Is Talor Gooch right that LIV creates an asterisk for major winners? | Golf Today | Golf Channel

Kira K. Dixon and Rex Hoggard report on Monday’s PGA Tour Policy Board meeting and an updated timeline for a PIF deal, before Eamon Lynch and George Savaricas debate over Talor Gooch’s comments on asterisks for majors. #GolfChannel #GolfToday #TalorGooch
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Is Talor Gooch right that LIV creates an asterisk for major winners? | Golf Today | Golf Channel
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1.5 BILLION, A NEW ENTERPRISE WHERE SSG WILL BE A MINORITY INVESTOR. FOR MORE LET’S WELCOME IN KIRA K. DIXON FROM PGA NATIONAL. THERE’S A POLICY BOARD MEETING YESTERDAY ON SITE AT THE COGNIZANT CLASSIC. WHAT WAS YOUR TAKEAWAY FROM THE MEETING? >> YEAH, GEORGE, FLORIDA

CERTAINLY MEANS THAT THE POLITICS OF THE PGA TOUR ARE COMING MORE TO THE FOREFRONT. YESTERDAY, THE PGA TOUR’S POLICY BOARD MET ON SITE HERE AT PGA NATIONAL FROM ABOUT 1:00 TO ABOUT 7:45 IN THE EVENING. NOW, JAY MONAHAN DID MEET WITH YASSER EL RAMAYAN, THE GOVERNOR

OF THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND OF SAUDI ARABIA A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. THERE WAS NO SAUDI OR PIF PRESENCE IN YESTERDAY’S MEETING. IN TERMS OF THE CONTENT, THEY DISCUSSED PLENTY OF THE CONTINUED UNANSWERED QUESTIONS THAT WE OFTEN HEAR ABOUT. THE PLAYER THAT I SPOKE TO THAT

WAS IN THE MEETING, A MEMBER OF THE PGA TOUR POLICY BOARD SAID THAT IT IS A GREAT TIME TO BE A PROFESSIONAL GOLFER IN THE CLIMATE THAT WE HAVE TODAY. BUT ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE GAME, AND THEIR PRIORITIES CONTINUE TO

BE — TO GET THE BEST PLAYERS TOGETHER AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE, AND ANOTHER PRIORITY IS TRYING TO ALLEVIATE THE CONSTANT DRAMA AND DISTRACTION THAT COMES WITH THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE BEEN HAVING ABOUT THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND AND LIV GOLF AND

THE FACT THAT THAT VERY MUCH AFFECTS THE PGA PRODUCTS DAY IN AND DAY OUT. AND THE PRODUCT THE FANS CONSUME. IN TERMS OF TIMING, THEY’RE LOOKING AT HOPEFULLY HAVING A RESOLUTION BY THE END OF THE YEAR. BUT THERE’S PLENTY OF DIVISION,

GEORGE, THAT STILL REMAINS WHEN IT COMES TO THE SUBJECT OF WHAT TO DO WITH LIV GOLF. >> ALL RIGHT. SO DEFINITELY AN IMPORTANT KERNEL IN KIRA’S REPORT. THEY’RE SAYING TIMING AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WE’RE GOING TO DIVE INTO THIS IN JUST A SECOND. LET’S WELCOME IN GOLFCHANNEL.COM

SENIOR WRITER, REX HOGGARD, WHAT’S YOUR REACTION TO WHAT CAME OUT OF YESTERDAY’S MEETING? >> I THINK WE STARTED TO HEAR THIS OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS. I MEAN, I THINK THERE WAS A LEVEL OF OPTIMISM FROM PEOPLE INSIDE THE PGA TOUR AND THE DP

WORLD TOUR THAT MAYBE A DEAL WITH THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND COULD GET COMPLETED BY THE TIME THEY GET TO THE MASTERS, WHEN KEITH PELLEY ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS STEPPING DOWN, HE VOICED THE IDEA THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING BEFORE THEY GOT TO THE

MASTERS AND WHEN HE WAS GOING TO STEP DOWN AS CEO OF THE DP WORLD TOUR, THAT SEEMS UNDOABLE. THE POLICY BOARD AFTER YESTERDAY’S MARATHON MEETING IS GETTING AN IDEA OF HOW COMPLICATED THIS IS GOING TO BE. WHEN I’VE TALKED WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH SIMILAR

MULTIBILLION DOLLAR DEALS, THEY POINT OUT THERE’S A LOT OF COMPLEXITIES AND NUANCES WHEN IT COMES TO THESE TYPES OF DEALS. WHAT’S GOING TO MAKE THIS ONE MORE DIFFICULT IS YOU’RE STARTING TO DEAL WITH COMPETING INTERESTS AND COMPETING MOTIVATIONS HERE. I THINK WE JUST TALKED ABOUT

THIS YESTERDAY. THE IDEA THAT JON RAHM TOLD ESPN HE HASN’T SPOKEN WITH TIGER WOODS SINCE HE JOINED LIV GOLF AND PART OF THE COMPONENT, IF THERE’S GOING TO BE A DEAL BETWEEN THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND AND THE PGA TOUR IS WELCOMING PLAYERS BACK WHO

JOINED LIV GOLF INTO THE PGA TOUR AND THAT’S A REALLY GOOD INDICATION THAT’S NOT ON THE HORIZON ANYTIME SOON. >> WHEN YOU HEAR THE TIME LINE BEING THE END OF THE YEAR, AND WHEN THE DEAL WAS KIND OF FIRST ANNOUNCED JUNE 6th OF LAST YEAR,

I HAD PEOPLE TELLING ME, SUMMER OF ’24, END OF ’24 IS MORE REALISTIC THAN THE END OF ’23. DO YOU VIEW THIS UPDATED TIME LINE IN ANY WAY AS A SETBACK OR IS IT MORE INDICATIVE OF THE COMPLEXITIES AND MULTIPLE STAKE

HOLDERS INVOLVED TO TRY AND GET THIS DEAL TO COME TO FRUITION? >> I THINK YOUR FRIENDS ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THIS IS ALL ABOUT BEING REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO IN THAT TIME FRAME. I WAS TOLD BY PEOPLE INTERNALLY AT THE PGA TOUR WHEN THEY FIRST

ANNOUNCED THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT AND CAME UP WITH THE DECEMBER 31st DEADLINE. THAT WAS TO GET EVERYONE MARCHING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. THEY DIDN’T HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS, THEY WOULD HAVE A COMPLETED DEAL BY THEN. THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE WAS SORT OF DRIVING

TOWARDS THE SAME GOAL. I THINK YOU’RE RIGHT, THE END OF THIS YEAR IS PROBABLY A MUCH BETTER SCENARIO. YOU CAN WORK OUT ALL OF THESE DETAILS. AS I PIANOEOINTED OUT, BRINGING LIV PLAYERS BACK, HOW ARE THE PLAYERS WHO STAYED LOYAL TO THE PGA TOUR GOING TO BE

COMPENSATED. I THINK ALL OF THESE THINGS NEED TIME TO WORK OUT. >> HE IS GOLFCHANNEL.COM SENIOR WRITER, REX HOGGARD. YOU’VE HEARD WHAT KIRA AND REX HAD TO SHARE. IF YOU TAKE A 10,000 FOOT VIEW O AT WHERE THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW, WHAT’S YOUR TAKE?

>> I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANY SURPRISE IN TERMS OF THE TIME LINE HERE. REX AND KIRA ARE RIGHT IN TERMS OF GRANULAR ISSUES, THE PEOPLE I HAVE TALKED TO IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS SUGGEST THAT THE STUMBLING BLOCK THIS THIS TIME CONSUMING

PART OF THIS IS WHO MAKES DECISIONS. WHO IS AUTHORIZED AND EMPOWERED TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THE PIF SIDE OF THINGS, IN TERMS OF THOSE GNARLY QUESTIONS. I DON’T BELIEVE BASED ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT THAT PERSON HAS BEEN YET IDENTIFIED. I DON’T THINK ANYONE BELIEVES

THE FINANCIALS ARE GOING TO BE A HUGE PROBLEM IN THIS BECAUSE IN A LOT OF WAYS, THE FINANCIALS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE. IT’S VERY CLOSE TO A MIRROR IMAGE IN SOME WAYS WITH THE DEAL WE SAW WITH STRATEGIC SPORTS GROUP. THE FENWAY GUYS FROM BOSTON.

I THINK THERE ARE COMPLICATED ISSUES HERE EVEN OUTSIDE OF GOLF THAT ARE GOING TO BE POTENTIALLY PROBLEMATIC. YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT A REGULATORY SCRUTINY FROM THE GOVERNMENT. YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THE SITUATION THAT THE PGA TOUR HAS NO CONTROL OVER. I MEAN, THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT

FUND IS CURRENTLY IGNORING SUBPOENAS FROM CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRIES IN OTHER AREAS. THREATENING TO GEL ITS OWN ADVISERS IN AMERICA WHO WORK FOR THEM IF THEY COMPLY WITH THE SUBPOENAS. THE CONFLICTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST ARE ANY NUMBER OF THINGS THAT COULD DELAY AND RATTLE THIS PROCESS.

I THINK YOU’RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY WELL INTO 2025 BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY START TO GET A VISION OF WHAT THIS SOLUTION WOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE GROUND, MUCH LESS SEEING IT IN THE GROUND. >> ASSUMING THIS MOVES FORWARD ON A TRAJECTORY WHERE THE PUBLIC

INVESTMENT FUND IS ABLE TO COME IN WITH THE PGA TOUR AND SSG GROUP, AT WHAT POINT COULD GOLF FANS THINK, OKAY, WE HAVE A LEVEL OF STABILIZATION. NOW WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUTURE COULD LOOK LIKE. >> THE MULTIBILLION DOLLAR QUESTION AT THIS POINT.

IT WOULD SEEM VERY CLEAR IF YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT BEING INTO 25 BEFORE THERE’S AGREEMENT REACHED ON THE BROAD STROKES, THE TERMS OF WHAT A RESOLVED, PEACEFUL GOLF LANDSCAPE WOULD LOOK LIKE, YOU’VE GOT TO REALISTICALLY BEING LOOKING AT 2027 BY THEN.

IF JON RAHM LEFT A FEW MONTHS AGO THINKING HE WOULD BE BACK WITH HIS POCKETS FULL IN A FEW MONTHS, HE’S DELUSIONAL. I THINK THERE ARE GOING TO BE PARALLEL TOURS RUNNING FOR QUITE SOME TIME. IF THAT’S WHAT JON RAHM LEFT ON

THAT BASIS, HE WAS SOLD A BILL OF GOODS. THERE ARE A LOT OF THORNY ISSUES HERE, AND THOSE THORNY ISSUES AREN’T GOING TO BE RESOLVED ANYTIME SOON, WHICH ALSO MAKES AUSTRALIAN GOLF DIGEST QUITE INTERESTING THAT WE SAW COME OUT THIS MORNING AS WELL AND THIS IS

WHAT TAYLOR GOOCH HAD TO SAY, IF RORY McILROY FINISHES HIS CAREER GRAND SLAM WITHOUT SOME O. BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD THERE’S GOING TO BE AN ASTERISK. FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. IT’S INTERESTING COMING FROM TALOR. HE WASN’T ELIGIBLE FOR THE U.S.

OPEN LAST SUMMER. HE DECLINED ENTERING QUALIFYING TO MAKE HIS WAY INTO THE FIELD, SO I GUESS HAVING TAKING A HAND FROM THE SAUDIS, HE WANTED ONE FROM THE USGA AS WELL. THERE’S NO ONE WHO QUALIFIES AS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE FIELD.

THERE ISN’T A SINGLE EVENT ON THE PLANET THAT’S DIMINISHED BY THE ABSENCE OF THALOR GOOCH. >> HOW CAN YOU SAY THERE ISN’T A SINGLE EVENT WHERE IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER RANKING METRICS OUT THERE ASIDE FROM THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKINGS, HAVE THEM

PLAY AMONG TOP 50, TOP 60. >> THEY’RE ALL IN THE FIELD AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL. BEAU HOSSLER IS THE TOP GUY IN THAT FIELD WHO WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE. NO ONE WHO QUALIFIES AS A BEST PLAYER IS NOT IN THE FIELD AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL.

THIS IS NONSENSE THAT TALOR IS PUTTING OUT THERE. IF YOU’RE GOING TO USE THE ASTERISK ARGUMENT, IT’S EVERY OPEN CHAMPION PREARNOLD PALMER, BECAUSE THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD DIDN’T BOTHER TO APPLY THE OPEN AT THAT STAGE AS WELL. I THINK ONCE YOU GET INTO THE

IDEA THAT THE BEST PLAYERS ARE SOMEHOW BEING EXCLUDED, THEY’RE NOT RIGHT NOW. THEY HAVE ELIGIBILITY. HE’S TALKING SPECIFICALLY THE MASTERS BEING DIMINISHED IN APRIL IF SOMEBODY WINS AND THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD WERE NOT THERE. THE BEST PLAYERS ARE THERE.

>> I WOULD SAY THERE’S SOME CREDENCE TO HIS OVERALL MESSAGING, WHERE I DON’T THINK IF YOU LOOK AT NOT JUST THE MASTERS BUT BEYOND THAT, PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, U.S. OPEN, THE OPEN WITH THE CURRENT QUALIFICATION CRITERIA, AND THE DIMINISHED NUMBERS OF LIV

GOLFERS FROM 2022 TO WHERE WE’RE AT NOW, BUT, YEAH, IT’S NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST INDICATION, IF YOUR GOAL IS TO GET THE BEST 156 PLAYERS OR BEST 90, YOU’RE NOT NECESSARILY FULFILLING THAT OBLIGATION, BUT THE MAJORS HAVE THEIR OWN CRITERIA. IT’S NOT ALWAYS THE GOAL TO GET

THE BEST 156 PLAYERS, YOU’RE GETTING A SNAPSHOT OF SOME OF THE BEST PLAYERS ALONG WITH SECONDARY CRITERIA. IF YOU LOOK AT GOLF HISTORICALLY, BLACK PLAYERS WEREN’T ALLOWED AT THE MASTERS UNTIL 1975. SO YOU COULD LOOK AT. SO EXCLUSIONARY POLICIES PRIOR

TO THAT AND SAY, OKAY, THERE IS A BIT OF AN ASTERISK BECAUSE IT WASN’T OPENED UP TO NECESSARILY THE BEST GOLFERS IN THE 1940s, ’50s, AND ’60s, UNTIL THE MID-’70s GOING FORWARD. YOU LOOK AT IT BASEBALL AND BABE RUTH, HE ONLY PLAYED AGAINST

WHITE PLAYERS UNTIL JACKIE ROBINSON IN 1947. DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE’RE SEEING WITH LIV GOLFERS. ANECDOTALLY, YOU SAY THERE COULD BE AN ASTERISK BUT IT’S NOT WHAT THE AVERAGE GOLFER THINKS LONG-TERM, I WOULD SAY. >> IT’S VERY DIFFERENT TO BE EXCLUDED ON THOSE BASIS, VERSUS

GUYS WHO CHOSE TO TAKE THEMSELVES OUT OF THE PROCESS AND WANT THE RULES REWRITTEN WHEN THEY GET THERE. IT’S NOT A PROBLEM NOW. AT SOME POINT, THE MAJ