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☆ Casey DeSantis, Florida's 'co-governor': Rivals, friends, and former colleagues say she's the secret behind husband Ron DeSantis' meteoric rise
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Lyz Lenz | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

Florida's first lady, Casey DeSantis, is a close confidant to her powerful husband, several people told Insider. He added, "We would not see Ron DeSantis outside of press conferences if he did not have a wife and kids." Ron DeSantis began clawing his way into the national spotlight in 2017 as a member of the US House of Representatives. She smiled wryly and said: "Everyone knows my husband, Ron DeSantis, is endorsed by President Trump, but he's also an amazing dad. "Ron DeSantis would be a very good candidate for the St. Johns county commission if he did not have Casey DeSantis in his life," Schorsch said.

☆ Serena Williams, Justin Timberlake are among big-name investors in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's sports venture
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Co-founders Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Founder, CEO Mike McCarley Courtesy: TMRWSportsTiger Woods' and Rory McIlroy's new sports startup — which is already planning a new golf league — is drawing some big-name investors. TMRW Sports' first project is its TGL golf league, which was launched in partnership with the PGA Tour this summer and comes as professional golf is being disrupted by the arrival of upstart league LIV Golf. TMRW Sports is looking to draw in younger sports fans with a format that makes the golf league more compatible with prime-time television. McCarley said the company sought investors who were passionate about golf and would represent a diversity of expertise and backgrounds in media and entertainment. Rendering of the custom built arena where the TGL golf league will play.

☆ Serena among big-name investors behind Woods and McIlroy's TMRW Sports
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory Credit: Danielle ParhizkaranNov 2 (Reuters) - TMRW Sports, a tech-focused company co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, announced on Wednesday a star-studded investor group that includes tennis great Serena Williams and seven-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton. The team of investors also includes four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry, three-times tennis Grand Slam winner Andy Murray, Japanese two-way standout Shohei Ohtani of Major League Baseball and two-time women's World Cup champion Alex Morgan. According to TMRW Sports, the initial investment group's sports experience also includes team ownership in every major league and ranges across F1, NFL, NBA, Premier League, MLB, NHL, MLS, tennis, esports, surfing, and golf. TMRW Sports -- pronounced 'tomorrow sports' -- was launched in August with the goal of using technology to help create new pathways for the next generation to enjoy sports. "Connect Ventures is thrilled to work alongside this world-class group of investors to support Tiger, Rory and Mike's vision to further accelerate the evolution of sports and make it more accessible for all."

☆ Atthaya Thitikul: Thai teen becomes second youngest women's world No. 1 golfer
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In doing so Thitikul becomes the second youngest golfer to reach the summit of the women’s game. Already a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Thitikul is also only the second player – after Park Sung-hyun – to have reached the world No.1 slot in their rookie season. Henderson has since racked up eight wins on the LPGA Tour, her most recent coming at the LA Open in April 2021. She won her first LPGA Tour event in March 2022 at the JTBC Classic in Southern California (pictured), and in May, rose to No. 1 ranking in 2015, and today boasts 17 victories on the LPGA Tour.

☆ 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.

☆ Analysis: LIV Golf vows next year will be bigger and better
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Oct 30, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Dustin Johnson , Patrick Reed , Talor Gooch and Pat Perez celebrates team 4Aces GC winning the season finale of the LIV Golf series at Trump National Doral. If sportwashing was the objective of LIV Golf, it failed miserably instead drawing attention to a number of Saudi involvements from the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to the Kingdom's treatment of women. Describing LIV's Saudi backers "as good people with unlimited money", Trump teased that even more big names will be signing onto the rebel circuit next year. But LIV proved at Miami that it can produce an entertaining product appealing to a younger audience who descended on Trump National as much for the party as the golf. If LIV Golf is to evolve into a major player it will also need to eventually find a broadcast deal and sponsors which so far have appeared hesitant to get onboard.

☆ Ryan Fox: Heir to cricket and rugby excellence, New Zealand golfer blazes his own trail
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Central Press / Hulton Archive / Getty ImagesThen came Wallace’s son-in-law Grant Fox, a name that needs no introduction to anyone familiar with rugby. Both Wallace and Fox were individually honored during Queen Elizabeth’s reign for services to their sports. If that wasn’t enough family sporting heritage, Wallace’s brother and son – George and Gregory – both played first-class cricket for Auckland. “It’s pretty cool to be the third generation of my family to represent New Zealand,” Fox told CNN’s The Jazzy Golfer. Marty Melville / Getty ImagesNot playing his first tournament until 18, Fox was a late bloomer, but made up for lost time emphatically.

☆ Phil Mickelson says Saudi-backed LIV Golf series is ‘not going away’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Veteran golfer Phil Mickelson says the controversial LIV Golf series is a “force” in the sport and it’s “not going away.”Speaking ahead of the season finale at the Trump National Doral Golf Club, near Miami, Mickelson praised the Saudi-backed series for how much it has grown during a tumultuous debut year. “It’s pretty remarkable how far LIV Golf has come in the last six, seven months. I don’t think anybody can disagree with that.”Earlier this month, American Dustin Johnson secured the inaugural season-long LIV Golf individual championship, earning himself $18 million. This weekend LIV Golf will hold a team competition with a $50 million prize purse. In August, the LIV series joined an antitrust lawsuit from some of its stars that alleges the PGA Tour threatened to place lifetime bans on players who participate on the LIV golf series, adding that “unprecedented suspensions” were placed upon them.

☆ Trump criticizes PGA Tour, says 'Saudis have done a fantastic job' with LIV
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Jack Stebbins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump stands on the 18th green during the Pro-Am tournament before the LIV Golf series at Trump National Doral, Oct. 27, 2022. He also criticized the PGA Tour. LIV Golf has been fighting to compete with the PGA Tour, even without a media deal. Trump said he thinks the PGA Tour and LIV could work something out. The PGA Tour declined to comment.

☆ Augusta National Golf Club Under Investigation in DOJ Antitrust Probe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | Andrew Beaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Justice Department’s antitrust investigation into professional golf includes the powerhouse bodies Augusta National Golf Club and the United States Golf Association, in addition to the PGA Tour, according to people familiar with the matter. The PGA Tour is battling the upstart, Saudi-backed LIV Golf’s bid to establish a rival golf tour that has already lured away a number of star players. The DOJ antitrust division’s scrutiny of the PGA Tour was first reported by The Wall Street Journal in July. Players’ agents have received inquiries about the Tour’s bylaws as they pertain to players’ participation in non-PGA Tour events, and the Tour’s actions relating to LIV Golf.

☆ 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.

[1/2] Golf - The Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 6, 2021 General view of Jordan Spieth of the U.S. on the 16th green during a practice round REUTERS/Mike SegarWASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The Augusta National Golf Club, the PGA Tour and the U.S. Golf Association are included in the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust investigation into professional golf, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Phil Mickelson and 10 other golfers sued the PGA Tour in early August over its decision to suspend them for playing on the new Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf circuit. LIV Golf has joined a handful of its players in their antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, according to an amended complaint that showed four golfers have now removed their names. The Augusta National, which hosts the Masters golf tournament each spring, has produced documents for the Justice Department probe, these people said.

☆ 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.

☆ Justice Department's antitrust investigation of PGA Tour includes U.S. Golf Association
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jack Stebbins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Justice Department's antitrust investigation of the PGA Tour's actions against the upstart LIV Golf league has also ensnared the Augusta National Golf Club and the United States Golf Association. The managing director of LIV Golf, Majed Al Sorour, had warned that LIV would start its own majors, but later walked back the comment on Twitter. Mickelson, meanwhile, told Sports Illustrated that he "wholeheartedly" expects to play at the Masters despite his LIV Golf affiliation. Both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have been lobbying in Washington D.C. to state their case against the other. LIV Golf also filed its own antitrust suit against the PGA Tour in September, and the tour subsequently countersued, alleging that LIV Golf was anticompetitive because of its restrictive player contracts.

☆ Rory McIlroy fulfills promised return to world No.1 position after CJ Cup title defense
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —When Rory McIlroy won the 2021 CJ Cup, he insisted he was still capable of being the world’s best golfer. It marks the ninth occasion the 33-year-old McIlroy has held top spot in his career, with only Tiger Woods and Greg Norman – both 11-time No. Then ranked 8th in the world, McIlroy had given a tearful interview following Europe’s historic 19-9 loss at Whistling Straits, arguing he “should have done more”. If victory in his first subsequent outing had been his way of exorcising any Ryder Cup demons, the Northern Irishman has just gone from strength to strength this year. “I had a really rough Ryder Cup … I was outside the top-10 in the world, it’s not a position that I’m used to being in.

☆ PGA Tour sues LIV Golf's Saudi backers to force evidence discovery
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Jack Stebbins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The PGA Tour has filed a lawsuit against LIV Golf backers, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, an entity controlled by the Saudi crown prince, in an effort to force evidence discovery in ongoing legal battles. LIV Golf sued the tour alleging anti-competitive practices for banning its players, and the tour recently countersued LIV Golf, claiming the upstart league was itself stifling competition. "LIV Golf is just beginning its process and is in active discussions with several companies about broadcasting the LIV Golf League. Meanwhile, the PGA tour has taken to Washington D.C. to lobby against LIV Golf, and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, a former PGA Tour star, made his own visit to Capitol Hill in mid-September to "educate members on LIV's business model and counter the Tour's anti-competitive efforts." The LIV Golf championship will take place starting Oct. 28 at the Trump National Doral in Miami.

☆ 15 venture capitalists that early-stage sports tech, health, and wellness founders should know if they're looking to raise capital
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Other recent investments include Bumble, Goop, Spring Health, Chief, Found, Daily Harvest, and Blueland. Recent investments include the sneaker-trading platform Tradeblock, which touts itself as an alternative to StockX and Goat. Recent investments include AnyDistance, Balanced, and Juna. Her recent investments include Calibrate, DUOS, Dutch, and Buffalo Market, a food distributor focused on plant-based and organic foods. Recent investments include pickleball products company Revolin, live-sports artificial-reality company Quintar, recovery products company Alleviate, and community cycling app Preem.

☆ LIV Series' Otaegui delighted with DP World Tour win at Andalucia Masters
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 17 (Reuters) - Spanish golfer Adrian Otaegui was overjoyed with his Andalucia Masters triumph on Sunday but there is no guarantee he will be able to defend his title at the DP World Tour event next year as the war between LIV and the established circuits rages on. The LIV Golf Series has lured away some of the sport's biggest names with huge purses while those who joined the rebel circuit are no longer eligible to play in PGA Tour events. Attempts by Europe's DP World Tour to follow suit have so far been unsuccessful with LIV players still eligible to compete pending a court hearing next year. Fellow LIV player Lee Westwood called out the DP World Tour on social media for its coverage of Otaegui, who said he was "very proud" of his win. "I feel so happy to have my first win in Spain, in front of these crowds, on my favourite golf course in Spain," Otaegui said.

☆ Brooks Koepka: 'I didn't know if my career was over,' says US golfer as he reflects on horror injury after bumper LIV Golf win
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An emotional Brooks Koepka clinched playoff victory in the final individual event of the LIV Golf Invitational Series in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Victory secured the 32-year-old a $4 million cut of the tournament prize money, with runner-up Uihlein taking home $2.1 million. Amer Hilabi /AFP via Getty ImagesAlongside brother Chase Koepka, Uihlein, and Jason Kokrak, the four-time major champion also secured victory in the corresponding team leaderboard. Later this month, a team tournament in Miami will offer a $50 million prize pot – marking the final event of the inaugural LIV Golf Series. “Honestly to me the big thing today was getting the team win,” Koepka said.

☆ The Højgaard twins: Mistaken identity and making history
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Welcome to life on Tour as the identical Højgaard twins, the 21-year-old rising stars of Danish golf. Richard Heathcote / Getty ImagesDays later, congratulations once again poured in for Nicolai, but this time there was no case of mistaken identity. Playing via a last-minute invite to the event, a one-stroke triumph at Marco Simone Golf Club secured him his maiden European Tour win and wrote the Højgaard name into the history books as the first brothers to win back-to-back Tour events. Nicolai celebrated his first Tour win at the Italian Open. “That would be a cool experience to share with Nicolai as well, maybe play a foursome together.”

☆ 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.

☆ The PGA Tour Strikes Back With Countersuit Against LIV Golf
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Andrew Beaton | Louise Radnofsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The PGA Tour has filed a countersuit against the Saudi-owned LIV Golf circuit, alleging that LIV harmed the Tour by interfering in its deals with golfers. LIV has been pursuing an antitrust claim against the Tour in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California since August, arguing that the Tour has acted illegally in suspending LIV players from its events, in an attempt to squash a rival.

☆ Rory McIlroy: 'Golf is ripping itself apart'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

September 29 - Rory McIlroy finds himself in a field that includes several LIV Golf players at this week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in St. Andrews, Scotland, and once again, he didn't hesitate to express his thoughts on the Saudi-backed upstart circuit. You look at some other sports and what's happened and the game of golf is ripping itself apart right now," McIlroy said. I just think right now, with where everything is, it's probably not the right time." There's criteria there, everyone knows what they are and if they want to pivot to meet the criteria they can," McIlroy said. As for the PGA Tour and LIV making peace with each other, that seems unlikely to happen, at least as long as Jay Monahan is commissioner of the PGA Tour.

☆ Phil Mickelson and Three Other LIV Golfers Drop Out of Lawsuit Against PGA Tour
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | Andrew Beaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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