The crack of golf: the heavy influence of Tiger Woods in the conflict and the millionaire demand of an Augusta champion to a TV signal

NEW YORK.- The stars of the PGA Tour, including Tiger Woodsgathered Tuesday to deal with the LIV Golf series, which has attracted tour players with staggering sums of money, and came out with a positive attitude, but without wanting to detail how they plan to defend themselves from the rebellious golf company or coexist with it peacefully.

The meeting was the latest twist in what has been an unusually antagonistic year in golf, and it came just a week after a federal judge ruled the PGA Tour can ban LIV golfers from the FedEx Cup playoffs. ending at the end of August.

Ahead of the BMW Championship, PGA Tour players on Wednesday were reluctant to share details about the meeting, held in Wilmington, Delaware, that drew Woods, who flew from his home in Florida to attend. Rory McIlroynumber 3 in the world, he described the meeting to reporters on Wednesday as “shocking.”

McIlroy said Woods’ leadership at the meeting was crucial., as players discussed how to improve the PGA Tour and deal with the disruption in the golf world since the advent of the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Invitational series. The PGA Tour announced in June that it would suspend players who join the LIV series. And so he did.

“His role is to guide us to a place that we all believe we should be,” McIlroy said of Woods’ presence. “He is the hero we have all looked up to. His voice carries further than anyone else in the game of golf.”

Although the players were quick to praise Woods, they were reluctant to share any practical steps that emerged from the meeting. “What is the short term? What is the medium term? What is the long term? McIlroy said. “That’s something we have to find out.”

Xander Schauffele he told reporters he wanted to see a resolution ending in “some kind of unity.” “It was a very nice meeting. It was great. It was exciting. It was new. It was fresh,” Schauffele said. “I’m very hopeful with what’s to come.”

Schauffele, the world number 6, told reporters that he had “a bit of code” to keep quiet. “I think he would be pretty unhappy if he saw one of the guys gossiping about what we talked about,” Schauffele said. “That would be very frowned upon, and you probably wouldn’t be invited back to the meeting.”

Justin Thomas, the world No. 7, told a news conference that the meeting was “productive” and that the players who attended “only want what is best for the tour and want what is in the best interests of the tour”. “I just hope for a better product,” Thomas said. “I think that’s the hope in general of anything, it’s just trying to improve ourselves, where we’re playing, as best we can.”

Thomas said having Woods present gave the meeting additional credibility. “I think if someone like him is passionate about it, no offense to all of us, but that’s really what matters.”Thomas said. “If you’re not behind something, then one, it’s probably not a good idea in terms of improving the game, but two, it’s just not going to work. He has to be after something.”

McIlroy said that in addition to dealing with LIV Golf, the PGA Tour he would also have to eventually manage a world without Woods on tour. “The tour had an easy job for 20 years,” McIlroy said. “They have a group of us, and we are all great players. But we are not Tiger Woods.”.

The millionaire demand

Adding to Tuesday’s drama, Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters winner who joined LIV Golf in June, filed a defamation lawsuit against Golf Channel and commentator Brandel Chambleeseeking $750 million in damages.

The lawsuit, filed in Texas federal court, alleges that the chain and Chamblee have conspired with the PGA Tour. to defame LIV players “with the intent to destroy them and their families professionally and personally” and eliminate LIV Golf as a competitor.

According to the demand, Golf Channel, Chamblee and the PGA Tour have conspired since Reed was 23 years old, some nine years ago, “to destroy his reputation, create a hateful and hostile work environment for him, and with the intent to discredit his name and achievements.” For Chamblee and Golf Channel, “it doesn’t matter how much they destroy someone’s name and life, as long as they get more dollars and profits,” the suit says.

Larry Klayman, Reed’s attorney, said “we are confident that we will prevail in court,” adding that “it’s a very strong claim.” “Although Chamblee and the NBC Golf Channel’s unending smear of Mr. Reed, as set forth in the lawsuit, is not new, with his joining LIV Golf it has reached new and intolerable heights,” Klayman said. it’s a statement.

Attorneys for Golf Channel and Chamblee could not be reached.

The LIV Tour, funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, has attracted a lot of attention and criticism in recent months. Among those who have left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf are Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka y Phil Mickelson. Mickelson sparked outrage in February when he was reported to have called the LIV series a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” even as he called Saudi Arabia’s human rights record “horrible.”

Mickelson, who is said to has received up to 200 million dollars to sign with the breakaway tour, he is among 11 golfers who defected from the PGA Tour and then filed an antitrust lawsuit earlier this month against the PGA Tour, seeking to challenge its suspensions and other measures that have been used to discipline players. who have joined LIV Golf.