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☆ Tired Rahm working on Spanish-inspired Masters Champions dinner
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A tradition of Masters week is the previous year's winner choosing what is served when former champions gather on the Tuesday of tournament week in the clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club. Rahm wants to talk with twice Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, who is from the same part of Spain as him, to learn what he served at his Champions Dinners. While Rahm received plenty of congratulatory messages after his Masters win, a stand-out one came from 22-times Grand Slam tennis champion and compatriot Rafa Nadal. The 28-year-old Rahm said this year's Masters, where play was suspended early on two days because of weather, was demanding physically and mentally. If I was one of the kids, I would want to see the recent Masters champion play good or bad, just want to be there," said Rahm.

☆ McIlroy withdraws from RBC Heritage after missing Masters cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Golf - The Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 6, 2023 Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot on the 4th hole during the first round REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstApril 10 (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy has withdrawn from this week's RBC Heritage at Harbour Town, the PGA Tour said on Monday, after the world number three failed to make the cut at the Masters last week. McIlroy bid for a career Grand Slam ended when he shot a disappointing second-round 77 after being a favorite to win his first Green Jacket at Augusta National heading into the major. McIlroy will not be replaced by an alternate, with the field reduced to 143 players for the tournament on Hilton Head Island, where Jordan Spieth is the defending champion. The 33-year-old McIlroy, who captured the last of his four majors in 2014, had been hoping to win the Masters so that he could join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods as the only players to achieve the career Grand Slam. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Jon Rahm Rallies to Win the Masters
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Andrew Beaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

AUGUSTA, Ga.—When Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm stepped onto the first tee for the final round of the Masters on Sunday, they were more than just two of the world’s best golfers vying to add another major win to their résumés. They were also proxies representing both sides of golf’s great divide. Koepka, who led by two strokes after 54 holes, had a strong chance to become the first player to win a major championship after joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit last year. Rahm, meanwhile, remained at the top of the PGA Tour—and was the player with the best chance of chasing down Koepka at Augusta.

☆ Woods withdraws from Masters due to foot injury
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Golf - The Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 8, 2023 Tiger Woods of the U.S. reacts on the 18th green during the second round REUTERS/Brian SnyderAUGUSTA, Georgia, April 9 (Reuters) - Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the Masters due to injury after completing seven holes of his third round, tournament organisers said on Sunday. "I am disappointed to have to WD (withdraw) this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis," Woods said on Twitter. But in unforgiving conditions on a cold Saturday with heavy rain falling, Woods was visibly limping and made back-to-back double bogeys. Last year, in his second start after the crash, Woods withdrew from the PGA Championship after carding one of his worst rounds at a major tournament -- a nine-over 79. American Brooks Koepka leads Spaniard Jon Rahm by four shots with the third round of the Masters yet to be completed.

☆ 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.

☆ Six Yoga Poses to Help Your Golf Swing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Jen Murphy | Photographs Jennifer Boomer For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Yoga does more than relax the mind and body. It can also enhance performance. Over the years elite golfers including Tiger Woods , Jordan Spieth and Tony Finau have credited their impressive golf swings and ability to perform under pressure in part to incorporating yoga into their routines. Charlene Bendt , a PGA Professional teaching pro and yoga teacher based in Prosper, Texas, sees huge performance gains when her students add yoga into their training, particularly when it comes to enhancing players’ clubhead speed.

☆ McIlroy's career Grand Slam bid officially ends with missed cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

One of the pre-tournament favourites, McIlroy's disappointment dragged on into Saturday as 39 players returned to complete their weather hit rounds where the cut line was set at three over. Major winners Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson along with Jason Kokrak all missed the cut. Tiger Woods made the cut but by the skin of his teeth when good friend Justin Thomas bogeyed the 17th moving the cut line to three over. "I've always loved this golf course, and I love playing this event," said Woods at the end of his round before the cut line had been set. Couples also became the oldest player in Masters history to make the cut when the 63-year-old returned a second round two-over 74 for a one-over total.

If you're outside of the US, we can show you how to get access to that free Masters live stream too via the use of a VPN. You can follow individual golfers at Masters.com and through The Masters Tournament app. Where to watch the Masters in the USYou can watch the 2023 Masters Tournament on ESPN, CBS, and the Masters.com website. If you're outside the US right now, you might be in an area that doesn't have access to the free live stream of the Masters. Click "watch live" to choose a feed between the available holes and featured groupsCoverage will be available from April 6 to 9.

If you're looking to tune into day 2 of the prestigious golf tournament, we have everything you need on how to watch the Masters live stream for free. If you're outside of the US, we can show you how to get access to that free Masters live stream too via the use of a VPN. You can follow individual golfers at Masters.com and through The Masters Tournament app. Where to watch the Masters in the USYou can watch the 2023 Masters Tournament on ESPN, CBS, and the Masters.com website. If you're outside the US right now, you might be in an area that doesn't have access to the free live stream of the Masters.

You can follow individual golfers at Masters.com and through The Masters Tournament app. Where to watch the Masters in the USYou can watch the 2023 Masters Tournament on ESPN, CBS, and the Masters.com website. CBS and ESPN are also included as channels on live TV streaming services like Hulu + Live TV ($70/month) and FuboTV ($75/month). How to watch the Masters with a VPNSign up for a VPN if you don't have one. The Masters 2023 TV scheduleThe Masters is separated into four rounds of tournament play beginning on April 6 and concluding April 9.

☆ The Masters Navigates a Tricky Journey Through the LIV Golf Battlefield
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Andrew Beaton | Louise Radnofsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

AUGUSTA, Ga .—Fred Ridley, the tight-lipped chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, took his seat on the dais Wednesday flanked by two other green-jacket-wearing members for his annual remarks before the Masters, but this session was supercharged compared with the past. This year, the controversy consuming golf had sped its way down Magnolia Lane and straight into Butler Cabin. Ridley conspicuously avoided uttering the name of LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed circuit that has driven a wedge in the sport by luring many of the top players away from the PGA Tour. When Ridley obliquely referred to the situation, it wasn’t difficult to decipher his disagreements with players joining LIV and his displeasure with the divide that has landed on his doorstep.

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.

☆ The Masters were caddied by only Black men for nearly 50 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Located just three miles from The Masters venue, the historically Black district lay adjacent to Augusta Country Club. Eventually, many would hop across Rae’s Creek to begin work at Augusta National. A “good bag” at Augusta National would pay up to $5, Maben said, offering $20 for a particularly lucrative day’s labor. The 1983 Masters saw the first White caddies walk the greens at the major, with just 19 Black caddies on the bag, Clayton said. This year, the Lucy Craft Laney Museum will put the legacy of Augusta’s Black caddies – quite literally – center stage.

Persons: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Willie Peterson caddied Nicklaus ’, Nathaniel “, ” Avery, Peterson –, –, Augusta, Nicklaus, Peterson, Augusta caddies, Leon Maben, Lucy, Lucy Craft Laney, Ward Clayton, “, ” Palmer, ” Clayton, …, Maben, Jerry ” Beard, caddie, Fuzzy Zoeller, John P, caddying, Willie “ Pappy ” Stokes, Stokes, Henry Picard, Ben Hogan, Hogan, Beard, Zoeller, Augusta “, Clayton, ” Maben, ” Beard, Heinz Kluetmeier, Tommy “, ” Bennett, Woods, scalding, John H, Stovepipe ” Gordon, Frank “, ” Stokes, Matthew “ Shorty Mac ” Palmer, Avery’s, Gordon, Gene Sarazen, Sarazen, Willie “, Perteet, Dwight D, Eisenhower, ”, ’, ‘, We’re, caddies, Jim Crow, Ron Townsend, Lee Elder, Elder, Andy Lyons, Townsend, ” Carl Jackson, Ben Crenshaw, Jackson, Crenshaw, “ Gentle Ben ”, Watson, Jamie Squire, Harvey Penick, ” Jackson, you’re, Andrew Redington, Avery, Palmer, Augusta caddies – Stokes, It’s Organizations: CNN, Augusta National, Bettmann, Getty, Augusta Country, Lucy Craft, Lucy Craft Laney Museum of, . Augusta National, ”, Augusta, ESPN, National, PGA, Augusta Country Club Locations: Georgia, Cedar Grove, Sand, Black, Augusta, caddies, Clayton, America, ”, Perteet

☆ The Masters Is Feeling the Shockwaves of LIV Golf
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Andrew Beaton | Louise Radnofsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ahead of last year’s Masters, an Englishman named Paul Casey was ranked as the No. 25 golfer in the world and there was no reason to believe that would dramatically change anytime soon. Casey was thriving on the PGA Tour. There was no indication that a new Saudi-backed golf league called LIV Golf would upend the sport’s professional landscape or Casey’s career. LIV had been declared “dead in the water” by none other than Rory McIlroy, one of the game’s pre-eminent stars.

☆ Reflective Woods content with 'small victories'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Even last year returning to competitive golf at Augusta National 14 months after a car crash nearly resulted in the amputation of his right leg, a defiant Woods insisted he was there to win. But given the opportunity during his pre-Masters news conference, a reflective 15-time major winner was content to talk of "small victories". "I didn't win the tournament, but for me to be able to come back and play was a small victory in itself," Woods told reporters. "I just have to be cognizant of how much I can push it," said Woods. "I just think it's understanding, picking some guys' brains and figuring out what they need to do to win this tournament."

☆ Scheffler, McIlroy and Rahm not yet the Big Three but in league of their own
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I just had breakfast with Jon Rahm and that didn't come up," laughed McIlroy, when asked if the three had discussed their dominance. It may be absurd to compare Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, who combined for 34 major titles, to Scheffler, McIlroy and Rahm but on current form the present-day trio are in a league of their own. McIlroy opened his campaign with victory at the CJ Cup and hoisted the trophy at the DP Tour's Dubai Desert Classic. "You can say that (the new Big Three), if we do it for at least five-plus years like many of those players did," said Rahm. World number one Scheffler would not be drawn into the Big Three discussion but put the trio's domination down to a high level of consistency.

☆ Saudi money is flowing to US media and entertainment, from Live Nation to LIV Golf, 5 years after Jamal Khashoggi's murder: 'The ice has thawed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment. Insider identified some key people connecting Middle East investors with American companies. Saudi Arabia is trying to pitch itself to the world as a cultural and economic reformer and spur tourism. Vince McMahon's WWE has a long-term partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a major live WWE event there slated for May. Vince McMahon's WWE was one of the first US companies to create unique events in Saudi Arabia.

☆ 9 Middle Eastern funds and investors pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Governments and investors in the Middle East are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

☆ Couples tells LIV members stop bashing PGA and play golf
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

After signing up with the Saudi backed LIV circuit, some members delighted in taking shots at the PGA Tour as they left their old work place. "If one wants to stop and ask why I'm picking on them, then I'm all for it," said Couples after his Monday practice round. "I just don't think they should bash the PGA Tour or anybody, just go play golf." Three-times Masters champion Phil Mickelson and 2017 Green Jacket winner Sergio Garcia have both been critical of the PGA Tour and the target of Couples' barbs. Speaking at a Champions Tour breakfast, Couples took a shot at Mickelson and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund that is bankrolling the LIV Tour.

☆ Woods and McIlroy fly PGA Tour flag at Masters practice
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Frank Pingue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Woods and McIlroy, two of golf's biggest names who have both been vocal opponents of LIV Golf, went out off the 10th tee under overcast skies alongside former Masters champion Fred Couples and South Korea's Tom Kim. There are 18 LIV Golf competitors at this year's Masters, including 2020 champion Dustin Johnson, and while all did not schedule practice rounds on Monday those who did were also greeted warmly by the patrons. Former word number one Johnson, wearing a shirt with the logo of the 4Aces team he captains on LIV Golf, practised with current PGA Tour players Kevin Kisner, Brian Harman and Gary Woodland. Johnson, who won the inaugural season-long LIV Golf individual championship, was excited to reconnect with his former PGA Tour peers and said he does not feel any different being at Augusta National compared to years past. "I still play golf for a living.

☆ 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.

☆ Airbnb hosts who are booking up their spaces during the era of 'Airbnbust' share 3 strategies they're using to make money on the platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Many Airbnb hosts are currently facing empty booking calendars and stiff competition. Vacation rental bookings started slowing down in 2022 and we've since entered an era coined 'Airbnbust.' "You can make more monthly money because people will pay more for a vacation rental than a long-term rental," he told Insider. Heilbron owns a second Airbnb property in Pinehurst, North Carolina, where golf events are frequently hosted. Courtesy of Avery HeilbronAnother major perk of owning a short-term vacation rental in Pinehurst is that the village hosts a lot of golf tournaments, including the U.S.

☆ The top 4 sports and sports tech VCs are ready to open their checkbooks. Here's what they're looking for.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Courtside Ventures in January closed a $100 million fund, its biggest yet. KB Partners late last year closed a $127 million fund, also its biggest yet. If you're not in one of those lanes, don't bother reaching out, even though the firm has the new $100 million fund to dole out. Parikh expects fewer investments in media companies out of the new fund, but more investments in gaming. It's doling out the money through two accelerator programs and an investment fund.

☆ Rahm no fan of proposed rule change that would reduce distance
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But Rahm, speaking to reporters ahead of this week's World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play event in Austin, Texas, questioned why the sport's ruling bodies would even want to propose a rule that would reduce driving distance. "They're hyper focused on making professional golf a little bit more difficult than it already is. As it comes to me, I don't think it's going to matter that much," said Rahm. "I'm still going to be able to stop it in most places with a 7-iron when some people might not." Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan on Players Championship and Netflix effect from "Full Swing” doc
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailPGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan on Players Championship and Netflix effect from "Full Swing” docJay Monahan, PGA Tour commissioner, joins CNBC's "Squawk Box" to discuss the upcoming Players Championship and the effect from Netflix's "Full Swing" series.

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