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☆ McIlroy grouped with Koepka as PGA-LIV battle set to continue at US Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The tournament will be the first major to be played since the bombshell announcement of a partnership between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV circuit. Koepka became the first active member of LIV Golf to win a major when he triumphed by two shots at the PGA Championship three weeks ago. Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick will go head-to-head with reigning British Open winner Cameron Smith - another LIV recruit - and American Sam Bennett. World number one Scottie Scheffler headlines the morning action when he starts his bid alongside two-times major champion Collin Morikawa and home favourite Max Homa. Masters champion Jon Rahm, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, will also be out early and has been grouped with Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele, ranked fifth and sixth in the world, respectively.

Persons: Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Jonathan Ernst, LIV Golf, McIlroy, Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, LIV, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Smith, Sam Bennett, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, Hritika Sharma, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Golf, PGA, 123rd U.S ., Los Angeles Country Club, Thomson Locations: Augusta , Georgia, U.S, Northern, Saudi, Hyderabad

☆ PGA Tour, European Tour and LIV announce merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Frank Pingue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Additionally, the three organizations said in a joint news release that they will work cooperatively to allow a process for any LIV Golf players to reapply for PGA Tour and DP World Tour membership following the 2023 season. "After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love," PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a joint news release. "We are proud to partner with the PGA Tour to leverage PIF's unparalleled success and track record of unlocking value and bringing innovation and global best practices to business and sectors worldwide." The PGA Tour had sought to fend off competition from LIV by barring PGA Tour players from participating in LIV tournaments. Some PGA Tour players took to Twitter to express their surprise having not been informed of the agreement before its announcement.

Persons: Hideki Matsuyama, Mike Segar, LIV, Jay Monahan, Yasir Al, Tour's Monahan, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Mickelson, Collin Morikawa, Mackenzie Hughes, we’d, Donald Trump, LIV Golf's, Liv Golf, Frank Pingue, Alex Richardson, Christian Organizations: Golf, Tour, LIV, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Public Investment Fund, PGA, Al, Rumayyan, Justice Department, Fame, Twitter, Liv, Thomson Locations: Augusta , Georgia, U.S, Saudi, Collin Morikawa ., Toronto

After two years of sniping, lawsuits and ill will, the major men’s golf tours agreed to merge on Tuesday. The PGA Tour, which runs golf in North America; the PGA European Tour, which is known as the DP World Tour and holds events in much of the rest of the world; and the upstart LIV Tour agreed to merge their operations. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund, which spent billions to launch the LIV Tour, will invest in the new company, and the governor of that fund will become its chairman. The LIV Tour started last year and offered big-name players from the other tours huge sums to jump ship. Many players and officials of the PGA Tour were sharply critical of LIV, both for dividing the golf world and for associating with the Saudi government and its poor human rights record.

Persons: Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Cameron Smith, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, LIV, ” Organizations: PGA European, LIV, PGA Locations: North America, Saudi

☆ Look of the Week: J. Smith Cameron makes the case for party pajamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Don’t cry because “Succession” is over, smile because J. Smith Cameron wore an extravagant set of feather-trimmed pajamas to the finale watch-party. Discovery, parent company of CNN) were mourning the end of “Succession,” Smith Cameron — who plays Waystar general counsel Gerri Kellman — and her stylist Cat Pope gave us something to grin about. The look even received the approval of Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall, who simply commented: “Perfect.”The Sleeper set worn by J Smith Cameron retails for $390 on the brand's website. That The Sleeper set takes its sartorial cues from this era, and that it’s being worn by Smith Cameron, is a knowing wink. This is Smith Cameron’s silver screen moment, and she’s dressing for it.

Persons: Smith Cameron, ” Smith Cameron —, Gerri Kellman —, Cat Pope, ” Smith Cameron, Kim Cattrall, Cameron Smith It’s, ” Smith, ”, J Smith Cameron retails, Sylvia Pedlar, Anna Sui, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista —, mary janes, Sarah Burton, Alexander McQueen, Gigi Hadid, Morgan, Jean Harlow, Smith, Hollywood starlets Vivien Leigh, Shirley Ross Organizations: CNN, Warner Bros, Twitter, Hollywood, Bettmann Locations: New York, Ukrainian

☆ Brooks Koepka wins third PGA Championship to seal fifth major title
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship for the third time on Sunday, clinching his fifth major title at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. A commanding final round showing saw the American finish on nine-under par, two shots ahead of compatriot Scottie Scheffler and Norway’s Viktor Hovland, who played his part in a pulsating final day duel. The 33-year-old’s triumph sees him become the first golfer to win a major while playing on the LIV Golf Series. Australia’s Cameron Smith joined the Saudi-backed breakaway tour a month after his victory at The Open Championship in July 2022. In doing so, he joins Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as only the third player to win the PGA Championship three or more times in the strokeplay era.

☆ Koepka Wins P.G.A. Championship, Vanquishing Demons and Boosting LIV
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Alan Blinder | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By the end of last year, he had a swelling hunch that his recovery was nearly done and that he could, finally, be relevant again. “He is back to being healthy,” said Cameron Smith, who won the British Open last summer and then joined LIV later in the year. Championships in recent decades, often evoking the rigors of the 2008 competition at Oakland Hills in Michigan. Of the 156 players who competed this past week, only 11 finished below par — a departure from 2013, when the P.G.A. Championship was contested at Oak Hill and 21 players finished in the red.

☆ Rahm, Smith and Fitzpatrick form PGA Championship major attraction
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] May 15, 2023; Rochester, New York, USA; Jon Rahm tees off on the 8th hole during a practice round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-USA... Read moreROCHESTER, New York, May 16 (Reuters) - Spaniard Jon Rahm, Australian Cameron Smith and Briton Matt Fitzpatrick were put together on Tuesday in a star-studded group of major champions for the first two rounds of the PGA Championship. Another power threesome of PGA Championship winners heads out at 8:11 AM ET (1211 GMT) with reigning champion Justin Thomas opening the defence of his crown in the company of Northern Ireland's four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and double major winner Collin Morikawa. World number two Scottie Scheffler will partner twice PGA Championship winner and LIV Golf hope Brooks Koepka and 2019 U.S. Open winner Gary Woodland. Also carrying the LIV flag will be Phil Mickelson, the six-time major winner, partnered with world number four Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler who will go out in the afternoon wave.

☆ PGA Tour and LIV take feud to PGA Championship
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ROCHESTER, New York, May 15 (Reuters) - The PGA Tour and LIV Golf take their feud to Oak Hill Country Club for the PGA Championship this week with the Saudi-bankrolled rebel circuit again seeking major validation. That was until world number one Spaniard Jon Rahm came to the PGA Tour's rescue, finishing top of the leaderboard to leave Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson runners-up. Like the Masters there will be 18 LIV members in the field led by twice PGA Championship winners Koepka and 52-year-old Mickelson and Australian Cameron Smith, who signed on with LIV after winning last year's British Open. Rahm and world number two Scottie Scheffler both are in top form coming into Rochester. Spieth, who withdrew from the Byron Nelson citing a left wrist injury, needs only a PGA Championship to join the elite club that includes, Woods, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus.

☆ Sweden’s Loreen wins historic second Eurovision, after emotional show in Britain that celebrated Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Liverpool, United Kingdom CNN —Sweden’s Loreen has won the Eurovision Song Contest for a second time, earning a historic triumph at an extravagant and crowd-pleasing show held in Liverpool, United Kingdom, on behalf of Ukraine. Loreen of Sweden celebrates with the trophy after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Ukraine entrant TVORCHI performing in the grand final for the Eurovision Song Contest final. Eurovision fans enjoy the party atmosphere as they gather in Liverpool to watch the Eurovision Song Contest final. Cameron Smith/Getty ImagesAround the host city of Liverpool, Eurovision fans without tickets rammed into venues to watch the show on big screens, many of them waving Ukrainian flags.

☆ 'Crazy' Adelaide atmosphere raises the bar for LIV Golf
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 24 (Reuters) - With sell-out crowds, beer-drenched celebrations and even a few "shoeys", the LIV Golf rebel tour delivered on its promise to change the face of the game at its 12th event in the Australian city of Adelaide at the weekend. "Everybody here in Adelaide has had just the best time," said English former world number three Paul Casey. "I smelled like beer the whole entire rest of the day," said Koepka, brother of four-times major champion Brooks. Cameron Smith, Australia's most recent major champion, finished fourth after a final-round six-under-par 66 and said the tournament had set the standard for the Saudi-backed circuit. "For Aussies, I think this is the benchmark for not only, I guess, Australian LIV Golf, but kind of world LIV Golf," said last year's British Open champion.

☆ Rippers roll in Adelaide as LIV lands Down Under
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 20 (Reuters) - After falling short in their bid to gatecrash the Masters, the stars of LIV Golf break fresh ground in Adelaide this weekend when they take the rebel tour to Australia for the first time. The fourth of the 14 events on the schedule in the second season of LIV Golf was all but guaranteed a warm reception Down Under, despite concerns in some quarters that its Saudi backers are engaged in "sportswashing". "Obviously we're going there to win," said the 29-year-old world number six, who defected to LIV for a reported $140 million after his British Open triumph last year. Former world number one and twice major champion Martin Kaymer will make his return after six months on the sidelines recovering from a wrist injury as captain of "Cleeks". Having been pointedly excluded from Augusta, LIV Golf Commissioner Greg Norman has been ubiquitous in the media in his homeland this week promoting his product.

☆ Koepka and Rahm set for Masters showdown as Woods withdraws
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Critics of LIV Golf have branded the Saudi-bankrolled big-money venture as uncompetitive and little more than a sportwashing enterprise by a country eager to polish its human rights record. A Koepka victory will not end the human rights questions but would give the rebel circuit some of the credibility and legitimacy it craves. The 47-year-old American has won the Masters five times, most recently in 2019, but he has struggled since his car crash. "I am disappointed to have to WD (withdraw) this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis," Woods said on Twitter. "Thank you to the fans and to The Masters who have shown me so much love and support.

Public Investment Fund LIV Golf Trump World Performance54 LIV Golfers PLUS 45 OTHERS CONSULTANTS LAWYERS McKinsey & Company PwC Public Investment Fund Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan White & Case M. Klein & Company Teneo Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Majed al-Sorour Newcastle United Aramco Golf Saudi Benjamin Quayle Yasir al-Rumayyan Ari Fleischer Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LIV Golf Performance54 Trump World Greg Norman Donald J. Trump Gary Davidson Jed Moore Eric Trump Jared Kushner LIV Golfers Cameron Smith Phil Mickelson Dustin Johnson PLUS 45 OTHERSLIV Golf has cleaved men’s professional golf like no other force since the 1960s. Some of the world’s top players, including Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, have become the faces of LIV Golf. The Public Investment FundDiagram of the major figures in LIV Golf that are connected to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Public Investment Fund Jared Kushner’s firm accepted a $2 billion investment from the Public Investment Fund. LIV Golf Trump World Eric Trump Jared Kushner Donald J. Trump Public Investment Fund Jared Kushner’s firm accepted a $2 billion investment from the Public Investment Fund.

☆ Scheffler gets late Masters tee time, LIV Golf players separated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Frank Pingue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

World number one Scheffler, bidding to become the fourth player to repeat as Masters champion, will go out in the third-last group at 1:36 p.m. Australian Smith, one of 18 players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit in the field at Augusta National, will set off at 10:54 a.m. ET in the company of 2021 Masters winner Matsuyama on Japan and South Korea's Im Sung-jae. Among other notable LIV Golf players at the year's first major, three-times Masters champion Phil Mickelson will play alongside fellow American Tom Hoge and South Korea's Kim Si-woo. Dustin Johnson, who won the 2020 Masters before making the move to LIV Golf last year, will tee off with Canada's Corey Conners and England's Justin Rose.

☆ Five storylines to follow at this week's Masters
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/8] Golf - The Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 3, 2023 Scottie Scheffler of the U.S. in action on the 12th hole during a practice round REUTERS/Brian SnyderAUGUSTA, Georgia, April 3 (Reuters) - Five storylines to follow as the best players in the world descend upon Augusta National Golf Club this week for the April 6-9 Masters. SCHEFFLER SEEKS RARE REPEATWorld number one Scottie Scheffler, who arrived at Augusta National last year as the hottest player on the planet, returns in top form and looking to become only the fourth player to successfully defend a Masters title. No player has won the Masters in consecutive years since Tiger Woods accomplished the feat in 2001-02 and prior to that only Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Jack Nicklaus (1965-66) have pulled off the Augusta double. Among those competing will be a prominent group of LIV Golf players that, in addition to British Open winner Cameron Smith, include former Masters champions Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel. The hole has played to an historical scoring average of 4.77 that makes it the easiest hole at Augusta National.

☆ LIV Golf finalizes all 12 team rosters for second season
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

February 21 - LIV Golf announced its 12 rosters of four-players teams for the upstart league's second season Monday night, making official the reported signings of Thomas Pieters, Danny Lee, Dean Burmester and Brendan Steele. 35 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of this week, joined Bubba Watson's team, RangeGoats. Players who finished in the top 24 of the 2022 Invitational Series were guaranteed spots for the 2023 LIV Golf League, according to a press release. "In less than a year, LIV Golf has reinvigorated the professional game and laid the foundation for the sport's future. In 2023, the LIV Golf League comes to life," LIV CEO and commissioner Greg Norman said in a statement.

☆ Cameron Smith lifted aloft in pub as he celebrates home victory by watching TV replay
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Jump into the crowd, watch back the replay, have a triumphant drink; there are many ways for an athlete to celebrate a big win. If you’re Cameron Smith, you can do all three at the same time. Cam Smith celebrating his #AUSPGA win in a pub with the replay on the TV is tremendous areas! “I think two cans of beer can fit in there,” Smith told reporters at St. Andrews. Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images“I can’t believe she did it,” Smith told reporters.

☆ Dustin Johnson seals $35m year with LIV Golf team event victory at Trump course
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Dustin Johnson took his LIV Golf earnings for the season past the $35 million mark with victory in the series’ final event of the year in Miami on Sunday. Johnson’s $4m cut of the team competition winnings lifts his earnings from the inaugural series to $35,637,767, according to The Associated Press. Johnson, Gooch, Reed and Perez celebrate their team victory. Eric Espada / Getty ImagesIt marks a mammoth spike in earnings for Johnson who, in just eight LIV Golf events, has matched almost half a career’s total winnings on the PGA Tour. “My team played unbelievable this year … To have these guys and their caddies and families and coaches and everybody, it’s just one big family now.

☆ Aces high as Johnson leads team to LIV Golf team title
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Oct 30, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; 4Aces GC captain Dustin Johnson celebrates after winning the individual championship during season finale of the LIV Golf series at Trump National Doral. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY SportsMIAMI, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Captain Dustin Johnson led the 4 Aces to the first LIV Golf team championship and the $16 million winner's purse on Sunday at Trump National Doral to bring the curtain down on the Saudi-back venture's tumultuous inaugural season. That total also does not include the reported $150 million LIV paid to lure Johnson away from the PGA Tour, and make him one of the rebel circuit's marquee recruits. Johnson's 4 Aces team mates Pat Perez, Patrick Reed, and Talor Gooch, who all defected from the PGA Tour, also pocketed $4 million. A total of 12 team took part in the $50 million team final with the last four teams splitting $1 million for a single round of golf.

☆ LIV captains play for laughs ahead of finale
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Oct 26, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Brooks Koepka and Ian Poulter share a laugh during a press conference before the LIV Golf series at Trump National Doral. LIV Golf has challenged the traditions of the sport, opting for a rock-and-roll party vibe that offers a departure from classic golf etiquette and promising, 'Good vibes, great eats and live music". "You probably don't know this because you've never been number one in the world," said four-time major winner Koepka to Mickelson. Trying to replicate the excitement generated by hugely popular team competitions such as the Ryder and Presidents Cups, LIV Golf incorporated a team component into all eight events. Mickelson, once an anchor of U.S. Ryder Cup squads, candidly described the LIV team event as a fun competition.

☆ LIV seasons ends with Trump and eye-popping prize money
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MIAMI, Oct 26 (Reuters) - LIV Golf's tumultuous inaugural season concludes this week at Trump National Doral Golf Club where the eye-popping prize money and the former-president may well be the main attraction. He instead praised the Northern Irishman on his great season while warning critics they had better get used to having LIV Golf around because it is not going away. LIV Golf will grow from eight to 14 events next season with Trump resorts, which hosted two of the eight stops this year, once again expected to figure prominently. "I think LIV has been a great thing for Saudi Arabia, for the image of Saudi Arabia," Trump told the Wall Street Journal. Play gets underway on the 'Blue Monster' on Friday with 12 four-man teams chasing a $16 million first-place prize.

☆ Five dads who bonded over trail running bought family vacation homes together in Hawaii. Now they jog under palm trees while their 21 children play.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ryan Seare, 47, was the first of his neighborhood friends to invest in a Hawaii vacation home. He convinced four other families to join him at a property in Kauai where shares start at $445,000. For his precedent-setting investment, Seare chose Timbers Kauai, an intimate community of 47 homes tucked away on Kauai's southeast shore near a lighthouse, a marina, and a Costco. Between the Seare, Phillips, and Smith families, there are 13 kids ranging in age from 2 to 17. "Sometimes when you're on vacation, you don't want to see people you know, because that's part of vacationing.

☆ Johnson pockets $18 million as inaugural LIV Series champion
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sep 18, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Dustin Johnson tees off from the 18th tee box during the final round of the Invitational Chicago LIV Golf tournament at Rich Harvest Farms. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports/File PhotoOct 10 (Reuters) - Twice major winner Dustin Johnson won $18 million after clinching the individual title in the LIV Series with a 16th-place finish at the latest event in Bangkok, Thailand, the Saudi-backed circuit said on Monday. "The first chapter of LIV Golf's history could not be written without Dustin Johnson's name," LIV chief executive Greg Norman said. From the start he's been an LIV Golf cornerstone. LIV tournaments do not count towards the world rankings, and players who compete in the breakaway series have been suspended from the PGA Tour.

☆ Justin Thomas on LIV's rankings gripe: 'It's their fault'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY SportsJustin Thomas understands why LIV Golf players are fighting hard to receive world rankings points for their events, but he strongly disagrees with their stance. "I don't understand," Thomas said when asked about LIV's petition at the Presidents Cup on Tuesday. But that's their own fault for making the decision they made, and they knew very, very well going into it there's a good chance they won't have World Ranking points, and they took that risk. Billy Horschel will make his Presidents Cup debut this week on the United States team along with Thomas. "To my eye, it seems like they should get World Ranking points," he said.

☆ International underdogs up for Presidents Cup fight
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sep 21, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; The International Team poses for a team photo during a practice day for the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club. Even the American players have expressed sympathy for the challenge facing Immelman who will send a out record eight debutants into the Presidents Cup at the Quail Hollow Club. "It's never been done before, and I'm not a stats guy, but I'm going to say the percentage of it being done is very low. "We've still got to go out there and compete, and there's still a really good international team over there with a lot of up and coming players. Being installed as the favourite is not a new experience for the U.S. when it comes to the Presidents Cup, but seldom have the predictions of a runaway rout been so sweeping.

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