OWGR and LIV golfers

[Rob Marshall]

Kalen, your sponsor paying you to show up at an event to promote their product is quite a lot different than the PGA Tour giving you money to show up.

Bubba knows that…..

Yes he does know that...

However, as I understand the rule from the PGA, players aren't allowed to take money from anyone to play an event.  Full stop. 

"The PGA Tour reiterated to ESPN that it "prohibits the payment of appearance money to players as an inducement to play in a particular tournament." 

If this only applies to the PGA Tour, then they should be more specific.

Kalen,
If have a Buick logo on your bag. Buick is going to expect you to play in the Buick open. They are probably also going to expect you to mingle with their guests. You get paid to do that. That is not the same as an appearance fee.

Bubba IMO is trying to mislead, which is why Kevin Kisner called him out. Bubba likes to paint a picture of himself which doesn't go along with his actions. We've seen it his entire career.

Rob,

100% agreed with that scenario.

But what if Bubba has a smaller sponsor, which isn't the headline Tour event sponsor.  And they're having a corporate retreat that aligns with a different 2nd tier tourney that Bubba had no intention of playing otherwise.

This sponsor pays him extra to come out and participate in a few meet and greets and since he's already there, enters the tourney (which at that point is an almost explicit expectation anyways).  He is effectively being paid to show up and play that tournament, even if its not the only thing, and that's what I believe he was referencing with this statement: ""I miss the cut, I still make money. I make the cut, I make extra money."

And don't get me wrong, I have zero issue with this arrangement, but technically it violates the spirit of the PGA Rule of no appearance fees.

Kalen,
He’s getting paid to go to an event. He’s not getting paid to play in the tournament. That’s not even close to an appearance fee. He could do the outing and then fly out of town. There is no connection to the actual tournament.
An appearance fee is the sponsor of the tournament writing you a check to play their event.

[Rob Marshall]

hope it was declared taxable income

My guess is they're paid in cash so they can avoid declaring it and exposing themselves to fines and sanctions from the PGA Tour for rules violations.

Yeah that’s what they’re doing. Taking huge sums of cash to avoid declaring it. Are you for real? They probably have Swiss bank accounts too. Hope they remember to file their Fbar’s. You were kidding right?

[Rob Marshall]

Mike the Tour fessed up to it today.  That reads vague enough to suggest a tournament sponsor could do this on a one-off basis, where the people at home wouldn't even know cause the logo won't show up on the apparel like a typical sponsor arrangement.  But it certainly seems to confirm what Bubba said.

“We are aware that certain tournament sponsors may contract with a player to perform a sponsor-related activity during tournament week for which they receive nominal compensation. This is permissible under our guidelines,” the PGA Tour’s statement to ESPN said.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/bubba-watson-says-he-was-paid-behind-closed-doors-to-play-pga-tour-events/ar-AA13KzNj?cvid=ef8d4fc0e21d489084451a574ecf8dca

Bubba said he was paid to “play events”. The tour said they can be paid a “nominal” amount to perform a sponsor related activity. That’s not playing the event. I don’t see a confirmation in that. But I could be very well be wrong and I understand your point.

[Kalen Braley]

Mike the Tour fessed up to it today.  That reads vague enough to suggest a tournament sponsor could do this on a one-off basis, where the people at home wouldn't even know cause the logo won't show up on the apparel like a typical sponsor arrangement.  But it certainly seems to confirm what Bubba said.

“We are aware that certain tournament sponsors may contract with a player to perform a sponsor-related activity during tournament week for which they receive nominal compensation. This is permissible under our guidelines,” the PGA Tour’s statement to ESPN said.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/bubba-watson-says-he-was-paid-behind-closed-doors-to-play-pga-tour-events/ar-AA13KzNj?cvid=ef8d4fc0e21d489084451a574ecf8dca

Bubba said he was paid to “play events”. The tour said they can be paid a “nominal” amount to perform a sponsor related activity. That’s not playing the event. I don’t see a confirmation in that. But I could be very well be wrong and I understand your point.

Rob,

I certainly understand that technically they are just being paid to do an event.  But to think there is no quid pro quo?

That would be like a guy paying an escort half his age $300/hr to come to his hotel room in the middle of the night just "to chat".  Anything else that occurs between two consenting adults is purely coincidental right? 

[Rob Marshall]

Kalen, the word the tour used was nominal. The appearance fees paid overseas are millions. Bubba should give an example with the $. I don’t think Bubba is playing the old BC open for a $25,000 fee to attend a cocktail party and shake a few hands. If  $500,000 is nominal to the tour then I would be in agreement with you.

[John Kavanaugh]

Nice to see Zac Blair out playing again on the Super Tour.

[Kalen Braley]

Kalen, the word the tour used was nominal. The appearance fees paid overseas are millions. Bubba should give an example with the $. I don’t think Bubba is playing the old BC open for a $25,000 fee to attend a cocktail party and shake a few hands. If  $500,000 is nominal to the tour then I would be in agreement with you.

Rob,

In 2019-2020, Bubba played 20 events and went home with less than $25k in 12 of them (7 were cuts).  I would think that amount to show up for a few hand shakes, would still be interesting enough for him to stick around afterwards to play, even if it wouldn't be for a Tiger or Rory....

[John Kavanaugh]

The real tour is on a Doak this week. Thank God we get to watch four rounds.

[Tim_Cronin]

Here's how the Bubba pitch works. Agent calls tournament director.


"Hey, we know your field is thin. Bubba will play if you pay him $250,000 to appear at a youth clinic during tournament week."


"No thanks."


But some say yes.

[Steve Lang]

The real tour is on a Doak this week. Thank God we get to watch four rounds.

JK, yeah, but the camera positions and perspectives have never seemed to do the place any favors, after all, it is pretty darn flat...   

[John Kavanaugh]

I thought the course looked great. I wish ZB was playing better.

[Rob Marshall]

Here's how the Bubba pitch works. Agent calls tournament director.


"Hey, we know your field is thin. Bubba will play if you pay him $250,000 to appear at a youth clinic during tournament week."


"No thanks."


But some say yes.

Sounds like something Bubba would do. Then tell everyone how he loves helping kids..........

[Mike Bodo]

Sounds like something Bubba would do. Then tell everyone how he loves helping kids..........

     No truer words have evern been spoken. That was classic and spot-on!

[Rob Marshall]

Looks like Norman may be out...


https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/11/10/eamon-lynch-problems-liv-golf-greater-greg-norman-incompetence/?itm_source=parsely-api

[Mike Bodo]

Wow! It looks as though things may be quickly unraveling for LIV. Were the league to collapse, what becomes of the players that signed contracts? Would the PGA Tour welcome them back? Perhaps all but Perez and Mickleson. I'm not sure Phil would even be welcomed on The Champions Tour, which the PGA Tour runs.

[Kalen Braley]

Unfortunately that reads more like a gossip column as opposed to providing factual information.

There was more far more evidence and reason to believe that LIV was dead way back in February....

[John Kavanaugh]

Finau is winning on a Doak and this architectural website can't stop talking about the LIV. Has Koepka been providing commentary? Is he banned from the grounds?

[Mike Bodo]

Finau is winning on a Doak and this architectural website can't stop talking about the LIV. Has Koepka been providing commentary? Is he banned from the grounds?

LOL! Sucks one of the co-designers isn't playing/competing on his own course this week.

[Steve Lang]

Finau is winning on a Doak and this architectural website can't stop talking about the LIV. Has Koepka been providing commentary? Is he banned from the grounds?

LOL! Sucks one of the co-designers isn't playing/competing on his own course this week.

BK as "Co-designer"    consultant/opinion provider I believe more like it...


Tony fired a 62, good for him

[Mike Bodo]

BK as "Co-designer"    consultant/opinion provider I believe more like it...

My comment about Brooks being a co-designer was said in jest as a means of playing off JK's funny comment. 

[Niall C]

With the rapid rise in prize money on the PGA Tour is it not about time that Rory, Billy Horschel and all raised a glass to Phil and Greg for significantly increasing their earning potential ?


Obviously Jay Monahan will be pissed at them reducing the net amount left for him to take his pay out of but all the same, is this not a good result for professional golf ?


Niall

[Erik J. Barzeski]

With the rapid rise in prize money on the PGA Tour is it not about time that Rory, Billy Horschel and all raised a glass to Phil and Greg for significantly increasing their earning potential?

No.

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/pga-tour-announces-nine-year-media-rights-deal-beginning-2022
https://golf.com/news/pga-tour-new-tv-rights-deal-cbs-nbc/

[Rob Marshall]

With the rapid rise in prize money on the PGA Tour is it not about time that Rory, Billy Horschel and all raised a glass to Phil and Greg for significantly increasing their earning potential ?


Obviously Jay Monahan will be pissed at them reducing the net amount left for him to take his pay out of but all the same, is this not a good result for professional golf ?


Niall

The players own the tour. The players hired Monaghan and if they don’t like the job he is doing they can fire him. I’m sorry that the best Euro’s and international players prefer to play the PGA tour than the DP tour. It’s been that way for what, the last 30+ years. Get over it.


BTW, no bigger fan than Rory, McDowell, Clarke, Langer, and many other International players than me.

[Tim Leahy]

Looks like Norman may be out...


https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/11/10/eamon-lynch-problems-liv-golf-greater-greg-norman-incompetence/?itm_source=parsely-api

Norman not even getting his Ausie buddy Murdoch to carry LIV on his TV network sealed his fate. Just being an obnoxious person wasn't enough.

[Niall C]

The players own the tour. The players hired Monaghan and if they don’t like the job he is doing they can fire him. I’m sorry that the best Euro’s and international players prefer to play the PGA tour than the DP tour. It’s been that way for what, the last 30+ years. Get over it.

Why are you sorry ? I'm not. Good on them. They're professionals who are just trying to do the best for themselves, just like the guys playing on LIV. No need for rancour.


Niall