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Doral – Former President Donald Trump was between holes on the back nine while playing pro-am at his course on Thursday and was asked about LIV golf.
“It’s big time, big time money. It’s unlimited money,” he said. “That’s different. Can you hear the music?”
To say Palm Beach resident Trump is exaggerating is like saying Elon Musk has a few bucks in his portfolio. But when it comes to the LIV Golf Series, where Trump adjusted himself for disrespecting the PGA Tour, in this case he’s mostly right.
It’s big money and unlimited money, no. And yes, you can listen to music.
DJs want more:Dustin Johnson says winning $35.6 million and sweeping the LIV Triple Crown wasn’t enough.
Mr Trump said:Trump spends his LIV pro-am praising his game and proving that Joe Biden is on his mind.D’Angelo
Renamed the LIV Golf League, which will grow to 14 events in 2023, LIV Golf successfully completed its first year at the Trump National Doral on Sunday, crowning the team champions.
The year began with many predicting that Greg Norman’s venture, which is financially backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, would never hit its first tee in the ground.
“If I’m just looking at LIV Golf and where we are now six or seven months ago, people say this is under water, but we’re past it. ” As for the players.
“(We are) an indelible force of the game.”
LIV’s successful first year
The first season of eight events culminated in a $50 million team championship. His four aces, captained by Jupiter’s Dustin Johnson, won the team his title, splitting the $16 million first-place prize money, and Johnson’s LIV earnings from his eight of his 54 holes. The event made him $35.6 million. That doesn’t include the reported $125 million four-year deal Johnson signed to join LIV.
LIV distributed $255 million in prize money this year. That number will grow by about 63% for him in 2023, with 14 events paying out a total of $405 million in prize money.
That’s right, unlimited money.
The source of that money is the rubbing of those who despise LIV Golf. But whether you believe it to be Saudi Arabia’s attempt to “sportwash” horrific human rights violations, Saudi Arabia is estimated to have invested more than $1.3 billion to launch LIV. also have much more money.
But now is the time for LIV to move past the growing pains of its first year and dive deeper into a business model centered around the team concept.
As for its roster, LIV has certainly exceeded expectations by poaching around 25% of the world’s top 100 golfers, led by Mickelson, Johnson, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. Mickelson was expected, but some of the players who started to trickle in certainly caught his PGA Tour’s attention, and Commissioner Jay Monahan was quick to respond, adding hundreds more to his Tour’s prize money. I put in millions of dollars.
But a few more top-ranked golfers could join the LIV before the start of the 2023 season, and even if the LIV are doing their best to claim their on-field rivals as Tour rivals, the 2 cannot be compared.
Most of the world’s best golfers remain on the PGA Tour, but this has been a constant problem for LIV, with many questioning the level of competition among the successful.
Continue to seek OWGR points, TV deals
And I have to answer some other questions.
LIV’s 48-man field and uncut events are two aspects that do not meet the official World Golf Ranking points guidelines. While the OWGR Board certainly does not intend to do LIV any favors, please note that points may be awarded for tours without meeting all guidelines.
The Board includes top ranking officials from the PGA of America, the International PGA Tour Federation, the USGA, the PGA Tour, Augusta National, The R&A and the PGA European Tour.
LIV tried to partner with an accredited MENA Tour to doomsday, but failed. Without scoring points, the world rankings of the majority of LIV’s golfers plummeted. Johnson is his 31st, down from his 13th place the week he joined LIV. Koepka 40th, down from 19th. DeChambeau No. 52, down from 29th.
So the battle continues.
LIV will expand to 14 events next summer, with a schedule announced in mid-November. There will be more events in the US (5 for him this year) and international (3). The season he starts in February (the first U.S. event takes place in his March) and ends in September to minimize the number of matches against the NFL. The league also avoids the same week as the Majors, the Genesis Invitational (hosted by Tiger Woods), the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the Players Championship.
LIV’s primary focus this offseason will be on securing media rights deals.
This year, the only way to watch LIV was on YouTube and its official website, commercial-free. In other words, an entire season of LIV was played while paying production costs and crews, but without making money for media rights.
According to GOLF, viewership has dropped by up to 60% or more, and even 80%, from three summer events in the US (Bedminster, Boston and Chicago) to events in Bangkok and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I’m here. Over the summer, ESPN reported that LIV averaged 80,000 viewers.
LIV chief operating officer Atul Khosla told reporters on Saturday that the league is considering selling media rights nationally and internationally.
“On the U.S. frontline, we are going back and forth between a few different networks at the moment,” Khosla said. “The first step was to show them a product they wanted to understand clearly, and show them the graphics and how it could be so different.”
Golfweek recently reported that LIV is nearing a deal with Fox Sports 1. Under the deal, LIV will purchase airtime for the tournament and pay for the time and production costs. LIV called the report “incomplete and inaccurate,” but Khosla did not deny it outright.
Think of the LIV as an NFL with 12 franchises.
The season finale in Doral was a showcase for the team aspect of LIV’s primary business model. His first seven events included team and individual components, but the final event in South Florida was to determine his team championship for the entire season, with the prize money going to his It was $50 million.
“It’s the first virgin space we recognized,” Norman said on the LIV broadcast.
LIV is beginning to cut billions of dollars from running the league, using the team model as a primary source of revenue. Think of the LIV as the NFL and his four aces, the Cowboys, for example. Punch the Patriots by Cameron Smith. Koepka’s Smash the Dolphins.
Greg Norman is the LIV version of Roger Goodell.
1 league, 12 franchises.
These teams may not be sold for another year with LIV looking to maximize the value of each franchise. To do that, the league would need to sign a media rights deal and find a league-wide sponsor, which LIV does not have. In fact, many players have lost sponsorship deals since joining LIV.
What funding is LIV looking for from potential team owners? Tens of millions. But not all teams are created equal. After all, the Los Angeles Rams are worth far more than the Detroit Lions.
The LIV will receive 75% of the sale price and the team captain will receive a 25% stake. Each team is commoditized, allowing his three remaining players to earn action pieces.
Whether or not the team is sold in 2023, the LIV will continue to put team play in the spotlight. The roster has some moves with captains looking to improve the team. And if LIV can pull off more top-ranked players, we can expect some changes at the top of each team.
Also, like its league counterparts, LIV has periods during which players can jump teams, make trades, and league expect moves. The league hopes to finalize its roster by the end of the year. In case of injury, each team has a substitute player.
“Looking to 2023 and beyond, I know the energy and enthusiasm they have for the franchise, the team and what they do,” said Norman, adding, “Next year is going to be explosive. .
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