Two things are clear: the Players Championship has been diminished, and the PGA Tour is reeling

Monahan talked about the fans, but he talked more about what is best for the members of the PGA Tour.

When Jay Monahan met with the media ahead of this week’s Players Championship, the flagship tournament for the PGA Tour for which Monahan is the commissioner, two things became apparent.

First, with many of the LIV golfers in the world able to play in the four major championships, the Players Championship might be the tournament that is impacted the most by the absence of the LIV Tour players like Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka. The narrative that the Players is the fifth major isn’t very strong when the majors are actually letting the LIV Golf and the PGA Tour players play together, but the Players Championship isn’t allowing that.

The second thing that is crystal clear is that the PGA Tour is still in trouble two years into the battle with the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Tour. Monahan answered plenty of questions, but didn’t, in reality, give many answers.

Monahan said that the negotiations with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund over a potential investment deal are still ongoing, but his unwillingness to offer details about the negotiations or what a potential deal will look like are hardly the things that disgruntled and frustrated golf fans want to hear.

What fans want is a deal. They want the talk of negotiations and player defections and money and money and more money to go away. Monahan basically told those fans that the battle will continue and there is no deadline for a deal. And there is certainly no guarantee that PGA Tour players will ignore overtures from LIV in the coming months.

Monahan talked about the fans, but when push came to shove, he talked more about what is best for the members of the PGA Tour. The fans have been rising with a more unified voice of frustration and are showing that frustration through a drop in television ratings for PGA Tour events. Only the American Express with its amateur winner Nick Dunlap has seen a ratings increase among tour events this year. Fans still don’t seem to be a priority.

2024 Players Championship
Viktor Hovland focuses on the 10th hole during the first round of The Players Championship Thursday, March 14, 2024, at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Will fans stay or revolt?

The thinking is probably that the fans are the fans and they will continue to be fans, and that they won’t abandon the game they love over two years of money grabs and insults. That might be dangerous thinking as the Tour continues negotiations with LIV, especially given that the PIF seems to have greater leverage than the PGA Tour because of money.

That was obvious in December when the PGA Tour’s Dec. 31 deadline for a deal with PIF grew closer and closer. The Tour did make a $3 billion deal with investment group Strategic Sports Group, but LIV poached Rahm from the PGA Tour with a deal of more than half a billion dollars, showing that its money advantage perhaps overruled the PGA Tour’s arguments of history and tradition or its SSG deal.

Members of the newly established 13-member board of directors of the new PGA Tour Enterprises need to understand that every week that goes by without a deal is another opportunity for fans to become a little more fed up with the constant noise and bickering between the two rival tours.

Fans honestly don’t care about player equity in the new structure of the PGA Tour. I’m not sure fans really care whether the top 10 players in the world all play together every week, just that they are all united on a single tour and have a chance to play together more often.

If this sounds like a condemnation of what the Tour is doing, that’s only partly true. The LIV players elevated guaranteed money to their greatest goal in the game. They took the money knowing there would be no world ranking points and there would be no easy path back to either the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour.

And they now play in a certain amount of obscurity, because the television ratings for that tour are worse than the worst PGA Tour event. Even adding Rahm, one of the great players in the game at the moment, hasn’t changed the television story for LIV. As Scottie Scheffler said this week, the splintering of professional golf came from the LIV players leaving, not the PGA Tour players staying.

So fans could walk away from Monahan’s press conference Tuesday with little hope that things are going to change in the coming weeks. And the prospect of federal intervention that could delay any final deal by a year or more has to be depressing for all parties involved.

In the end, it isn’t promises of an accelerated negotiation or $3.6 million first-prize checks or player equity fans want. Fans want a deal and for the rancor to go away. Without a deal, the fans might go away.

Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for The Desert Sun. You can contact him at (760) 778-4633 or at larry.bohannan@desertsun.com. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter at @larry_bohannan. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Desert Sun.

Anthony Kim misses first cut in 12 years at Asian Tour event in China

Kim missed the cut by eight shots.

In Anthony Kim’s first event back with a 36-hole cut, he didn’t make the weekend.

After back-to-back weeks playing for the no-cut events at LIV Golf in Jeddah and Hong Kong, Kim teed it up this week on the Asian Tour at the International Series Macau in China, continuing his return to professional golf. However, a 4-over 74 in the opening round followed by an even-par 70 on Friday resulted in Kim sitting T-130 after two rounds and missing the cut by eight shots.

It’s Kim’s first missed cut in more than 12 years (sarcasm font).

His final-round 65 in LIV Golf Hong Kong was an encouraging sign, but his comeback is going to take longer than a handful of rounds. He wasn’t the only LIV golfer to miss the cut at Macau, as did Harold Varner III, Graeme McDowell and Eugenio Chacarra.

On the flip side, LIV’s David Puig leads at 11 under after opening in 65-64. He’s tied on top with Jbe Kruger. Mito Pereira and Bjorn Hellgren are T-3 at 10 under.

Jay Monahan says Saudi PIF discussions are ‘accelerating’ but refuses to answer specifics

Monahan and SSG representatives went to Saudi Arabia in January to meet with PIF representatives.

During his annual press conference ahead of the 2024 Players Championship, Jay Monahan updated the media on the current state of discussions with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

“As I’ve said on a number of occasions, you can’t negotiate a deal like this in public,” Monahan said at TPC Sawgrass on Tuesday morning. “I recently met with the governor of the PIF, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, and our negotiations are accelerating as we spend time together.”

“While we have several key issues that we still need to work through, we have a shared vision to quiet the noise and unlock golf’s worldwide potential,” he continued. “It’s going to take time, but I reiterate what I said at the Tour Championship in August. I see a positive outcome for the PGA Tour and the sport as a whole. Most importantly, I see a positive outcome for our great fans.”

Monahan said he went to Saudi Arabia in January with representatives from the Strategic Sports Group to meet with Al-Rumayyan and the PIF.

“That’s why we continue to have productive discussions. There’s a mutual respect there that I think is helpful towards ultimately getting a deal done,” Monahan added. “And I think it is that level of discussion that has helped accelerate the conversations.”

Monahan said he appreciated the questions on the subject of the PIF discussions but refrained from answering specifics about team golf or whether or not players who left for LIV Golf would be welcomed back to the Tour.

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2024 LIV Golf Hong Kong prize money payouts for each player and team

It pays to play well in the Saudi-backed league.

It pays to play well in the LIV Golf League, just ask Abraham Ancer.

The 33-year-old won for the first time on the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit after a three-way playoff on Sunday to claim 2024 LIV Golf Hong Kong at Hong Kong Golf Club’s Fanling Course.

For his efforts, Ancer will take home the top prize of $4 million. Paul Casey and Cameron Smith each earned $1.875 million for their runner-up finishes. Joaquin Niemann and Carlos Ortiz round out the top five at T-4 and banked $900,000.

Check out how much money each player and team earned at 2024 LIV Golf Hong Kong.

MORE: Best shots from LIV Golf Hong Kong

Individual prize money

Position Player Score Earnings
1  Abraham Ancer -13 $4,000,000
2  Paul Casey -13 $1,875,000
2  Cameron Smith -13 $1,875,000
T4  Joaquin Niemann -12 $900,000
T4  Carlos Ortiz -12 $900,000
T6  Kevin Na -11 $650,000
T6  Bryson DeChambeau -11 $650,000
T8  Richard Bland -10 $396,071
T8  Graeme McDowell -10 $396,071
T8  Charles Howell III -10 $396,071
T8  Ian Poulter -10 $396,071
T8  Dean Burmester -10 $396,071
T8  Jon Rahm -10 $396,071
T8  Henrik Stenson -10 $396,071
T15  Lucas Herbert -9 $278,750
T15  Adrian Meronk -9 $278,750
T15  Harold Varner III -9 $278,750
T15  Eugenio Chacarra -9 $278,750
T19  Sam Horsfield -8 $245,000
T19  Louis Oosthuizen -8 $245,000
T21  Dustin Johnson -7 $204,286
T21  Talor Gooch -7 $204,286
T21  Martin Kaymer -7 $204,286
T21  Scott Vincent -7 $204,286
T21  Tyrrell Hatton -7 $204,286
T21  Sebastián Muñoz -7 $204,286
T21  Matt Jones -7 $204,286
28  Brooks Koepka -6 $180,000
T29  Peter Uihlein -5 $165,000
T29  Marc Leishman -5 $165,000
T29  Patrick Reed -5 $165,000
T29  Andy Ogletree -5 $165,000
T29  Bubba Watson -5 $165,000
T34  Brendan Steele -4 $146,250
T34  David Puig -4 $146,250
T34  Cameron Tringale -4 $146,250
T34  Anirban Lahiri -4 $146,250
T38  Caleb Surratt -3 $137,500
T38  Sergio Garcia -3 $137,500
T38  Pat Perez -3 $137,500
T41  Charl Schwartzel -2 $129,375
T41  Danny Lee -2 $129,375
T41  Jinichiro Kozuma -2 $129,375
T41  Kalle Samooja -2 $129,375
T45  Lee Westwood -1 $124,167
T45  Matthew Wolff -1 $124,167
T45  Branden Grace -1 $124,167
T48  Mito Pereira E $90,000
T48  Thomas Pieters E $90,000
50  Anthony Kim 3 $60,000
51  Jason Kokrak 6 $60,000
T52  Hudson Swafford 8 $50,000
T52  Phil Mickelson 8 $50,000
54  Kieran Vincent 9 $50,000

Team prize money

Position Team Score Earnings
1 Crushers GC -35 $3,000,000
2 Torque GC -33 $1,500,000
3 Ripper GC -23 $500,000

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Abraham Ancer wins three-way playoff at 2024 LIV Golf Hong Kong; Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers claim another team title

Anthony Kim shot one of the low scores of the day on Sunday for his first round under par with LIV.

Abraham Ancer loves a playoff.

His lone win on the PGA Tour went to extra holes and the same can be said of his first LIV Golf victory. Ancer defeated Cameron Smith and Paul Casey with a birdie on the first playoff hole to win 2024 LIV Golf Hong Kong on Sunday.

After rounds of 7-under 63 and 8-under 62 on Friday and Saturday at Hong Kong Golf Club’s Fanling Course in Sheung Shui, Ancer struggled on Sunday to a 2-over 72, which opened the door for Casey (64) and Smith (66) to tie him atop the leaderboard at 13 under. Joaquin Niemann shot the low-round of the day, a 7-under 63 to finish T-4 alongside Carlos Ortiz (66), one shot outside of the playoff.

“Man, I made that so hard on myself. The ball-striking wasn’t there, but mentally I was really strong, so I felt really good. I felt like I was not going to give up. That round could have gone south really quickly,” Ancer explained. “Hit some good bunker shots, some good putts that I needed to and just kept myself in it and hit the right shot at the right time there in the playoff.”

MORE: Best shots from LIV Golf Hong Kong

On the team side, Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC won for the second consecutive week after another strong Sunday to finish at 35 under, two shots clear of Niemann’s Torque GC. Smith and his Ripper GC earned their first top-three finish of the season at 32 under.

“I love these guys. They fight for every shot, and I can tell you when four scores are counting, we’re a pretty deadly team,” said DeChambeau. Before this season LIV switched its format to make all four player scores count to the team score in the final round. The worst score is dropped in the first two rounds.

“We know with four scores counting, we’re going to be in it no matter what the last day,” he added. “We put the pedal to the metal today and showcased who we are.”

Last year’s team champions, the Crushers have finished 2-4-1-1 in LIV’s four events so far this season. After winning the season opener, Jon Rahm’s new squad, Legion XIII, finsihed T-5 and fifth the last two events before coming in dead last this week in Hong Kong.

Anthony Kim has struggled in his return to pro golf with LIV, but after shooting over par in his first five rounds, the 38-year-old finally found the red numbers with a 5-under 65 on Sunday. Kim made seven birdies and two bogeys and finished 50th in his second event.

LIV is off for the rest of the month and returns to Trump National Doral, April 5-7, for 2024 LIV Golf Miami.

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Anthony Kim will tee it up in a non-LIV Golf event next week

That’s one way to knock off competitive rust.

Anthony Kim is going to play three straight weeks in his return to professional golf.

On Saturday, the 38-year-old carded his best round with LIV Golf, a 2-over 72 at LIV Golf Hong Kong. He sits 8 over, tied with Phil Mickelson, heading into the final round. Kim’s second round included four birdies, his most in his five rounds yet.

Next week, though LIV Golf doesn’t have an event, he will join roughly 20 other golfers from the circuit at the Asian Tour’s International Series Macau. Also in the field are Patrick Reed, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia, among others.

International Series Macau will be at Macau Golf and Country Club in China. It’s the second International Series event of the year, with Carlos Ortiz winning the first two weeks ago in Oman.

LIV: Best photos from Hong Kong

The Asian Tour has a 10-year, $300 million partnership with LIV Golf. The circuit also awards world ranking points. Last year, Andy Ogletree earned a season-long exemption into LIV for winning the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.

Kim, a three-time PGA Tour winner, returned to professional golf last week after more than a decade away. After not beating anyone last week, he is ahead of only Hudson Swafford heading to the final round in China.

Watch: LIV Golf star makes long birdie, fan falls off barstool trying to catch souvenir

The fan who tried to make a play for the ball might have wound up with a bruise or two.

Adrian Meronk’s 64 wasn’t the best score of the second round at LIV Golf Hong Kong, in fact that honor went to Abraham Ancer, who finished with a 62 to cruise out to a five-stroke advantage heading into the final round of play at the Hong Kong Golf Club Fanling.

For Meronk, who admitted when he first joined LIV Golf that he did so due to his snub from the Ryder Cup team, the spectacular second round still has him looking way up the leaderboard at Ancer. Although his 64 put him at 8 under through the second round of play, Ancer’s scintillating effort pushed him to 15 under. He’s trailed by Harold Varner III and Eugenio Chacarra, both at 10 under, and the trio of Jon Rahm, Cam Smith and Henrik Stenson at 9 under.

But after Meronk drained a lengthy birdie putt on the 10th hole, one of seven birdies he posted on the day, he casually tossed the ball up into a gallery sitting in an adjacent bar area. The fan who tried to make a play for the ball might have wound up with a bruise or two.

In the team competition, Ancer’s Fireballs GC sits atop the leaderboard at 28 with Smith’s Ripper GC in second, just three shots behind.

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Photos: Best shots from 2024 LIV Golf Hong Kong

Check out some of the best shots of the week from Hong Kong.

LIV Golf is back in action this week as the league makes its first trip to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Golf Club will play host to 2024 LIV Golf Hong Kong, the fourth event of the new season. The club hosts the Hong Kong Open each year on the Asian Tour and plays to a par 70 at 6,710 yards.

Joaquin Niemann has won two of the first three events so far this season and sits atop the individual standings while Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC are first in the overall team standings after three top-five finishes, including a win, so far this year.

Check out the best photos of the week from 2024 LIV Golf Hong Kong at Hong Kong Golf Club.

Abraham Ancer, Dean Burmester tied for lead at LIV Golf Hong Kong; Phil shoots 80

Scores were all over the place in the opening round.

LIV Golf is at Hong Kong Golf Club in Hong Kong for its fourth event of the 2024 season, a unique course measuring only 6,700 yards.

Some players, like Abraham Ancer and Dean Burmester, took advantage Friday during the opening round. Others, like Anthony Kim and Phil Mickelson, did not.

Ancer and Burmester are tied for the lead after 7-under 63s on Friday. Burmester carded six birdies, an eagle and a bogey while Ancer fired a bogey-free round.

“I think it’s definitely a golf course that everybody likes,” said Ancer. “Like Dean was saying, even the long hitters enjoy it, as well, because if they’re going to hit some irons, they prefer hitting irons over 3-woods whenever it’s a really tight fairway. I think it just brings everybody in. It’s a great golf course to showcase where everybody is at.”

Meanwhile, in his fourth round of professional golf since his return, Anthony Kim shot 6-over 76, but he isn’t in last place on the leaderboard. He’s beating Lefty, who shot 10-over 80 in the first round. Mickelson had no birdies, three doubles and four bogeys.

Kim once again had a slow start, as he was 4 over after four holes.

There are six players tied for third at 6 under, including Louis Oosthuizen and Martin Kaymer. Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau are sitting at 5 under. Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann are T-18 at 3 under after the opening round.

‘It’s not for me’: Rory McIlroy shoots down any LIV Golf speculation

McIlroy said he’s too much of a traditionalist to join LIV but still wants golf to reunite.

While some took his tongue-in-cheek comments last week seriously, Rory McIlroy has set the record straight regarding his interest (or lack thereof) in LIV Golf.

“It’s not for me. I’m too much of a traditionalist,” McIlroy said in an interview with ESPN. “I love winning golf tournaments and looking at the trophy and seeing that Sam Snead won this trophy or Ben Hogan or Gene Sarazen or Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player, Tiger Woods or Nick Faldo, whoever it is, the people that came before me. That to me is a big deal in our game. If we were to all put our heads together and be like, ‘Okay, what can we do to all come back together and move forward and be a little more cohesive?’ Then I would sort of be for that.”

At last week’s Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, McIlroy was asked about some comments made by Andrew “Chubby” Chandler, McIlroy’s former manager. Chandler insinuated McIlroy’s softened stance on Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund being involved in pro golf could be a sign he’s ready to take his talents to LIV, and when asked about the comments, McIlroy couldn’t help but smile and laugh.

“I think he’s writing a book, so there is that. I spoke to Chubby, might have saw him in the Middle East at the start of the year. Never know. He might know a few things. Who knows,” McIlroy quipped at the time.

Over the last two years, the Northern Irishman has been outspoken against the PIF and LIV Golf. But over the last few months, McIlroy has admitted to being too harsh on the players who left and has said he wishes LIV players would be involved in the Ryder Cup. He has even “accepted reality” the PIF could be involved in the newly-created PGA Tour Enterprises, the for-profit golf entity that was originally supposed to comprise the PGA Tour and PIF before the Tour made a deal with an outside investment group, the Strategic Sports Group.

His feelings on the PIF’s involvement in pro golf may have changed, but his thoughts on LIV certainly have not.

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