🏌🏻 LIV Trumped

Plus: PGAT nearing $3B investment, and more

December 16, 2023

Good morning. As we’re getting closer to the holidays, PGA Tour still seems to be making big news - this time close on the heels of a $3 billion deal, a short game masterclass with Jon Rahm and Tiger and Charlie thrilling fans at the PNC Championship. That, and much more in today’s edition of Golf Reporter.

As the weekend begins, let’s unfold the vibrant stories from the world of golf together.

👕 Deal of the day: Under Armour Men's Tech Golf Polo is 64% off. Get the deal here.

⛳ This day in history: In 1922: One of the most renowned courses among the golfing community, the Wakonda Golf Course, had the formal opening of its clubhouse in Des Moines, Iowa. The original membership included 350 resident members.

TOP STORY
Tiger Thrills Fans, Charlie Moved Back On Tees

Photo: Mike Mulholland/Getty Images | Source: Bleacher Report

Thursday at the PNC Championship was about as chill as it gets when it comes to a professional golf event. Then, on Friday, Tiger and Charlie Woods arrived.

The real competition doesn't begin until Saturday, when Team Woods and Team Thomas (Justin and father Mike) tee off at 8:22 am ET. Tee times were moved up in the hope of getting in the first round as soon as possible, as there is some bad weather looming for the entire weekend.

Woods Jnr will play from the 6,500+ yard tees at Orlando's Ritz Carlton Golf Club this week, which are the same tees that the likes of John Daly, Nelly Korda, Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen will be hitting from.

The 14-year-old will likely be hitting the ball much further than last year and, although we have no data on his driving distance, we'd hazard a guess it's somewhere between 250-270 yards considering John Daly has averaged 282 yards this year and Nelly Korda 269 yards.

TWEET
Worth Mentioning

WEEKEND READING
PGA Tour Nearing $3B Investment

The PGA Tour is nearing a $3 billion investment from United States sports team owners amid ongoing negotiations with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment fund, which funds the PGA's biggest rival in LIV Golf, according to ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Don Van Natta Jr.

Strategic Sports Group, which includes Tom Werner and John Henry (Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins), Arthur Blank (Atlanta Falcons) and Wyc Grousbeck (Boston Celtics), "would infuse more than $3 billion into a new for-profit entity, PGA Tour Enterprises," according to Schlabach and Van Natta.

A deal with Strategic Sports Group could be announced before the start of 2024. If a deal is also reached with the PIF, more than $7 billion could be infused into PGA Tour Enterprises.

LOCKER ROOM
What else is making news

NBC Analyst: Report says NBC is targeting Geoff Ogilvy for analyst role to replace Paul Azinger.

PNC: Steve and Izzi Stricker to make PNC Championship debut thanks to rule change and ban on LIV players.

Q-School: Weather warning: PGA Tour Q-School final round on Sunday likely to be affected by severe front.

LIV Gets Trumped: Trump posted on the Truth Social platform that his Trump National Doral near Miami would host a LIV Golf event in April. He did not mention the date, but the only opening on LIV's schedule is for April 5-7, the weekend before the Masters.

DRIVING RANGE
Short Game Masterclass With Jon Rahm

Jon Rahm called us over and shown us some of the best short game skills we have ever seen! Wait til you see the downhill lie chip shot! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.