Tee Times

Justin Gaethje is hitting some good golf shots at the #internetinvitational but he’s doing an even better job serving as a billboard for CTE. My god he does not look great.

Does anyone know what happened to The Trap Draw: Episode 97? I’m working on part 1 of an oral history on No Laying Up and want to include when they had their good friend who is a convicted pedophile on. Thanks in advance.

The bad news: @LIVRandONIONS baited me into relapsing and buying cards on WhatNot after a long period of financial responsibility. The good news: Got these sweet Ballester /25 and Oosthuizen Souvenir /75 cards. And this Campbell thing I have to redeem?

You are more likely to make a putt if you fix a ball mark or two on the green beforehand. It’s just science.

Counterpoint: During his time as CEO of Taco Bell, Mark King brought back the Mexican pizza. Think we can all agree that outweighs this giant hole hoopla.

Yardage marker in fairway that doubles as sand container. Does this exist? This should exist. Need access to sand while I’m walking.

I think an interesting wrinkle in the #LIVGolf 1.0 > 2.0 saga is the influence of player agents. It's always been highlighted as a factor in players joining LIV, or not joining LIV, but it's very likely even more influential right now. Players rely on their agents to do a lot of the in-depth analysis on playing opporutnities. Figure out their options, see how things fit in their schedules, and more. They do all of the nitty-gritty research and relay that in a more digestible way to the players so they can make educated decisions. Oftentimes, whether intentional or not, those decisions will be skewed by the personal biases of the agents. How is this unique to LIV 2.0? Well, players aren't expected to be offered signing bonuses or guaranteed contracts of any kind and are instead being offered increased equity in their teams, and equity in the league itself. Their agents aren't going to get a percentage of that equity, as they would have with signing bonuses and guaranteed contracts. They might realize some value from it if team equity is sold and players are paid out, but that's not a certainty and could depend on the structure of their agreements with the players. They may not get any of that amount. Agents are incentivized, either consciously or subconsciously, to urge players towards the option that will benefit them the most, not necessarily the players. If 2.0 becomes what they're making it out to be, it has the potential to be the most lucrative option for many players, and traditionally that would mean it was also the most lucrative option for the agents, but it might not be anymore. The most lucrative option might be playing more events somewhere else, even if the purse sizes are smaller, because then a percentage of all of their earnings would find its way to the agents, not just a percentage of some of the earnings. That's likely the same reason we're seeing this player group fight for bigger settlements from PIF, as that money was in the form of guaranteed contracts, a portion of that would likely be going to the agents. It doesn't feel to me like their participation in 2.0 would have a large impact on PIF's willingness to make them (closer to) whole on their 1.0 contracts, but it may be enough for these players agents to not recommend playing 2.0 unless they get a larger payout from what was previously agreed upon.

When GMAC is done with professional golf one day, someone needs to pay him whatever it costs to get a microphone in his hands. Consistently one of the most most insightful players, commentator, interview, everything. So good.

Caleb Surratt in the Legion XIII group chat after yesterday

Per recently filed court documents, LIV Golf executives were paid out nearly $15 million in retention payments in the months leading up to the bankruptcy filing. These payments are intended to retain key employees throughout the restructuring period. A lot of the ugly side of bankruptcy is generally written off as "ugly, but commonplace". Things like unpaid leases, payment lapses in contracts, things like that. It's all ugly, but not out of the norm for companies going through this process. But for that to be happening while executives were taking 6, and in many instances 7 figure payments in addition to their regular salary, is concerning. For small businesses to go unpaid, for fan-forward features to be turned off, for concerts that people had paid for to be cancelled, that's all problematic. And for all of that to happen while the outward messaging is one of understanding, of building a sustainable business, of wanting to make these small businesses whole so that they can continue working with them in the future. I fully understand the need for some of this. If you lose the CEO, CFO, or president during a restructuring period, it could be an insurmountable setback. But some of the amounts are excessive, and some of the employees non-essential. In fact, there are employees that received large retention payments that I have on multiple occasions specifically named as people that hold LIV back from being as good as it could be. LIV is great because it was fan-forward, it was different, they had a certain energy about them. That's what needs to come back out of this restructuring, if anything. Passionate employees working nonstop to build the best possible product for the fans, for the players, and for the game. Not this. This is Jay Monahan cutting tour cards while taking millions in bonuses and making "donations" to his own kids ritzy private school type stuff.

Recently filed court documents indicate that in July of 2022 #LIVGolf and 🇺🇸 Cameron Young had signed an agreement for him to join the league. Obviously, he never did join, but it would have been a substantial acquisition had he followed through with the agreement.

Me right now

If every golfer in the world were ranked based on “golf balls hit in their life that no one else saw” I bet it would align pretty closely with handicaps. Picture a guy that only plays with friends vs an early morning or late night grinder on the range. Just a thought.

Can you IMAGINE the shit that Koivun and La Sasso give Dunlap when he hits a driver a billion miles left? It has to be absolutely brutal out there 😂

AK off to a hot start in Hong Kong 🔥 🔥 He’s played some great rounds here. Think he really likes the course and it suits him well.

This is Vanderbilt claiming Diego Pavia was 6 feet tall all over again. He looks 5’2” at most.

Brooks Koepka when asked about his new teammate Bud Cauley "I have never heard of this person"

Ben James is +1075 to win the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

The knowledge gained under the guidance of Sergio and Fireballs GC is unparalleled. When he netted his first win at #LIVGolf Bangkok, Eugenio was quick to credit them. 6 wins now. Each a statement for his belief in the LIV Golf system, and the system’s belief in him. Love this.