LIV Golf poaching Jon Rahm from PGA Tour a ‘shot across the bow’ | Golf Today | Golf Channel

Shane Ryan calls in to discuss Chris Kirk’s victory at The Sentry, Scottie Scheffler being voted PGA Tour Player of the Year over Jon Rahm and more. #GolfChannel #GolfToday #JonRahm #ScottieScheffler
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LIV Golf poaching Jon Rahm from PGA Tour a ‘shot across the bow’ | Golf Today | Golf Channel
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IN THE WORLD OF GOLF. CHECK OUT X AND GOLF CHANNEL FOR ADDITIONAL CONTENT. GREAT TO SEE YOU, BUDDY, COMING OFF THE FIRST SIGNATURE EVENT ON THE YEAR. YOUR THOUGHTS ON CHRIS KIRK’S VICTORY? >> I WAS THERE FOR HIS FIRST VICTORY. IN FACT, IT WAS THE FIRST

TOURNAMENT I COVERED IN 2013 IN SEA ALOOND AND I WAS RIGHTING MY BOOK. AND YEAH, CHRIS KIRK. WHAT A GREAT STORY. ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE I INTERVIEWED AS A GOLF JOURNALIST. REALLY NICE GUY, AND ALL THE THINGS HE HAS GONE THROUGH, HE LOOKED GREAT.

AND HE LOOKED GREAT, AND HE COULDN’T STOP MAKING BIRDIES AND ME NEVER DID. >> THE FACT ABOUT STOP MAKING BIRDIES, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THE EASE? COMING OUT OF WINTER, A BIT OF A BIRDIE FEST. OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE A

LITTLE MORE RIGOR TO THE GUYS FIRST UP? >> I DON’T THINK IT’S THAT BIG OF A DEAL FOR ME. ONCE IN A WHILE, IN THE YEAR, I WANT TO SEE REALLY DIFFICULT CONDITIONS. IN THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, I ALWAYS WANT THE WIND TO BLOW,

BUT IN A TOURNAMENT LIKE THIS, A BEAUTIFUL SETTING, I THINK IT’S PRETTY COOL TO START THE YEAR, SEEING GUYS JUST ABLE TO TEAR ALL COURSE. SEEING EXCELLENCE AT LARGE, LIKE INVITING STEPH CURRY JUST TO SHOOT FREE THROWS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. BUT MORE EXCITING THAN THAT.

I THINK 29 UNDER DOESN’T BOTHER ME IN A TOURNAMENT LIKE THAT. I THINK HAWAII IN JANUARY IS THAT TIME AND PLACE. >> LET’S GET TO THE FIRST MINI CONTROVERSY OF THE YEAR. SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER VOTED PGA PLAYER OF THE YEAR LAST YEAR. HAD A FANTASTIC SEASON.

JON RAHM ONE A DIFFERENT PERIOD. THE DIFFERENCE WAS DECEMBER 1st TO DECEMBER 14th, JON RAHM LEFT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VOTING PERIOD TO GO LIV AFTER WEEKS INFERRING HE BUS GOINWAS GOING THE JUMP. DO YOU THINK THEY SAID, THERE’S

THE DOOR, WE’RE NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU A GOOD-BYE GIFT? >> WELL, LET ME GIVE YOU TWO ANSWERS. THE FIRST ANSWER, A DATA NERD WOULD SAY, SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER BY FAR LED EVERY PLAYER IN STROKES GAINED. HE WAS THE BESTBALL STRIKER ALL YEAR. HE WAS STATISTICALLY, THE BEST

PLAYER. IN THAT SENSE, YOU CAN EASILY JUSTIFY GIVING IT TO SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER, IN A VACUUM. >> THEY DON’T GET AWARDS OUT HERE FOR SPREAD SHEETS. THEIR GET AWARDS FOR TROPHIES. >> YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SHERLOCK HOLMES TO DEDUCE THAT. SCHEFFLER TO HIS CREDIT, WON THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP.

AND JON RAHM WON THREE PGA TOUR EVENTS AND HE WON THE MASTERS. IF THE SHOE WERE ON THE OTHER FOOT, AND SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER WAS THE ONE TO LEAVE TO GO TO LIV GOLF, DO I THINK THEY WOULD HAVE GIVEN IT TO JON RAHM? YES, I DO.

LOOK, YOU CAN JUSTIFY GIVING THE AWARD TO SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER. BUT SAYING IT DIDN’T INFLUENCE IT THERE. >> SOME WAY THE MASTERS IS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME. WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE VOTED FOR? I WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR JON RAHM, PERIOD, FULL STOP.

>> I THINK I WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR RAHM AS WELL. I GUESS WHAT I’M SAYING, IF YOU ARE GIVING AN MVP AWARD IN BASEBALL, YOU WILL SAY, WELL, THIS PLAYER DIDN’T WIN THE WORLD SERIES SO WE CAN’T GIVE HIM THE AWARD. I’M TAKING COMPLETE NUMBERS

THERE, I UNDERSTAND THAT, PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY THROWING ROTTEN VEGETABLES AT THE TV SCREEN NOW. I’M JUST SAYING, WANT BEST PLAYER IN TERMS OF WHO’S MAKING THE BEST SHOTS THE MOST SKINSKINLT CONSISTENTLY, IT’S SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER. I WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR RAHM.

I THINK THAT IT’S THE — DO YOU THINK IT’S UNLUCKY YOU HAD ONE MAJOR, AND HE GAVE AN HONEST ANSWER, NO, YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND WIN THE MAJORS AND THE MAJORS ARE A GOOD REFLECTION WHO THE BEST PLAYERS ARE. SO YES, YOU HAVE TO WIN.

I’M PLAYING DEVIL’S ADVOCATE WITH THE NUMBERS ANGLE. >> WE HAVEN’T TALKED ABOUT YOU, ABOUT DECIDING TO GO TO LIV. HE WON FOUR TIMES, AND INCLUDING MASTERS IN THERE. WILL BE TITLE DEFENSES, AND HE IS NOT PART OF THE TOUR ANYMORE. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF HIS

DECISION FOR THE MOST PART? >> YEAH, A LITTLE SURPRISING. THE QUOTE THAT EVERYBODY TROTTED OUT, YOU KNOW, I ALREADY GOT ENOUGH MONEY. THAT IS NOT WHAT MATTERS IN LIFE AND THAT STUFF. AND THEN HE GOES. I WOULD SAY PUTTING ASIDE THE MORALITY, THE ETHICS, FORTUNATELY OR NOT, IT’S ALMOST

A PASSE DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT IN GOLF. I THINK THE IMPACT IT HAS MORE BROADLY — THE BIGGEST THING, IT WAS A REAL SHOT ACROSS THE BOW FROM LIV GOLF TELLING THE PGA TOUR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A THOUGHT, AFTER WE DROP THE

LAWSUIT, HAVE YOU HAD A THOUGHT ABOUT TAKING BACK YOUR MONEY? YOU WILL DEAL WITH US TRYING TO APPROACH YOUR BEST PLAYERS AND SUCCEEDING. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF GUYS THAT LIV GOLF SIGNED, I THINK THE FIRST ONE THAT REALLY

STOPPED YOU IN YOUR TRACKS WAS CAM SMITH. THAT WAS ONE THAT WAS HARD TO EXPLAIN AWAY. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A REALLY GOD PLAYER IN HIS PRIME. THIS WAS THAT TIMES TEN. I MEAN, JON RAHM, WHETHER HE MOVES THE NEEDLE OR NOT, THE

POINT IS, HE IS A REALLY GOOD PLAYER, A FASCINATING PLAYER TO WATCH. ALWAYS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLAYERS TO TALK TO. SO FOR HIM TO GO TO LIV GOLF, IT’S A MASSIVE, MASSIVE MOMENT THAT WILL AFFECT FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS. >> THE BROADER NOISE AROUND THE

ISSUE CAME OUT LAST WEEK WITH THE NEWS THAT MACKENZIE HUGHES MADE. AND HE SUGGESTS, THERE IS A GROWING DIVIDE BETWEEN THE BEST PLAYERS AND THE REST OF THE PLAYERS. SOME GUYS ARE DRIVING THE BUS AND THE OVER GUYS ARE NOT CONSULTED ON THE DIRECTION THE

BUS IS GOING. DO YOU AGREE THAT IT’S GROWING MORE DIVIDED? AND DO YOU BUY IT? >> YEAH, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE A UNION. AT THIS POINT IN GOLF, IF YOU THINK YOU WILL COMMAND A LOT OF MONEY, YOU WILL GET A LOT OF

MONEY, AND IF YOU’RE A JOURNEYMAN, YOU HAVE TO GO ALONG FOR THE RIDE. I ALSO HEAR THE ARGUMENT, HEY, YOU ARE MAKING A LOT OF MONEY. AND THE HIGH TIDE WILL PROBABLY RAISE OFF SHIPS. AND THE MACKENZIE HUGHESES OF THE WORLD MAY NOT MAKE LESS

MONEY THAN I HAD WOULD BEFORE. IS IT INEVITABLE? YEAH. THE PGA TOUR HAD TO DO WHATEVER THEY WOULD TO TRY TOE AVOID DISROOTING THEIR SPORT AND VAT CATERING TO THEIR BEST PLAYERS SO THEY DON’T GO, AND SOMEONE WILL GET LOST IN THE MIX AND IT

WILL BE THE JOURNEY MAN. I HAVE HEARD THEM REFERRED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE A SAY, BUT IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW, THEY MAY ALSO NOT MAKE LESS MONEY. SO THERE ARE A FEW THINGS ABOUT THEM. >> IT’S JANUARY 8th.

THE DEADLINE MOVES FORWARD, AND TALKING ABOUT THIS FRAME WORK AGREEMENT. IS THE PGA TOUR IN A POSITION OF STRENGTH? IS IT A PRECARIOUS POSITION? WHERE DO YOU SEE THINGS NOW IN TERMS OF THE TOUR WITHOUT A DEAL IN PLACE AT THIS POINT? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, KEEPING IN

MIND THAT I’M NOT INSIDE THE NEGOTIATIONS ROOM, WHAT LOOKS LIKE TO ME, MOST PEOPLE AGREE, THEY ARE LOOKING AT THIS, THE MONEY MIGHT BE THE A GOOD WAY TO MITIGATE THE SAUDI INFLUENCE IN THIS, AND THE MONEY WILL NOT INVEST IN THE PGA TOUR, IF THE

REALITY IS, GUESS WHAT, YOU HAVE A RIVAL WITH BOTTOMLESS POCKETS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO POACH YOUR BEST PLAYERS. I THINK THEY WANT THE PIF INVOLVED AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THEY HAVE SHOWN HOW COMMITTED THEY ARE. AND HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE MONEY IS A LITTLE MORE NEG NEGLIGIBLE.

AND I THINK THEY IN A PRECARIOUS POSITION. IT BEHOOVES THEM TO DO A DEAL, AND THERE IS QUESTION IN HOW MUCH INFLUENCE THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE AFTER THE DEAL IS DONE. THEY ARE TRYING TO SEIZE THAT AND GET TO THE AND HAVE A SAY MOVING FORWARD.

BUT IT’S COMPLICATED WHO WILL BE BANKROLLING THIS. >> THERE IS A GROWING SENTIMENT IN CONVERSATIONS I HAVE WITH PEOPLE, AND YOU CERTAINLY SEE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. FANS ARE GETTING TURNED OFF BY ALL THE CONVERSATIONS, THE POLITICS, THE MONEY, THE BACK BITING.

I’M CURIOUS IF YOU THINK THAT IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING TRUE, THAT THEY CARE LESS, THEY ARE WATCHING LESS. IS THERE AN AFEFFECT ON THE PLAYERS? THE TRICK THE DOWN EFFECT TO THE FANS, WHO ARE TURNED OFF TO WHAT THE PLAYERS ARE SAYING AND DOING?

>> YEAH, I THINK IT’S A BIG POTENTIAL PROBLEM. AND YOU LOOK AT THE TV RATINGS LAST YEAR, THEY WEREN’T DOWN. THEY MAY HAVE GONE UP A LITTLE BIT, AND THIS YEAR WOULD BE A BIG TEST OF THAT. I DO THINK, IF YOU LOOK AT — I

WROTE ABOUT IT IN GOLF DIGEST. IF YOU LOOK AT INDY CAR, IT WAS BIGGER THAN NASCAR, AND ALMOST F1, AND THEY SPLIT. THEY TUNED OUT. YOU DIDN’T HAVE THE BEST PEOPLE COMPETING AGAINST EACH OTHER. AND BOXING, NOW THEY HAVE 8 MILLION DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATIONS.

YOU CAN’T GET THE TWO BEST PLAYERS TO FIGHT. MMA IS ON THE WAY IN POPULARITY. GOLF IS A NICHE SPORT LIKE THIS. IT’S ENJOYED GREAT VIEWER SUBPOENA, AND A SOMELID GROUP O PEOPLE. THIS IS NOT FOOTBALL, NOT BASEBALL. IT IS PRECARIOUS. AND IF YOU ANNOY ENOUGH FANS AND

HAVE A SCHISM FOR SO LONG, THAT IS A HUGE, HUGE ISSUE, AND THE PEOPLE ARE PAYING THE TV CONTRACT, THEY MAY SAY, WE ARE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR GOLF AT THIS POINT. I DON’T THINK IT JUSTIFIES RENEWING. YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.

AND WE HAVE TO WATCH THE TV RIGHTINGS CLOSELY THIS YEAR. LIKE, I DON’T CARE ABOUT THIS STUFF ANYMORE. >> SPEAKING OF SPLITS, TIGER WOODS AND NIKE PARTING WAYS OF SOME 27 YEARS TOGETHER, AS TIGER ANNOUNCED ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY. WHAT IS THE TOP LINE OR THE STORY?

THE STRENGTH AND LENGTH OF THE PARTNERSHIP OR THE NEW BEGINNING FOR TIGER? >> THE TOP LINE FOR ME, LOOK, I APPEAR ON THE GOLF CHANNEL ROUGHLY ONCE A MONTH, AND THERE IS SPACE HERE FOR NIKE. I CERTAINLY CAN BE BOUGHT. NO, THE TOP LINE GAME — YEAH,

JUST A LONG, LONG PARTNERSHIP. WE SAW A SIMILAR THING WITH NIKE AND ROGER FEDERER, WHERE IT GOT TO A POINT WHERE THEY ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE, AND BOTH PLAYERS START TO VALUE IT THERE. AND I REMEMBER BEING A KID WHEN TIGER WOODS CAME OUT, AND BUYING THE NIKE HATS.

AND IT IS A BRAND. AT THE TIME, YOU ASSOCIATED TIGER COMPLETELY WITH THE MIKE BRAND W THAT HAT. THAT IT’S CRAZY TO THINK HE WILL NOT WEAR THE SWOOSH ON HIS HEAD ANYMORE. >> WHEREVER HE GOES, I’M SURE YOU WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY SO AS