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USA Today
20 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
Another major, another reminder about men's golf split between PGA Tour, LIV Tour
Another major, another reminder about men's golf split between PGA Tour, LIV Tour We're deep in the weeds of another men's golf major, this time the U.S. Open at fabled Oakmont Country Club outside of Pittsburgh. That means another chance to watch the game's top players battle for a title that could change, or at least enhance, their careers. So we'll see Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy and maybe Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa fighting for the national championship. But since this is a USGA event and not a PGA Tour event, we saw Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka. It's just the third time this year – starting at the Masters and continuing at the PGA Championship – that PGA Tour and LIV Tour golfers goes head to head. And at the end of the week, golf fans will be left to wonder what it would be like to see all the best players in golf playing together more than four times a year. It was three years ago this month that the LIV Tour debuted in London with plenty of relevant stars from the PGA Tour making the jump to the big-money tour backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. It was two years ago this month when the PGA Tour and PIF announced a framework agreement that could in some way unite men's golf again. But now, talk of getting the tours together seems to have evaporated. The PGA Tour, with an infusion of billions of dollars from the Strategic Sports Group, now takes a stance of strength, when two years ago it was the PIF that had the momentum and the PGA Tour had significant legal fees to pay. All of that, of course, is back-room politics. It's people in power trying to remain in power, or gain more power in the game. Unfortunately, none of that is bringing the game back together. And we know what the game looks like when the best play against the best. Anyone who watched Rory McIlroy's playoff victory in the Masters knows that having McIlroy and DeChambeau in the final pairing on Sunday made for great viewing. The same thing happened when DeChambeau outlasted McIlroy at the 2024 U.S. Open, or when Xander Schaueffle outlasted DeChambeau at the 2024 PGA Championship. Just weeks ago, both DeChambeau and Rahm were in the mix late into Sunday afternoon before Scheffler ran off with the title. The best viewing for fans is when everyone gets together in big tournaments. But after this week's U.S. Open, the gathering of the best will happen just one more time in 2025 -- at the Open Championship in July. It will then be another 10 months before that kind of drama and intrigue will happen again at the 2026 Masters. The rhetoric about the split remains pretty much unchanged from three years ago. The LIV Tour players made their own choice, so they have to live with the consequences. The LIV players shouldn't be taking money from the questionable Saudi regime. The PGA Tour let the situation get out of its control. The LIV Tour is irrelevant because no one watches their broadcasts. You can believe whichever narrative you like, and it's perfectly acceptable, because there is a lot of truth in both of them. But the rhetoric doesn't fix the split in the game, either. Are fans fatigued? Somewhat. PGA Tour ratings are mixed these days, some tournaments doing well, some not well at all with viewers. LIV has been unable to gain any traction for its broadcasts, now on Fox and FS1. Over the three years LIV has existed, golf has lost viewers and fans in general. We know that even if the game was united again, Scheffler, McIlroy, DeChambeau and Rahm wouldn't play together in 20 events a year. Just look at the last two PGA Tour events, when McIlroy skipped the Memorial that Scheffler won, and Scheffler skipped the Canadian Open, where McIlroy played as a tune-up for the U.S. Open. So watch the U.S. Open on a great golf course with great players. But remember, there was a time when players like Scheffler, Schauffele and Rahm would all play together in just a regular PGA Tour event like The American Express in La Quinta, as they did as recently as 2023. Watch the U.S. Open, see how the pros struggle on the tough Oakmont course and see who comes out on top in the national championship. But remember that as the two sides remain entrenched, men's golf will remain split between the PGA Tour and the LIV Tour. And that's still bad for golf fans who want to watch battles between the best more than four times a year. Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for The Desert Sun. You can contact him at (760) 778-4633 or at Follow him on Facebook or on X at @larry_bohannan.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Saudi Arabia approach France manager Didier Deschamps over post-2026 project
According to Sacha Tavolieri, representatives of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) have made initial contact with the entourage of France manager Didier Deschamps over a potential move to Saudi Arabia after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. While the approach remains at a very early stage, the intent behind the move is clear: the Saudi football authorities are keen to gauge Deschamps' openness to managing in the Saudi Pro League once his time in charge of Les Bleus comes to an end. Advertisement Deschamps has been in charge of the French national team since 2012, leading them to a World Cup title in 2018 and a runners-up finish in 2022. His current contract with the FFF runs until the end of the 2026 tournament in the United States, and he has publicly maintained his full commitment to the national team project until the end of that contract. Sources close to the manager, however, have acknowledged that they were flattered by the Saudi interest, even if it is still 'too early' to seriously engage in talks. The Frenchman announced in February that he won't be renewing his contract with Les Bleus after the 2026 World Cup, departing from his job held after 14 years. GFFN | George Boxall
Forbes
05-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Transfer Lesson Newcastle United Must Learn From Manchester City
This is arguably the most important transfer window since Newcastle United's first under the majority ownership of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment' Fund. Back then, in January 2022, it was all about building a squad capable of avoiding Premier League relegation. Now, the aim is giving Eddie Howe's team the tools to thrive in not only the domestic games, but the Champions League too. For added context, Newcastle has been unable to sign a major first team upgrade in the last three windows due to Profit and Sustainability Rules restrictions. The squad has quality, but is extremely thin and in no way fit for what is to come. But having obeyed the rules and been through that difficult spell, there is belief the club can spend on a big enough scale this summer. On Thursday, the arrival of highly-rated Spanish teenager Antonio Cordero was confirmed on a free transfer from Malaga. It is expected he will go out on loan in order to be ready for a first team impact in a year or so. But the pressure move quickly is huge; days into the pre-Club World Cup mini window, which closes on June 10 before reopening properly six days later, and certain aspects of the fanbase is getting frustrated at the lack of news. It is understandable given what has gone before, and Howe himself is on record imploring the club to act quickly, but signing the right players for the right price takes time. Few clubs can match Newcastle for its success rate with player arrivals, and that comes from being calm and patient. Crucially, it means not panicking when targets go elsewhere. Talks with Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen and Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo have resulted in both opting for Real Madrid and Manchester United respectively. Matheus Cunha, the Wolves forward, was also of interest, but the Red Devils acted quickly to sign him as well, triggering his £62.5m ($88.4m) release clause. Chelsea won the race for Ipswich striker Liam Delap, and Liverpool is set to complete its second signing from Bayer Leverkusen; after Jeremie Frimpong, playmaker Florian Wirtz will be the coup of the summer. All of the players Newcastle has spoken to have been Premier League based. Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, who was subject of bids up to £65m ($88m) last summer, is still a player the club is considering, as is Brighton forward Joao Pedro. The Brazilian, 23, almost moved to St James' Park three years ago for £30m ($40m), but Alexander Isak arrived instead and he headed to the AMEX Stadium. If Brighton is to sell him, it will want double the fee the original fee. Domestic targets are harder to secure; clubs don't want to sell to direct rivals and the money in the Premier League is so vast that they rarely have to. Mbeumo is fully expected to join Cunha at Old Trafford for a similar fee, with some reports suggesting his wage demands are as high as £250,000 ($340,000) per-week. Newcastle has a soft salary cap in place at St James' Park; top earner is currently captain Bruno Guimaraes on £150,000 ($2o3,000) per-week. The club is open to breaking that structure, but most likely to reward Isak with a new contract. Newcastle has a history of successful deals from other markets in Europe. Isak, Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Sven Botman have all thrived, and only the Swedish striker, whose value has since more than doubled, cost anything like the figures being quoted for more localized players. Those deals are easier to do quietly too; Newcastle is a club which prefers to act away from the headlines, and it would not be a surprise to see it go down this route again. Other leagues offer greater value. There is evidence of that already this summer. Manchester City, who like Chelsea is set to compete in the Club World Cup, has agreed to sign Dutchman Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan for £46.5m ($63m). The 26-year-old was voted the best midfielder in Serie A despite his club enduring a season where they sacked two coaches; he is approaching his peak years and this transfer would be the most expensive in his career. Yet for all that recognition and experience, playing regularly in the Champions League, he costs less than any of the players leaving mid-table Premier League clubs. Botman won the French league with Lille, Tonali won Serie A with Milan and Isak lifted the Copa del Rey in Spain with Real Sociedad. That trio cost a combined £150m ($203m). Cunha, Huijsen and Mbeumo, all excellent talents but who played for clubs finishing ninth or below in England, will cost £160m ($217m). This summer is about signing players to help Newcastle compete at the very top. The Premier League has quality players running through it, but clubs are under no pressure to sell cheaply; elsewhere in Europe, that isn't the case. Elite players can be signed for smaller fees; the sooner Newcastle realizes that, the sooner it will see its sizable transfer spend go much further.
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
After sizzling Masters, now is the time for PGA Tour, LIV Tour Golf to strike a deal
After sizzling Masters, now is the time for PGA Tour, LIV Tour Golf to strike a deal There are plenty of lessons to be learned from the 2025 Masters, probably more than anyone thought would come out of the week. For instance, we know how tough it is for a top golfer, even an all-time great like Rory McIlroy, to put away a tournament. It seemed like McIlroy had won three or four times before he finally won it. We also learned never to rule out a talented golfer like Justin Rose, who was finished after Saturday but built a stirring comeback to force a playoff Sunday. And we learned that the most talented golfers in the world can look like double-digit handicappers at times at Augusta National. But one thing that we certainly learned, though maybe not as blatantly as the other lessons, is that men's golf desperately needs to get the game united again. Think about it. As the 2025 Masters unfolded, excitement grew over how many of the greats in the game were playing the same golf course at the same time. McIlroy, now a five-time major champion, was trying to hold off Bryson DeChambeau, a two-time U.S. Open winner. But when was the last time you thought about DeChambeau? Probably when he won the U.S. Open last year in a duel down the stretch with McIlroy. There is no question that more people watched DeChambeau on Sunday than have watched him on television all year in the five LIV Tour events he has played. And there was Scottie Scheffler and Justin Rose of the PGA Tour battling Patrick Reed of the LIV Tour. At times Sunday, Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann of the LIV Tour played wonderful golf, as did Sungjae Im and Ludvig Aberg of the PGA Tour. In other words, the Masters benefited from all the best players playing together. But we live in a world where that can only happen four times a year as the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund continue negotiations over what men's golf will look like in the future. And right now, four years into the LIV Tour's existence, a deal doesn't seem all that likely. Those negotiations seem to have flipped. In the early days of the LIV Tour, it was the PGA Tour needing a deal just to stop hemorrhaging money in legal fees against the seemingly bottomless pit of money of the Saudis. Now, as the LIV Tour continues to struggle to get people to watch their events, even on a new television network on FOX this year, it is the PGA Tour turning down deals. The latest PIF offer included $1.5 billion but also the continued existence of the LIV Tour. The PGA Tour and Commissioner Jay Monahan, on the other hand, seem to have settled on a one-tour solution. And the PGA Tour has offered no real answers to the path available to LIV players to come back to the PGA Tour. So golf fans go forward knowing that four players in the top 20 of the Masters, including two players who finished in the top five, won't be in the field of this week's RBC Heritage. And the fans will know that DeChambeau, Reed, Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, among others, will melt back into the obscurity of low television ratings when LIV finally plays again in Mexico on April 25-27. None of that is good for the game. The Masters, with its wild roller-coaster swings, its recognizable names and its remarkable storylines, was one of the best things to happen to men's golf in the last four years. Now would be the time for the two rival tours to recognize that and get truly serious about a deal that potentially could bring that kind of excitement and interest to the game 10 or 12 times a year rather than four times in four months and nothing else for the other eight months of the year. Yes, the PGA Tour has plenty of great players who can win tournaments, and McIlroy has three wins this year in big tournaments himself. But it is his Masters win, his play and the play of the rest of the field that will be the hallmark of his 2025 Masters win. It's time for the powers that be in the game to recognize that and to pound out an agreement that makes more weekends like that possible for fans. Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for The Desert Sun. You can contact him at (760) 778-4633 or at Follow him on Facebook or on X at @larry_bohannan.
The Guardian
12-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘No way I'll still be playing at 50': Rory McIlroy saddened by Tiger Woods injury
As Tiger Woods begins his recovery from yet another injury, Rory McIlroy has firmly dismissed any notion of his own career stretching into his 50s. The 49-year-old Woods ruptured an achilles while training at home on Tuesday morning. McIlroy believes Woods will not feature in any of the 2025 majors. 'It sucks,' McIlroy said. 'He doesn't have much luck when it comes to injuries and his body. Obviously he was trying to ramp up to get ready for Augusta and Achilles surgeries aren't fun. 'I am hoping he's in good spirits and hoping he's doing OK. We obviously won't see him play golf this year and hopefully we see him maybe play in 2026.' Woods's ongoing desire to participate in golf events contrasts starkly with the outlook of McIlroy. The Northern Irishman, who will turn 36 in May, has a clear idea of his professional longevity. 'I'm very happy to move aside for the younger generation to come through,' McIlroy said. 'I look at other sports. I turned pro in 2007. I'm 18 years into a career. Not a lot of athletes can say they've had an 18-year career and I'm only 35. 'I can acknowledge how lucky golfers are to be able to do what they do for so long compared to other athletes, so whenever I feel like the time is right, I'll have no problem moving aside and letting the next generation do their thing.' Pressed on precisely when that may be, McIlroy added: 'I think when I've achieved everything I want to achieve in the game and I get to the point where I don't think I can maybe do that anymore. I'd also like to walk away with a little bit left in the tank. I don't want to be out there embarrassing myself. I'd like to walk away maybe a little before I should. Put it that way. 'I will not play Champions Tour golf. I've said a lot of absolutes in my time that I've walked back but I do not envision playing Champions Tour golf. Something has gone terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50.' McIlroy re-emphasised his desire for a more global approach to elite golf, as talks rumble on between traditional tours and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund aimed at some form of unification. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion In Singapore on Wednesday, Brooks Koepka did not exactly play down the sense he may seek a return to the PGA Tour from the Saudi-backed LIV circuit. The former Masters champion Fred Couples turned heads last week by asserting Koepka has eyes set on a PGA Tour comeback. A widespread assumption is that Koepka, a five-time major winner, feels undercooked by LIV's light playing schedule. 'I've got a contract obligation out here to fulfil and then we'll see what happens,' said Koepka. 'I don't know where I'm going, so I don't know how everybody else does. Right now I'm just focused on how do I play better, how do I play better in the majors, how does this team win, and then we'll figure out next year and how to play better again. It's the same thing. It's just a revolving cycle. I've got nothing. Everybody else seems to know more than I do.'
