flying as well as its trajectory. What we don't know is how those characteristics compare to his current driver. So why can't we make a final determination on this golf club's performance?
That's because practical analysis alone cannot be the be-all-end-all determining factor when comparing golf clubs. That's where data is needed.
The Analytical Approach
Today's ball launch monitor technology is amazing. You can measure and compare statistics ranging from spin rate to ball flight apex to how off-center a ball flies when hit. In many cases, the incremental statistical differences from one club to the next cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Data helps us tell the difference.
Above, if Rick was shopping for a new driver that he can hit straighter and lower than his current driver, he could benefit from analyzing ball flight data before making his decision. During a proper clubfitting, he could also test different club shaft and loft combinations to reach his optimal club specifications.
So even though the technology gap between brands has shrunk considerably over the years, you could argue that this is exactly why data is so necessary. In my opinion, nobody site does a better job at providing this data than MyGolfSpy.com.
So if we agree that a combination of practical and analytical measurement is required to make the most educated purchasing decision possible, why doesn't every golfer just go with what performs the best in both categories?
The Perception Factor
Golfers are lazy.
I know this is true because all golfers are human, and all humans want problems to be solved in the easiest way possible. If I know purchasing Product A will get me to Outcome B, and Outcome B is more favorable than where I am right now, I'm going to pull out my wallet.
When golfers are thinking about buying a new driver, for example, the majority will make their decision based on how a driver performs at one moment in time.
A substantial number of golfers are also brand-loyal. You probably know a "Titleist Guy" or "Callaway Supporter" among your golfing friends. They refuse to switch brands no matter what.
As crazy as this sounds, other golfers will make a purchasing decision based on how well a club performed for their playing partners. This happens! I've seen it!
How a golfer perceives a club will perform -- regardless of reason -- is the most important variable that leads to a final purchase. Period.
Over the next few weeks I am going to speak to industry leaders in golf equipment and golf club reviews to dive deeper into this perception. I'm going to ask how each addresses this perception to learn more about what makes golfers like you and me tick.
In the meantime, I want to know your thoughts.
What variables do YOU look for when making a golf club purchase? What do you like to see in golf equipment reviews? Are they helpful? If not, why?
Leave your comments below or send me an email at adam@golfunfiltered.com. I'd love to hear from you.
Tiger Woods Returns: 3 Things to Watch For
TIger Woods returns to competition at this week's Hero World Challenge. Here are 3 things to watch out for from Big Cat.
Tiger Woods makes his "triumphant" return to competitive golf this week at the Hero World Challenge, where he's served as tournament host since 1999. While he may be the only person on the planet who thinks he has a chance at winning, the eyes of the golfing world will be securely fixed on Big Cat. Is Tiger ready to come back to golf? Will he be anywhere near the Tiger of Old (no)? What should we expect from a man who hasn't played on the PGA Tour in over 12 months?
Here are three things I'll be watching for from Tiger Woods before I'm comfortable saying he's back in form:
His short game
During Tiger's most recent comeback he struggled immensely with his putting, chipping, pitching, and essentially anything within 100 yards of the green. In fact, that might be putting it lightly.
Remember what we saw at the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open? Yeesh...
That may have been Tiger's worst short game performance of his career, and he'll need to face those fears (likely) multiple times during this no-cut tournament. However, during a pre-tournament interview on Tuesday Tiger said he's basically fallen in love with chipping again, because that's a totally normal thing to say.
Tiger tends to go where his short game goes, making this part of his return vitally important.
His Tee Game
Tiger has always been inconsistent off the tee box, especially with his driver. Anyone who has read Hank Haney's The Big Miss (yeah, that's right, I read books. IN AN OFFICE.) will recall Haney's suggestion that Tiger was downright afraid of the club.
While not as critical as his short game, Tiger's ability to keep the ball in play off the tee this week will be a huge sign of things to come in terms of his competitive ability. The story has always remained the same: when Tiger gets quick, his shots fly everywhere.
If you follow me on Twitter you know I've been pleading for Tiger to slow down his tempo for years. If his "new swing" floating around social media is a sign of things to come, however, we might be in for a pleasant surprise this week.
His Ability to Cope
Above all else is Tiger's ability to cope with a glaring fact: he isn't the big man on the block anymore.
Chances are Tiger Woods will hit a bunch of bad shots this week. He's going to make bogeys. He's going to take penalties. And he'll have to do it for four full rounds, no matter what.
This might be the first time ever that nobody is expecting Tiger to win this week... except Tiger.
His willingness to play to his new role on the PGA Tour -- that of a veteran in the twilight of his career -- will speak loudly to not only Tiger's ability to cope with the dozens of names on Tour who are flat out better than him, but to his comfort level living in his own skin.
We have never seen this Tiger Woods before, and we'll never seen the Tiger of Old ever again. We know that's the way life works.
The key this week will be whether or not Tiger Woods can accept that, too.
