Fact or Fiction: LIV Golf Crashes Super Bowl Week, Asterisks in the PGA Tour Record Book
Welcome to another installment of SI Golf "Fact or Fiction," where in honor of WM Phoenix Open week we're recycling all our empty beer cans.
Once again, we hat tip our friends on the NFL side at SI as we post a series of topical statements for writers and editors to declare as “Fact” or “Fiction” along with a brief explanation. Responses may also be "Neutral" since there's a lot of gray area in golf.
Do you agree or disagree? Let us know on the SI Golf X (formerly Twitter) account or Instagram.
LIV Golf's second event is this week in Las Vegas, during the city's first Super Bowl week. Even though the tournament ends Saturday, this is terrible scheduling.
FICTION. Vegas is the center of the sports world this week. If LIV was going to stage its second event of the season anywhere in the world, why not there? Maybe they can lure a few athletes and celebs out to watch the event for some grass-roots fan-building.—Jeff Ritter
FICTION. Grabbing some of the Super Bowl spotlight is not a bad decision. The entire city of Las Vegas is getting ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday, so why not treat them to some golf and exposed them to something different than the PGA Tour.—Alex Miceli
LIV Golf is playing this week just off the Las Vegas Strip at Las Vegas Country Club.
Doug DeFelice/Courtesy LIV Golf
FICTION. The idea of playing the same week as the WM Phoenix Open is probably not wise, but going to Vegas during Super Bowl week—potentially—has benefits. LIV Golf is counting on the curiosity factor of those in town for the big game, including perhaps from those who might be interested sponsors. It has its risks—and high temperatures in the 50s won’t help—but this is probably worth the gamble for LIV Golf.—Bob Harig
NEUTRAL. A Super Bowl crowd has movers and shakers with money and a lot of them like golf, so expect at least a few to get to Las Vegas Country Club this week. But the final round going up against Saturday at TPC Scottsdale is no good for TV eyeballs, and shouldn't LIV start to care about that?—John Schwarb
NEUTRAL. It's pretty terrible, because obviously the town is going to be a complete zoo when it comes time for the tournament. But aside from logistical concerns, the Super Bowl and the VIPs that will likely show up at the event could provide some great publicity for LIV. The actual tournament will be majorly overshadowed, but I can already envision the viral social clips of some big names checking out LIV for the first time.—Gabby Herzig
PGA Tour Policy Board member Jordan Spieth said a deal with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia was no longer needed given the new agreement with the Strategic Sports Group. Though he softened that stance later, Spieth's original sentiment is valid.
FICTION. The Tour is rightfully feeling good about its new investment, but PIF has the deeper pockets and the Tour will be better off making them a partner rather than an adversary.—J.R.
FICTION. It’s not about the $1.5 billion or $3 billion, it’s about taking a potential competitor off the board. To suggest a deal with the PIF is not worth the time does not calculate the fact that the PIF can be not only an advocate for the PGA Tour, but also has connections and business savvy the PGA Tour does not currently possess.—A.M.
FICTION. The PGA Tour can certainly move ahead financially with the influx of cash from SSG. But there’s a big picture here. Do you want to compete against the PIF? The sovereign wealth fund is projected to be worth $1 trillion by 2025. The few billions it is spending on LIV Golf is a blip. Does the PGA Tour risk LIV poaching more players? Does the golf world at large really want a divided game? This probably deserves a re-think from Spieth.—B.H.
FICTION. Spieth may not think a PIF deal is necessary, but he has to know the Tour needs LIV players back in its biggest events. And Yasir Al-Rumayyan won't let his players moonlight on the PGA Tour for free, they're his biggest asset. He'll want a deal first.—J.S.
FICTION. At this point, I do think the PIF deal is necessary. I can't imagine men's professional golf continuing down this road of division for much longer. If the new agreement with the SSG prevents the unity that all golf fans have been yearning for since the inception of LIV, then that's a major problem.—G.H.
The PGA Tour lists rounds of 60 and lower in its official record book. Those played under lift, clean and place rules—such as Wyndham Clark's 60 at Pebble Beach—should have an asterisk.
FICTION. No asterisks for a 60, unless that was his score through 17 holes. Clark's round was epic, won him the event and deserves to be remembered accordingly.—J.R.
FACT. Rounds of 60 with ball in hand versus a 60 playing the ball down are different. It’s not too difficult to see the difference.—A.M.
FACT. If for not other reason than to give context to the rounds. Al Geiberger’s 59—the first sub-60 score in PGA Tour history, shot in 1977 and 14 years prior to the next—was played under lift, clean and place rules. He won the tournament despite not shooting any rounds in the 60s. It was a remarkable achievement and nobody diminishes it because preferred lies were in use. But it makes sense to note the accomplishment when played under those conditions.—B.H.
FICTION. As the saying goes, no pictures on the scorecard. And no asterisks in the record book. Just too messy for a game with so many variables.—J.S.
FICTION. I don't think so. Wyndham still made 190—yes, 190—feet of putts that day at Pebble Beach. A 60 is a 60.—G.H.
