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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

☆ Trump correctly predicted the LIV-PGA Tour merger in 2022: 'If you don't take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Taylor Berman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The sports world was shocked today LIV Golf and the PGA Tour announced a merger. Trump correctly predicted the merger in the summer of 2022. "Golfers that remain 'loyal' to the very disloyal PGA will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes," he wrote. Nearly 11 months later, the merger was announced, catching many PGA players — who were not consulted ahead of time as a group — off guard. For his part, Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the merger, writing: "GREAT NEWS FROM LIV GOLF.

Persons: LIV Golf, Trump, LIV, —, Donald Trump, Phil Mickelson, Eric, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson Organizations: PGA Tour, Golfers, Service, Saudi, LIV Golf, PGA, ESPN, Social, Bedminster

☆ Koepka chasing PGA Championship hat-trick as sun returns to Oak Hill
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROCHESTER, New York, May 21 (Reuters) - After a nasty week of frost, wind and torrential rain the sun returned to Oak Hill on Sunday for the final round of the PGA Championship with Brooks Koepka holding a one shot lead looking to complete a Wanamaker trophy hat-trick. The big-hitting American will head out onto the challenging East Course at 2:30 pm ET (1830 GMT) paired with the 11th ranked Hovland. A victory by Koepka or DeChambeau would not end the human rights questions but would give the tour a bit of the credibility and legitimacy it seeks. McIlroy, an honorary member at Oak Hill, has looked out of sorts all week but the battling Northern Irishman has managed stay in the hunt at five back. Block, who has "Why Not" written on his golf balls, has become the every man bluecollar hero and gallery darling at Oak Hill by carrying the hopes and dreams of every duffer who has picked up a club.

☆ Rain and fireworks as PGA Championship third round gets underway
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROCHESTER, New York, May 20 (Reuters) - Golfers were preparing for a long, wet slog as third-round play got underway at the PGA Championships on Saturday and torrential rains rolled across Oak Hill Country Club. But there could also be a few fireworks among the dark clouds with LIV Golf standard bearers Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, once famously embroiled in one of golf's most lively spats, paired together. Right behind Hovland and Suh are Koepka and DeChambeau. Once bitter foes the pair are now LIV Golf team mates united in the Saudi-bankrolled venture's feud with the PGA Tour, which they left to sign on with the big money rebel circuit. Reporting by Steve Keating, Editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Scheffler, Hovland, Conners grab PGA Championship lead
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] May 19, 2023; Rochester, New York, USA; Scottie Scheffler hits a tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-USA... Read moreROCHESTER, New York, May 19 (Reuters) - World number two Scottie Scheffler, Norwegian Viktor Hovland and Canada's Corey Conners grabbed a share of the PGA Championship second round lead on Friday, while an unforgiving Oak Hill left some of golf's biggest names fighting to make the cut. Conners had started the day level with Scheffler one back of pacesetting Bryson DeChambeau and finished it in the same position also signing for a 68. World number 11 Hovland began his round with back-to-back birdies and then drained a five-foot birdie putt at the 18th to join Conners and Scheffler on five-under 135. "The tournament is halfway done," said Scheffler, who can reclaim the number ranking with a win on Sunday.

☆ Slimmed-down DeChambeau savouring solid start to PGA Championship
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] May 18, 2023; Rochester, New York, USA; Bryson DeChambeau tees off on the 14th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country Club. It was all water weight," DeChambeau told reporters at Oak Hill. So nice to come back and start to finally figure out what's going on with my golf swing," said DeChambeau, who missed last year's PGA Championship while recovering from hand surgery. Entering this week, DeChambeau's average position after 18 holes of a major championship was 52nd. It was more just frustrated and disappointed, like I've achieved this why can't I just do it every day," said DeChambeau.

☆ LIV Golf's DeChambeau grabs PGA Championship clubhouse lead
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Keegan Bradley, who won the 2011 PGA Championship, was two shots off the pace with Norway's Viktor Hovland and New Zealand's Ryan Fox. DeChambeau, who missed last year's PGA Championship as he was recovering from surgery on his left hand, started on the back nine and reached the turn at one under. "It was a grind today," said 2022 Masters winner Scheffler. It marked the first time the top player in the rankings had carded a six over or higher at the PGA Championship since Greg Norman in 1987. It marks Mickelson's return to the PGA Championship for the first time since 2021 when, aged 50, he defied the odds to become the oldest major winner in history.

☆ PGA Championship: Eric Cole soars but Jon Rahm sinks in frost-delayed first round
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —American golfer Eric Cole raced into an early PGA Championship lead following a scintillating start at Oak Hill Country Club on Thursday. Now, on his PGA Championship debut and only his second major appearance, the 34-year-old is enjoying a look at the leaderboard. 1 is bidding to become only the fourth golfer – and the first since Jack Nicklaus in 1975 – to win both the Masters and the PGA Championship in the same season. Jordan Spieth will need a strong response if he is to achieve golfing immortality come Sunday, as the three-time major champion opened with a three-over 69. The American is a PGA Championship title away from becoming only the sixth men’s golfer to win all four majors in the modern era.

☆ Steady Scheffler stays hot on cold day at PGA Championship
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

While Scheffler, Masters champion in 2022, failed to make the cut last year in Tulsa, he has been a contender at the other two PGA Championships he has contested. "I came into today's round just trying to play solid golf," said Scheffler. "No matter what position I'm in going into tomorrow, I would be grinding it out. "You just try and stay in position, make the important par putts and just keep the momentum going. Reporting by Steve Keating in Rochester, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — The Justice Department’s antitrust inquiry into men’s professional golf has included interviews with players, including the major tournament winners Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio García, as the authorities examine whether the PGA Tour sought to manipulate the sport’s labor market. Although lawyers for the PGA Tour met with Justice Department officials in Washington this week, a timeline for the review’s completion — much less whether the government will try to force any changes in golf — is not clear. But the inquiry’s scope and persistence has deepened the turbulence in the sport, which has been grappling with the recent rise of LIV Golf, a league that used money from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund to lure top players away from the PGA Tour. Eight people with knowledge of the Justice Department’s inquiry described its breadth on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was pending. The department declined to comment.

☆ Tee-k Tock: The ‘appalling’ slow play controversy riling golf’s biggest stars
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Koepka, whose frustrations with slow play lit the touchpaper of a fiery feud with rival Bryson DeChambeau in 2019, made no secret of his grievances. It does become frustrating when you are waiting so long.”1-on-1 with newly minted PGA Tour winner Matt Fitzpatrick 03:48 - Source: CNNFurther complaints came from beyond the confines of the PGA Tour. I was penalized on LPGA for slow play … and it forced me to speed up,” Alvarez said. “It’s not very pleasant to watch somebody stand over the ball for half an hour.”Nicklaus is not a fan of slow play. “We want to keep the focus where it should be: on world-class shot-making.”Solutions: Golf’s shot clock eraSo how do you solve a problem like slow play?

☆ '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.

☆ 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.

☆ LIV Golf reaches U.S. broadcasting deal with CW Network
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Oct 29, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; General view of the 18th green and clubhouse during the second round of the season finale of the LIV Golf series at Trump National Doral. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY SportsJan 19 (Reuters) - LIV Golf secured the United States television deal it had been seeking, announcing on Thursday that the CW Network will broadcast all 14 events of the Saudi-backed series. Beginning this year the CW Network will bring the rebel circuit's tournaments to 120 million households across the United States, LIV Golf said in a statement. "This is a momentous day for LIV Golf as this partnership is about more than just media rights," said LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman. LIV Golf will play from February to September and features simultaneous team and individual play with golfers competing for an unprecedented $405 million in prize purses.

☆ The incredible true story of the time an astronaut played golf on the moon
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The resulting creation, a Wilson Staff Dyna-Power 6-iron head, was tucked away in Shepard’s space suit for launch, with a few balls hidden in a sock. “Miles and miles and miles,” the jubilant astronaut remarked as the ball sailed out of his view, swallowed by the infinite blackness of space. What does any of that have to do with an astronaut playing golf on the moon? Saunders believed Shepard’s “miles and miles” remark to have been made tongue-in-cheek, an almost instinctive reflex of his hyper-competitive, “fighter-jock” nature. “We always talk about getting to the moon, landing on the moon, returning back to Earth – that’s how we think of the moon,” Odom 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ No LIV players but rebel circuit set to dominate Presidents Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The PGA Tour organises the Presidents Cup while LIV Golf, bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has been busy poaching players, luring away some of golf's biggest names with staggering sums of money. South African Louis Oosthuizen, Chile's Joaquin Niemann and Mexico's Abraham Ancer are also unavailable to International captain Trevor Immelman, who has called up a record eight Presidents Cup debutants. Australian Adam Scott, playing his 10th Presidents Cup and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama his fifth are the only members of the squad to have played in more than one event. Every other Presidents Cup has gone to the United States with the exception of 2003 in South Africa that ended in a draw. "We look forward to the Presidents Cup every time.

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