Latest news with #TheDuels
Reuters
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Wesley Bryan to appeal suspension for participating in LIV event
April 23 - Wesley Bryan said Wednesday he plans to appeal his PGA Tour suspension for participating in an LIV Golf influencer event earlier this month. "It's been a difficult few weeks for us," Bryan said in a YouTube video. "It's been an emotional roller coaster for sure for everybody in this cart." Bryan, 35, appears in the video with his brother, George. Their "Bryan Bros Golf" YouTube channel, mostly featuring videos of trick shots, had more than 550,000 subscribers as of Wednesday. Bryan has made 134 starts on the PGA Tour, with his lone victory coming at the RBC Heritage in 2017. While building their online business, the Bryan brothers have participated in the PGA Tour's Creator Classic events for golf content creators. It was Wesley Bryan's participation in a similar format for PGA Tour rival LIV Golf that landed him in hot water. He confirmed in Wednesday's video that he was suspended after taking part in LIV's "The Duels" at Doral this month. Bryan, who called his indefinite suspension a "little disagreement" in the video, explained why he participated in the event at Doral. "We had to jump at that opportunity, because all we've ever wanted to do from the Bryan Bros is be able to merge professional and YouTube golf and this was going to be one of those opportunities we've been dreaming of since we got into YouTube golf," he said. According to Golf Digest, Bryan was warned that he could face a suspension if he participated. PGA Tour rules state that members participating in an LIV-backed event face a one-year ban. Bryan said he is appealing because "The Duels" was not a regular LIV event. "I want to be clear I do respect the authorities that are in place at the tour, but because of the ambiguity in the rules and regulations that were written, I do, as a member of the PGA Tour, have a right to appeal their decision of which I plan on exercising," he said. "And I don't feel like when the rule was written it was meant to cover content creation on YouTube. I feel like it was meant to cover organized, professional, high-level golf events."
Daily Mirror
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Phil Mickelson's '£750m offer' to PGA Tour, 'greedy' accusation, Tiger Woods dinner snub
Phil Mickelson has been embroiled in a bitter war of words with the PGA Tour for several years, and his anger has only heightened following the suspension of Wesley Bryan Phil Mickelson remains at loggerheads with the PGA Tour. His feud with the organisation has continued after Wesley Bryan was suspended for participating in a LIV Golf event. Earlier this month, LIV debuted The Duels, a new format that paired six professionals from the Saudi-backed tour with social media influencers. Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Mickelson, and Bryan were all involved. Despite barely playing in recent times and not holding a card, Bryan has been suspended by the PGA Tour. A furious Mickelson called for the US Department of Justice to intervene as he spoke out against the decision. He said: "Here's a question. Normally when an entity violates independent contract law, they deny that it happened and forces the contractor/individual to prove that it did. "In this case the PGA Tour blatantly admits they are illegally banning an independent contractor, so why doesn't they DOJ step in and enforce the law? Why does the individual have to sue to enforcer the law? DOJ do your f****** job!". The tirade is just the latest in several shots Mickelson has taken at the PGA Tour going back to before he even left for LIV... 'Greedy' accusation In early 2022, with rumours running wild over his future, 'Leftie' took a shot at the PGA Tour, accusing it of greed amid his long-held complaint over media rights. He told Golf Digest: "There are many issues, but that is one of the biggest. For me, personally, it's not enough that they are sitting on hundreds of millions of digital moments. They also have access to my shots, access I do not have. "They also charge companies to use shots I have hit. And when I did 'The Match' - there have been five of them - the tour forced me to pay them $1million [£750,000] each time. For my own media rights. That type of greed is, to me, beyond obnoxious." Mickelson also claimed that the Tour controls a vast wealth of media assets worth "roughly $20billion" (£15billion) and countless digital moments that he believes should be owned by the players. The PGA Tour hit back, disputing Mickelson's allegations. An executive told that most players are content with the Tour's financial operations, saying: "I've never seen anybody be really interested in how we generate the money. "There's some conversation about it now because, you know, Phil's making stuff up that's just not true. But in general, they're happy that there's a lot of money that comes from it." According to the Tour, it shares more than half of its annual revenue, which is around $1.5bn (£1.13m), with the players, aligning with the practices of other professional sports leagues. Monahan criticism Mickelson hasn't minced his words when it comes PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. In November, amid rumours Monahan might ousted if a deal between the Tour and Saudi's PIF became reality, he said: "Golf is in this situation entirely because of [Monahan]". He also said that the Tour chief was "losing trust with his players" and that "there's no unity or path forward with [Monahan] involved in my opinion as well." '$1billion peace offer' In a bombshell claim, Mickelson claimed that he'd proposed a whopping $1 billion (£750m) compromise to the Tour by way of "eight elevated events". Mickelson revealed: "Before I left I brought a $1 billion commitment from a current PGA Tour partner to have 8 elevated events and give equity and ownership in these events to the players. JM's quote was: 'I don't believe the league is going to happen so we won't be doing that'. No vote, no discussion." Apology demand A year into LIV's life, Mickelson demanded an apology from the PGA Tour. That was after it was suggested in a leaked memo that he and others who spoke out against the PGA Tour would be treated harsher than other defectors - if they decided to return. Mickelson declared: "What a colossal waste of time. Not a single player on LIV wants to play PGA Tour. "It would require a public apology and restitution to LIV players for paying millions to Clout media to disparage all of us. A better topic is future sanctions for the many players who now come to LIV." Tiger Woods dinner snub In Alan Shipnuck's 'LIV and Let Die' book, it was alleged that Tiger Woods had Mickelson blocked from a past champions' dinner at the 150th Open Championship in 2022. An unnamed source claimed: "He [Woods] talked to a handful of other [past champions] to get their blessing and then went to the RandA and told them, basically, no one wanted Phil there and it would make the night weird and awkward. Whose side were they going to take, Tiger's or Phil's? That's an easy choice." Still talking up LIV Mickelson remains an unwavering champion of LIV Golf and insists it is superior to the PGA Tour for numerous reasons. Earlier this year, he told The Joe Pomp Show: "You go to a LIV event, you feel different. Here's why: You have music going when you're out on the course. We don't hear little people saying stuff. "So you're not as anxious about having your kids be quiet. There's a fan zone like on the course where you can sit down, take a break, grab some drinks. It's like a little hang. You can take a nap. "They have a kid zone by the clubhouse where, again, you can take a nap, play putt-putt, play games for them and entertain them with a big screen so you can still see what's going on with the golf. "So when you go there, you feel calm. You feel comfortable. It's like, 'OK, our kids had a great time. I was relaxed. I wasn't worried'. I think that's the number one reason why LIV is going to be successful."
Irish Daily Star
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Daily Star
Phil Mickelson's PGA Tour apology demand, $1M accusation, message to Donald Trump's DOJ
Phil Mickelson's ongoing bitterness with the PGA Tour continued after Wesley Bryan was suspended for participating in an LIV Golf event. The Saudi-backed league introduced The Duels earlier this month, a fresh format that paired six pros with social media stars. Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Mickelson, and Bryan were among those teeing off . Bryan, who has rarely played on the PGA Tour recently, joined the fray as a content creator with a booming YouTube channel. Despite not actually holding a PGA Tour card, he was suspended by the organisation. A furious Mickelson took his grievance to the next level by involving Donald Trump's Department of Justice. He posted on social media: "Here's a question. Normally when an entity violates independent contract law, they deny that it happened and forces the contractor/individual to prove that it did. "In this case the PGA Tour blatantly admits they are illegally banning an independent contractor, so why doesn't they DOJ step in and enforce the law? Why does the individual have to sue to enforcer the law? DOJ do your f****** job!". The issue adds to the long list of criticisms Mickelson has hurled at the PGA Tour, which dates back to before he even left for LIV Golf... Mickelson was left furious by Wesley Bryan's suspension (Image: Getty) ' Gree dy' accusation Speaking to Golf Digest in early 2022, Mickelson branded the PGA Tour "greedy" as he aired his long-held unhappiness over media rights. He said: "There are many issues, but that is one of the biggest. "For me, personally, it's not enough that they are sitting on hundreds of millions of digital moments. They also have access to my shots, access I do not have. "They also charge companies to use shots I have hit. And when I did 'The Match' - there have been five of them - the tour forced me to pay them $1 million each time. For my own media rights. That type of greed is, to me, beyond obnoxious." In the same interview, he claimed the Tour were in charge of "roughly $20 billion" in media assets and "hundreds of millions of digital moments" that should belong to the players. Mickelson was complaining about the PGA Tour even before leaving for LIV (Image:) The PGA Tour hit back, challenging the accuracy of Mickelson's statements, with an unnamed executive telling that the majority of players were content. They said: "I've never seen anybody be really interested in how we generate the money. "There's some conversation about it now because, you know, Phil's making stuff up that's just not true. But in general, they're happy that there's a lot of money that comes from it." Rebutting Mickelson's assertions on player revenues, the Tour disclosed that the players receive a significant portion of its earnings, aligning with other major sports organizations: more than 50 per cent of its annual revenue approximating $1.5BN is allocated to the players. Monahan slammed Mickelson has been open about his thoughts on Jay Monahan. In November 2023, he reacted to speculation that the PGA Tour commissioner would be removed from his post if and when a deal between the Tour and LIV's backers was finalised. Mickelson declared on social media that "golf is in this situation entirely because of [Monahan]." He also said that the Tour boss was "losing trust with his players" and that "there's no unity or path forward with [Monahan] involved in my opinion as well." Jay Monahan has been slammed by Mickelson (Image: Getty) '$1billion peace offer' Mickelson went on to disclose details about a proposed $1BN for "eight elevated events" which he had put to the Tour prior to jumping ship to LIV Golf. He detailed: "Before I left I brought a $1 billion commitment from a current PGA Tour partner to have 8 elevated events and give equity and ownership in these events to the players. JM's quote was: 'I don't believe the league is going to happen so we won't be doing that'. No vote, no discussion." Apology demand A year into golf's civil war, Mickelson insisted he and other LIV players should receive an apology from the PGA Tour. This followed a leaked memo insinuating that Mickelson and his fellow outspoken dissenters would receive harsher treatment than other defectors - should they return to the tour. Mickelson said: "What a colossal waste of time. Not a single player on LIV wants to play PGA Tour. It would require a public apology and restitution to LIV players for paying millions to Clout media to disparage all of us. A better topic is future sanctions for the many players who now come to LIV." Tiger Woods snub With tensions between the tours reaching a peak in the summer of 2022, Tiger Woods reportedly blocked Mickelson from a private dinner for past champions before the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews. The bombshell was dropped in Alan Shipnuck's book, 'LIV and Let Die'. An unnamed source claimed: "He [Woods] talked to a handful of other [past champions] to get their blessing and then went to the R&A and told them, basically, no one wanted Phil there and it would make the night weird and awkward. Whose side were they going to take, Tiger's or Phil's? That's an easy choice." Tiger Woods allegedly blocked Mickelson from a private dinner at The Open (Image: PGA TOUR via Getty Images) Still talking up LIV Mickelson continues to champion LIV Golf as the sport's future. Earlier this year, he praised the family-friendly atmosphere on The Joe Pomp Show. He said: "You go to a LIV event, you feel different. "Here's why: You have music going when you're out on the course. We don't hear little people saying stuff." "So you're not as anxious about having your kids be quiet. There's a fan zone like on the course where you can sit down, take a break, grab some drinks. It's like a little hang. You can take a nap. "They have a kid zone by the clubhouse where, again, you can take a nap, play putt-putt, play games for them and entertain them with a big screen so you can still see what's going on with the golf. "So when you go there, you feel calm. You feel comfortable. It's like, 'OK, our kids had a great time. I was relaxed. I wasn't worried'. I think that's the number one reason why LIV is going to be successful."
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Phil Mickelson calls out PGA Tour after it invited one, suspended another after LIV Golf event
Phil Mickelson calls out PGA Tour after it invited one, suspended another after LIV Golf event YouTube golf star Grant Horvat's reported invitation to play a PGA Tour event this summer and the suspension of PGA Tour pro Wesley Bryan have caught the attention of five-time major champion Phil Mickelson. Horvat, a South Fork High grad and former Palm Beach Atlantic golfer, published on social media Wednesday that he'd received a sponsor's invitation to play the PGA Tour's Barracuda Championship. Advertisement The Barracuda Championship, an opposite-field event to the Open Championship, will be played July 17-20 at Old Greenwood in California. An amateur who recently tied for 25th in a minor pro event at Jupiter's Abacoa Golf Club, Horvat took to social media to ask fans for advice on whether he should compete alongside some of the world's best golfers at the PGA Tour event. Horvat is one of the biggest names in YouTube golf with more than a million subscribers to his channel and hundreds of thousands of followers on his Instagram and TikTok accounts. He won the PGA Tour's Creator Classic at The Players Championship in March and hosted LIV Golf's "The Duels" broadcast on his YouTube channel at Trump National Doral Miami. PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 12: Grant Horvat celebrates with the trophy on the 17th hole green after winning the Creator Classic prior to THE PLAYERS Championship 2025 at TPC Sawgrass on March 12, 2025 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR) More: How Grant Horvat fared in pro tournament at Jupiter's Abacoa Golf Club Wesley Bryan suspension catches Phil Mickelson's eye Participation in the latter event has temporarily cost professional golfer Wesley Bryan his ability to play PGA Tour events. Advertisement Golf website MondayQ reported Wednesday that Bryan had been suspended indefinitely by the PGA Tour for his participation in "The Duels." The PGA Tour has previously banned tour members, such as Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, who defected to the Saudi-backed tour. Bryan has five career top five finishes and nine top 10 finishes in 134 career PGA Tour events. He joined the PGA Tour in 2017 and has more than $5 million in earnings. Bryan and his brother George also create YouTube videos on their "Bryan Bros Golf" channel, which has more than 500,000 subscribers. Wesley Bryan of Byran Bros Golf reacts on the tenth tee during the Creator Classic prior to THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 12, 2025 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. "For the last eight or nine years, the opportunities have been amazing," Bryan told Monday Q. "I'm extremely grateful to the Tour for that. I don't want this to be the end of my professional golf career." Advertisement Mickelson, who has been one of the PGA Tour's most vocal critics in recent years, took to X on Wednesday to call on the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene on Bryan's behalf. "Here's a question. Normally when an entity violates independent contract law, they deny that it happened and forces the contractor/individual to prove that it did. "In this case the PGA Tour blatantly admits they are illegally banning an independent contractor so why doesn't they DOJ step in and enforce the law? Why does the individual have to sue to enforcer the law? DOJ do your fffing job!" Horvat later posted his own support for Bryan via X, stating, "#FreeWesley." Advertisement Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Phil Mickelson calls out PGA Tour after it suspended golfer for LIV event
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
PGA Tour pro Wesley Bryan suspended for playing in LIV golf-backed YouTube event
Wesley Bryan hits a tee shot during the LIV Golf-backed event called "The Duels: Miami" on April 3, 2025. The PGA Tour has suspended Wesley Bryan for playing in a LIV Golf-backed event two weeks ago. The tour has not commented, though Bryan told the website Monday Q, which first reported the suspension, that he doesn't know how long it will last and indicated that he would follow the tour's appeals process. Advertisement Bryan, 35, is attending but not competing this week in the Corales Puntacana Championship in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, where he finished second last year to Billy Horschel. It is on the schedule opposite the RBC Heritage, which Bryan won in 2017 in his native South Carolina for his lone PGA Tour victory. He no longer has full tour status and has played in three events in 2025 as recently as March, missing two cuts — the exception a tie for 25th at the Farmers Insurance Open in January. Bryan is 169th in the FedExCup standings (31 points) with $75,068 in official earnings. He and his brother, George, have become popular for creating content on a YouTube channel, with videos featuring trick shots. Wesley Bryan participated in two PGA Tour influencer events in the past year, including in March, Golf Digest reported. Advertisement The Bryan brothers competed in a similar event run by LIV Golf — a rival to the PGA Tour — the week before the Masters at Doral called 'The Duels: Miami.' George Bryan and partner Sergio Garcia of the LIV tour won the nine-hole scramble on the first playoff hole. Wesley Bryan hits a tee shot during the LIV Golf-backed event called 'The Duels: Miami' on April 3, 2025. Getty Images The event, featuring six LIV golfers and six YouTube creators, had a $250,000 purse and was streamed on Grant Horvat's YouTube channel. All of the creators were informed through a third party there could be disciplinary action from the PGA Tour, according to the Monday Q report. Only Wesley Bryan was suspended, per the report, on the day after The Duels went live on Horvat's channel. Advertisement Bryan told Monday Q that he doesn't regret playing in The Duels. 'That video is one of the most powerful videos in YouTube golf.' Bryan said. 'We are going to continue to support Grant and grow the game through YouTube.' He also showed gratitude for his career on the PGA Tour. 'For the last eight or nine years, the opportunities have been amazing,' Bryan said. 'I'm extremely grateful to the Tour for that. I don't want this to be the end of my professional golf career.' Bryan has made 68 cuts in 134 career PGA Tour events, with five top-five finishes and nine top-10 finishes. A native of Columbia, S.C., who played at the University of South Carolina, Bryan turned professional in 2012, joined the tour in 2017 and has earned $5,247,630 in official money, per the tour.
