LIV Golf 2024 Midseason Review by Golf Lovers United!

The 2024 #LIVGolf Season is at its midway point – with 7 of the 14 global #golf events this season completed to date.

This conversation between @BenGolfLoverUK & @progolfcritic provides a wide ranging mid-season review of the @LIVGolf Season. Discussing the broadcast, performance of teams, individuals, and the overall experience of LIV Golf Events.

We also explore the potential for improvement of the product and the addition of new personalities to enhance the experience.

The conversation covers a wide range of topics related to the LIV Golf Season, including player performance, team dynamics, and predictions for the remainder and 2nd half of the season.

We also delve into the challenges and opportunities in the world of global professional golf. The hosts express their love for the game and their excitement for the future of the sport.

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it is the season not to be jolly but to review a midseason live review now people have said we’ve not talked enough about Liv which I find Brilliant because we also other people say we talk too much about Liv fact about in fact we did a we did a show which we didn’t talk about Liv from talking about Blandy for a bit so look yeah it’s one of those things you and I both love give live golf um I want to talk about the teams I want about the individuals but first of all I just want to talk about things that have been different about Liv this year or things you particularly enjoyed about Liv this year and also things I think that can be improved about Liv I’ll start off Rachel Drummond is a breath of fresh air and fantastic agree I think that I’m not sure who made the decision whether it was James Watson whoever it was made decision to bring in I’m bringing Rachel to the broadcast team she is phenomenal she’s personable she loves golf she’s obviously a great gol can play really well the players have an instant relationship with her she’s an absolute breath of fresh air and and a hugely positive addition to the broadcast so I don’t want to get out there straight away there’s other good things about but that’s a new addition a new thing have you got anything that you think is you’d like to talk about in that in that realm yeah no I completely agree with you on on Rachel I think she’s been a great great addition uh you know I think that they need to she’s going to come on a show did I tell you oh no I didn’t know that so great Rach exchanged me messages she’s gonna come on the show at some point do a podcast not sure do we might we might do a live one a record one um JCB I’m not sure but she’s going to come on the podcast be nice to get to dial in rather than do a live one there because just like in the way it’ be a bit different yeah oh for sure for sure no I think it would be great she would be be um she’s been been a great addition for sure I I definitely think I mean uh I’ll be honest like uh losing Troy Mullins has been it’s something that like everyone that I talk to on social media or just like about uh live in general has me mentioned that they miss Troy in a lot lot of ways I think Rachel being on there has uh softened that uh blow and I think that if she is like Incorporated more into the broadcast I I think it would be additive uh for sure um and I think there’s honestly room for also sort to get into the I mean I don’t even really want want to call it a CR criticism because it’s not you know I think that there’s like more uh I I think Li has has spent so much time the last two years leaning into like the serious side of golf like oh yeah this is like real competition which it obviously is it’s not even a question going just FL your John daily idea I Love It Go on yeah just FL yeah like I I think that it could be more fun like I think that we have these party holes we have these like you know really fun fan Village uh things like we need to bring in more people that like are more about the fun and less about the golf and and it doesn’t have to be all the time it’s not as a joke it’s not as a bit of stick but I would love I I would love and I’m going to think I’m you to add to your John Daly have key from drunk by a turn ripping darts with John Daly chatting to fans and like two three minutes three times a broadcast that’s what it needs to be yes just chatting with fans having a chat like in a slightly different way yes be brilliant yeah or going over over to the fan this is something something that we talked with Peter cus about a little bit it’s like going over to the fan Village and like giving yeah the audience at home a little bit of a taste of live in some some way it’s like we’ve been to a plenty of live live events and it’s like there’s so many kids that like they don’t necessarily make it all the way out to the golf course because there’s so much fun being had in the fan Village and I get that the broadcast is like most mostly about the golf but it’s like I think that that’s something that they’re trying to tap into a little bit like they did it at Adelaide for sure um except that I think that uh that that’s something make making it more fun bringing in some more uh sort of fun personalities I think is a good thing I think honestly Christian Crosby has been uh kind of in that realm of of like bringing in the fun element because look he’s he’s not a golf he’s not a golf guy he’ll be the first to to ADM the criticism not the criticism wrong word the the comment is that he’s not a golf guy he’s not a golf guy what he is what he is is a high energy guy trying to get people in trying to work trying to get a Vibe as the kids would say you said Riz on the last podcast like to Google that just check you wouldn’t taking a piss at me so I think Christian has that has that vibe that he brings and that’s important but he’s needed to do that because he isn’t a golf guy right exactly and I think you you can sort of uh ju the position like a a female host that’s like kind of in the same realm that like look that likes golf but not isn’t necessarily a golfer like somebody like I mean someone that um I know from the sort of Pop Culture world that uh Mrs Pro Golf critic is a big fan of oh yeah they need to bring in uh Kendra Wilkinson who’s like a a big personality here in the United States she’s had her own reality TV shows for a while uh she was you know part of the Girl Next Door okay yeah so she’s just like she’s a fun personality she actually loves golf too but she’s not like a serious golfer at all she just really really liked likes golf but she’s really personable she’s all about having fun she was like Hugh Hefner’s uh uh one of his girlfriends in the Playboy Mansion like she’s got a great background uh and it doesn’t have to be her but somebody of her IL I think just like bringing more fun because there’s so many people that want to make live more like the PJ tour and it just drives me nuts when I hear that because it’s like no live if if anything needs to be less like the P PJ tour and all the other established tours out there like if you really want to grow Golf and bring in more casual fans you have to continue to do stuff that the PJ tour or like all those other tour uh tours are not gonna do and you need to lean into the you know I think could be really good on the show who who’s got seems to have a fantastic personality I think comes across fantastically on social media is Haley Ostrom oh yeah I can see that yeah she’s a great she’s a great gol Paige spanic would be a good one one too like there is a lot of great golf personalities out there that are then male golf personalities they should be bringing in to do more on the TV would be you and I well you can do do that I don’t necessarily need need to be on TV it’s not something that I’m interested no I I really don’t need to do it it’s just I I enjoy chatting and I and I like a micone no so so do I no that that is true that that was nice uh uh self-promotion though I’ll give you just so no one forgets that that you and I while we do have full-time jobs we could probably slip in four to five days 14 times a year at Live Events look I’m happy to do I I’ll do the non US events I’ll do the non- US events just I’ll do those ones there may be way more there may be way more non US events next year too I’ll go I’ll go with the fans and smoke a few cigarettes I’m all good with that I’ll take that roll on I can like that but no having more fun bringing in more personalities like there’s this whole YouTube golf space that like Bryson has been fully immersed in for the last like year or two bring in more of those personality you’re you’re going to bring in a younger de demographic like bringing in good good as much as I don’t like four maybe not not even forplay but like good good Luke K Quan like all of these like personalities that are out out there Grant Horvat has been at a a bunch of Live Events he was just doing a uh One V one versus Sergio Garcia he’s done one V ones with Bryson like he’s um I think he’s doing one with walking and Neiman too so I mean there there’s like a a lot of things going on in the YouTube world that they should be bringing in uh like that would be a real really good component to okay so we we love the product um we love the production um Keith hland I’ve said it once I’ll say it twice I’ll say it a million times and Keith coming on the podcast soon what he does in that mixing truck and that production Booth is unbelievable yeah and um yeah just very grateful he he’s behind look if there was one criticism I had and you you I I I still can’t believe it wasn’t tape I hate I hated the bowling cup noise I love that noise I’m sorry I we’re gonna disagree on this I think the last event they might have taken it out last to bring it back last two events not been on and I and I and and while some people say it’s not recorded it doesn’t always line up 100% where they have a mic open so like you you’ve had you You’ had a mic open for ball going in and you’ve I think it was at myo but I might be wrong you had the ball going in the hole from Ian polter’s p or [ __ ] and then it flicked to Bryson or John Ron pulling pulling one left and he would I was like no not def that’s it might have been a delay like look I believe that’s my that’s but if that’s my only criticism that fair once yeah so like but we will uh uh no the broadcast is what what it is we’re both huge F fans of this um of the broadcast I I do want to move into the teams though because that’s where a lot of my let’s get let’s get into teams let’s let’s get into teams let’s talk about it let’s let’s look at it let’s enjoy it um Al I’ll start it off because look I’ve got my my for AC’s hat on I’ve got it on in every single episode that we do everybody knows that I love the aces obviously the aces have not been playing well this year and I’m I’m I’m actually really disappointed we’re at the halfway part of the season and they’re 10th out of 13 teams they had one good result in Las Vegas early in the year they finished second um outside of that they have they haven’t even cracked the top half of of the team they’ve only had they’ve only had one their highest they they had they gone 12 so out of 13 12 2 10 tied seven 8 12 tied eight yeah it’s not good it’s not good and we are we are going to have a chat with the Four Aces GM uh Chris Rosas at some some point as well I’ve already had a few chats with him already about what I feel like the team needs to do going going forward that being said I think the rest is it Anon du [Music] har look I don’t think I like hv3 he seems to not he seems to not be maybe an integral member of that team correct I think that seems to be that P Reed double P tight DJ’s tight with with with double p and p re it seems that hv3 is I’m not saying he’s disliked But but so no one take that the wrong way that’s not what I’m saying at all like no look I’ll Point other words look at the range goats they look tight yes wolf Uline and he was better on the Range they look tight together yes so what mean Co it doesn’t feel like HV you and I have been to Live Events hv3 is happy people talk to him he’s liked not like I’m not saying he’s disliked I need to make abundantly clear he doesn’t seem to be fully in that four races in the same way that maybe the other three are no I don’t think it’s a great fit um I think personality wise that’s why some of his team moves are so interesting to me is because I think he was much better as the range goat I I think the range goat’s culture um and look these teams haven’t been around that that long so it’s hard for me to like talk about about culture but it is true I’ve been around the range goats a little bit um and I’ve been around the aces like they have like an established culture yeah Harold does not fit into the AC’s culture he just doesn’t you can you can see the culture kind of forming already with some of their identities and yes like with the Rippers they got their culture and click’s not so much like smash they kind of got their culture they’re quite serious they down and at it have a bit of a joke later on but it’s off the course they’re doing their filming for their jokes the day the day before the proam they’re doing it the the afternoon of the practice day they got like a day and a half while they have to play Legion 13 seem quite serious Nat I do worry if that’s a little bit too serious to it with John who’s obviously not having the greatest start into to his major season they got s they got young Caleb in there maybe they need to ease off some of that seriousness in some ways for him but you can start to see those those those those relationships and those those patterns forming yes for sure and I think look Legion for uh all of my criticism of of them before this this the season started I didn’t think they were going to be a top three I didn’t even think they they’ be a top six team uh because I I thought there are two uh there are third and fourth players were somewhat unproven but they’ve proven me wrong look they’re they’re second in the standings they they won two events this year like Legions been the second best team I mean pretty I mean them and the Rippers have been sort of battling out for the the second best team they’ve all won uh twice so so far but I mean The Crushers are the look Crushers are the defending Champions they’re the class of of live right right now they won two events they finished second and fourth and two other events they did kind of struggle a little bit in Singapore but I think that was more of a blip um I think the Crushers of the team you can’t you can’t I think we will see lots of winners of live team golf that aren’t the best over the season because golf isn’t a sport where you’ve always got your best game with you correct it’s it’s not like football where no soccer as you call it where you’re the best team over the season and if if one of you is having a bad game got three amazing Subs to bring on it’s not quite the same if I I think we all see a couple of we saw it last year in the in in the in the in the playoff in the team playoffs there were a couple of results that kind of went the wrong way based on Chalk didn’t get it so I think that’s going to be interesting to see well I think the other thing is like because this is a global tour they play such a variety of golf courses like you’re you see a lot of sort of change week week to week because there’s certain courses that that just favors certain teams and C certain players that’s just how it is so what what are your thoughts then obviously um I’m just looking at things on the phone to get some data I’m surfing people some people say do you not listen to Jay no I never listen to him or I’m actually looking at my phone because if I can look at my phone it means I can look at things at the same time I have to take massive pauses people are morons so if anyone anyone want to know my what my system is of this I’ve got the live golf app open i’ got live golf website open on on one page and I got the live golf app open on the other page on my phone because it allows me just to look at two at once yep because you can’t see no not G live you can’t see on the PJ or any any website all of the things at once so look CLE couple of elephants in the room let’s talk about them I love the Majestics I know where you’re going yeah I love the Majestics Ian so do I I spent time I spent time with Ian I spent a little bit of time with Lee I spent time with members of the Majestics operations team there is no team I want to do about there’s no team I want to go to Houston and then finish third second first more than Majestics there’s no team I want to go to valderama and get a top three finish more than Majestics go to England get a top Place second place finish to the Majestics I am rooting for them big time but they aren’t they aren’t performing well they’re 12th that’s not where they want to B no um they have had a couple of half decent finish at at a seventh and a fourth so they they’ve played well but Hong Kong was good for them they they they’ve relied heavily by and large heavily on Henrik Stenson and um in poter yes to to to to be to be their point scorers Henrik henrik’s 35th over in B 37th and when you’re relying heavily on two people that aren’t having bad had Seasons but not the seasons they might want to have and you got Sam horfield who has had a a pretty poor year he’s only scored points on two occasions the first event and first event in myoba and Hong Kong yeah and Lee Westwood has scored hasn’t scored any points all season in yeah it’s been a tough scene for Lee for sure it’s they are they are I’m wearing their hat I got one of their shirts um I’ve got a majestic shirt too I’ve never wared on the show but I do have one I I I want them to be I want them to be good but we’ got the Majestics who aren’t performing well and the other the other two teams aren’t performing well that that need to be mentioned because High Flyers and the iron heads look the the the aces are 10th we’ve covered them but there’s a big gap between the Aces and High Flyers right in in points So High Flyers n heads it’s it’s a case of where where are we with those three teams yeah you know the high high Flyers they did have a pretty good result there in um Australia they finalie but again they’ve had a third Majestics had a fourth outside of that no one’s writing home to their M tell them what they done are they no no I mean they’ve had obviously you had Brendan steel just kind of come out of somewhat come out of nowhere even though he he told me and convinced me in Miami that uh he was he was playing well and good results were coming from for him for him and goes out and wins Adelaide so I got to shout out Brendan seal Brendan Seal’s um played really well he’s he’s been the bright spot for the high flowers so so far I I like Brendan but I got to pull you up on it bright spot and went to Singapore finish tied 40th yeah yeah he just consistency is Def definitely a hard hard thing except I mean Cameron tringali we gotta gotta talk about him like Cameron tringali was was a top 16 player last year and he’s in 40th right right now like he’s only he’s uh his best finish uh just came in Singapore he was 14th uh which is like a pretty good F like I think that he he’s trending but he also I remember the last day he was kind of Inc contention at Singapore and then he made quad to I’m not saying I’m not saying you’re being hard in ogal tree but like not hard on Kevin chungal but actually Ogle tree for me is had a Worst season I know he’s ranked 28th versus jungal 40th yeah but Ogle tre’s had one result one result where he’s finished better than 30th and the other two one two three four five so he’s had seven events yeah seven events he’s had a he’s had a third 29th and everything else has been worse than 40th two of have been worse than 50th without that so he’s got 17 points in in in in total yeah and they all came from one event yeah yeah no it’s crazy like that’s why why is Ogle tree and OG tree so good he’s was so good in the Asian tour so good in international series good good in the international Series this year why is he not what do you think is the issue on live for him yeah it’s a good question I think that I mean it could be be mental where he he does feel a lot lot of pressure look a lot of these players this is something that we talked about at the beginning of season there’s a lot of these players are under a lot of pressure this season because if if you don’t finish top 24 and we know next year there’s probably gonna be a fair amount of turnover there’s going to be new players new Talent come coming in a lot of these guys are are not going to be on live next year if they don’t play well and I think ogal Tru was one had a very slow start because he was feeling that pressure that being said uh the one good result that he had in Adelaide like he was in contention for a good part of it he finished third which is I mean really great finish um except then he backed it up with with a 45th at Singapore so um I I think that we need to see something from Andy ogl Tre like I don’t I don’t know uh what it’s gonna take for him like he’s just very inconsistent like he’s very much like you know hit or miss and not a lot in between so like the the High Flyers need some con some consistency that’s like the number one thing um I’ve already said I thought Phil was going to have a really strong second half of the season I want to see him prove it I think they’re going to some courses that are that going to suit him pretty well towards the end of the season so but again we’re gonna have to see how it all play plays out High Flyers definitely need to’s step it up what do you think about like I I wish that a team could bring in new talent in this sort of trading window I don’t want to upset relationships but Sam Horford’s not playing very well would it be better if Lorie Canter that that’s unfair that’s unfair because Lor’s not actually on the active Squad he played in the first two so yeah would so let’s take let’s take the existing two Hudson sford and Anthony Kim no they aren’t playing better than they aren’t playing better currently than than um Sam morfield so you wouldn’t swap them in but let’s say Anthony Kim had gone 53 42 33 21 10th I want to see live teams of the ability to take someone out of that other pit out the other group group that is Kim or S and bring them in I know SWA and Kim aren’t playing well enough to do that but do you know what I’m trying to say yeah yeah no I get it like um I think that the midseason window there needs to be more volatility to it for sure like I think that there’s it’s very restrictive in terms of oh it can only be a one for one trade for the most part and it’s like a lot of these teams are like not really going to want to do that like I I think there there needs to be an option to sort of bring in another player from another tour like in the middle of the Season like that’s something I don’t think that’s going to happen I um everything that I’ve heard says it’s not going to happen and any new names aren’t going to come until the end of the year the beginning of next year that being said like I think that would be amazing to sort of get somebody integrated some like high level player that could really like remake one of these teams like uh you know the Majestics like if you were able to replace uh Sam horfield with like let’s just just say a Tommy Fleetwood like that would totally remake their their team I’m not saying that that’s going to going to happen but it’s like if you were able to do that like that would just completely remake the Majestics and they would be a force to be reckoned with the second half um half half of the season now I can’t see them mean getting out of the bottom twoo of the Liv stand so it’s hard it’s hard isn’t it because you just you just got to yeah it’s just hard um yeah yeah we can move on to individual players like I mean I think the teams what I want to say just about the teams is um Stingers are playing really well and they’re very tight yeah they’ve got kind of one one sort of thing to note at the bottom of the stingers and that is the the three of two of their three three of their three players are in the top 15 in Char Louie and Dean obviously Charles suffered that injury for like a year and a half two years and obviously it was now he’s over he’s great and Brandon Grace isn’t doing great down at 50th yeah is there a South African I don’t think they will because I think they’re super tight I think they’re super tight and they and they go into to battle what they got is there is there a South African player that they could bring in that’s better than Brandon Grace because if there is if Brandon Grace was was 26 and looking at the finish of Dow that would probably have meant that they would be even higher their fourth minute AR they their fifth minute they would likely be fourth maybe third because they would just that one extra player as you know you’re only as strong as your fourth player yeah no I don’t I don’t think they’re going to make uh make any changes The Only Name that I think that they could uh potentially bring in at some point um is um and he’s actually someone that’s just playing in in the college champ Championship now and that’s uh the number one amateur player in the world Christo lampre yeah he he he seems to be Choice yeah yeah like he could could be a great addition for them down the line um and I think that he’s he’s a really interesting player like he’s super tall he’s like 68 69 like he gets up in like the mid 190s uh off ball speed with the driver like I mean he’s really interesting character um and he’s already played in some major like he was leading the British Open I know you hate it when I call it the British Open the Open Championship not I don’t hate it I just think for a very bright man you look stupid look got because when I say the open in the US is like oh yeah US Open it’s like well no so anyway he was leading that Championship because is the US Open well one is is the Open Championship because it is the Open Championship except when you live in the United States in such a drop off the United States look us we’re not getting into this again um anyway he was leading that tournament that have a flag up off um last last year and I think he he could be an interesting addition that being said I don’t think anything is going to happen with that team I think they’re too tight I think look Brandon Grace is a winner on Liv like there’s not that many players that have won Liv offense like there’s just not so and it wasn’t that long ago I mean Liv has only been around two years so anyone uh two years ago so I think he’ll be fine I’m giving him the rest of the season he’s sort of working himself in in the shape I think he will have some good result and then we’ll have to see how it goes yeah Stingers have been good yeah let’s have a look at the um have we boxed off the teams I feel we have um yeah the one team that disappoints me they got so much they got so much talent but only two of them ever play well is the Fireballs like yeah they are they they are only ever two like it feels to me like you look at the leaderboard and there’s two Fireballs in the top 10 and the other two are 30th to 40th and then you have a look at the power balls again two in the top 10 two in the 30th 40th it like they don’t seem perform like that yeah they don’t seem to have weeks together which is a shame because if it was like they had two player the same two players are always in the top 10 and the same two players always in the bottom five you got okay that’s the problem but like’ seen yeah you you’ve seen puge be good you’ve seen Shakara be good you’ve seen Ana win you’ve seen Sergio get two like you’ve seen them all be good so it’s just FR they never match up they never mat mat match up they they did have a good result in Singapore I will say that they finished second but uh yeah they’re not mad they’re not really matching up the two teams that uh that I do expect to make a run in the second half of the season are Smash and torque I’ve been predicting tqu to win pretty much every live event and they haven’t done it yet they’re definitely winning at least a couple Live Events uh the remainder of the season so I I look for our tqu to have a good strong second half and think smash is going to get up there as well look I’m going I’m going to talk about players individual players now um do you want to do MVP first MVP yeah MVP midseason MVP I mean I think there’s only one name that you can really say as the MVP this year I mean Bry walk nean no no gotta go like if you’re incorporating the majors yeah Bryson would be uh so the MVP mid season live review has to includ has to include their other performances because it’s they’re they’re a live player they’re representing live let’s be honest like I had a convers had a conversation with KY today shout out to ail I’m just know this how random the world is Right I’d seen the Twitter account drunk B turn made me laugh that bloke has become one of my good mates like I love that kid like he R me today we had like 20 minutes and phone and like I have to go I have to go to the train station as seems to be my entire life at a minute is me just getting trains to and from London I will definitely be on a I definitely on a train tomorrow to London and back um same day I got got been London for a meeting I gotta be in London for a meeting at 6 o’clock in the evening so I got to get a train from Bristol ridiculous like say 4 I get like 3:30 and then I get the last train back at 2249 so W won’t get into my bed till 1:00 there we are Don’t Cry For Me Argentina I’ll be fine um what I think is that and we chat with n that where was I who we looking at um he said to me really he said let’s be honest Live players by and large have [ __ ] the bed in the Mages this year compared to what they could have done yes I I know look look you’re my best mates Jay you know that you work those statistic to try and show that live hav played poorly by going hey look at the percentage of how they are in the top 40 like and you’re right because your statistics aren’t wrong yeah but quite frankly I give a toss about top five top 10 right that’s what I look I think that and our Live players we I to say we we as live fans have not been seeing a great top 10 in top fing in the majors this year from Live players and without Bryson without Bryson Liv would have a real difficult look looking at itself because you we got some of the we can’t keep saying we can’t keep saying that Neeman Ron Kea Smith G DJ Hatton are some of the best players in the world if they don’t show up in the majors they’re not show and that’s on T T’s T is T along with Patrick Reed is and Hideki the three players that made all those cuts yeah look I think that um uh number one the stats that I’ve been been throwing out there have been raw scoring averages between Liv players and and the other other players in those Majors so and Liv is almost always beating the scoring the general scoring average of those tournaments so we have to be we have to be fair too like yes I would would love it if the top 10 to top 20 were completely dominated by Live players and I think that they certainly have the the potential to do that uh that being said I I think a lot of these guys are feeling the pressure in these Majors where it’s like you know some of the guys like their their exemptions are starting to run out like you get to the point where it’s like yeah you got to start performing these things and you only have a few shots a year and it’s like I I think there there’s a little bit more pressure and there’s also just all this negativity in the media about oh how Liv doesn’t prepare you for the majors and all that which it’s kind of been completely dispelled by you know Richard Bland we need to get get Blandy in the PGA and see what happens um you know so um and also a lot of the top players at Liv are not necessarily getting into all the majors like we have to be realistic about that needed special invite walkie nean needed special invites into the first two Dean burm finished 12th of the PJ was not in the Masters Louie wasn’t in in either answer isn’t in either and all those guys are are top six in the stand so those are the playing very well on Liv that are not in the the major so we have to we have to talk about that too Liv is not getting all they’re not bringing all of their best players to the majors look look I I know that Jay and look I agree with it needs to be said though it needs to be said yeah but but that doesn’t stop that doesn’t detract from the fact that those that were there haven’t played well no I I mean they haven’t played up to their potential I don’t think they’re playing nearly as bad as people make it out to be that’s the thing I want to put out there I think they’ve been playing average theyve been it’s a c it’s not it’s not for me it’s not even a SE like to not have Brooks keper so how how many top 10 I think we got if I pick these four players we got two top these these four players five players we got two top 10 in majes between them Neeman Rah keer Smith and and Johnson now one so those five players five of the best players on the live five of the best players in the world nean Ron kepka Smith Johnson you got five you got one top 10 out of 10 10 efforts from from the five of the best players in the world I I don’t I don’t class that as a c as a c grade and you and you know how much I love these players M you we spent outside of whim I spent time all of them like and and I sometimes think people think this is hard like I saying negative things or not negative pointing out where people you’ve got to know haven’t performed well is quite difficult because you don’t to step on a relationship yeah but look I’ll we’ll call call them out too I’ve called out some of these guys to to their face so I mean it’s totally so I agree some of the best players haven’t been there I agree the best players haven’t been there I get that but those that have been there haven’t performed and and when those players haven’t performed it’s not exactly saying hey you should invite more players like that that that you you have to be honest about that if you’re if you’re if most of your best players are there and aren’t playing well it hardly screams hey bring more players I I will give you that however we also have to keep in mind we’re only halfway through the ma major season so we can’t really make a full assess I know that I know except all all I’m saying is the reason why I’m giving them a cade is because you have had number one you haven’t had all all the best player players there one uh two they haven’t been playing quite as bad as like the media make makes it out out to be have they played to their their potential of course not absolutely not it’s part of the reason why I’m giving them overall seat you’ve had guys play well though too like you had uh clean Dean burm [Music] finished 12 like he should have finished top 10 at the PJ that would that was really dis disappoined that he didn’t however he played well he came to play so Dean and this is one of the only chances he was gonna have to earn his way back next year and he did it so I gotta give him credit I gotta give credit to Bryson like they are carrying they carry the load in the PJ there’s no question question about it I think cam Smith is playing play okay played pretty well at the Masters so it’s like uh look there’s just a balance to be struck here and I think that uh they haven’t played nearly as well as you should but they haven’t been playing nearly as bad as the media makes out so it’s somewhere in the middle yeah no I I I get that I get that right let’s talk about very quickly and I hate saying this it’s a negative thing to say which players haven’t performed as well this season as as you would as you as you would have hoped I mean gosh this is a long list but um if if I had to pick I I already talked a little bit about Harold Warner um I’m not gonna go go into additional detail I need need to see him pick up pick it up a little bit um I mean if if I if I had to we’ll we’ll do it um this is someone uh that I’ve been a fan of player for the entire time I’ve been playing golf I uh went out on a limb in my preseason preview that I thought he was going to be the most improved player this season uh it’s Phil Mickelson I think Phil Mickelson’s had one good result this year you finished uh six um in Jetta so which was a really good uh result but outside of that like he’s got a 51st a 52nd a 38th a 47th like it’s it hasn’t been good and I know that he’s like uh Phil has a lot more to uh to give than that and granted look he’s 53 he’s about to be 54 here pretty soon uh he’s gonna gonna turn 54 uh during the the US Open um I need to see more from him the second half of the season and I think that we will I think that Phils still has a lot of good golf left in him I think that this seeing Richard Bland win the uh Senior PGA and people saying oh Rich Richard Blandon is the best 50 and over player um at live I think he’s going to light a little bit of a spark underfill so I expect him to have a good second half half of the season but I mean look he’s not um anywhere near the the worst player in live like he’s you know 34th um we need to see see more from Lee Westwood though I mean that’s the other guy who’s obviously in the 50 and over overcrowd I want to see these guys have a strong second half of the year yeah and for me and I look at it and I the Vincent Brothers Two lovely guys kieran’s first year not really finding the form he wants no Scott I kind of low expectations yeah I I I know I know I I Kieran won his way in and deserved to and Co Mo hasn’t really taken his chance either is he it’s been surprising for sure like he’s been a highlevel EUR European Tour player for a while but I mean look Liv golf is different than the golf these guys have played before so it is like some of these these guys hit hit the ground running and they’re they’re sort of off for the races like like John people have been sort of dogging John ROM but I mean John ROM is second in the live standings even though he he hasn’t won of vents he hasn’t finished lower than 10th in any event like he’s playing fine he’s going to win multiple events this year I’m certain of it um except some guys just take longer to get used to the stuff because it is a little bit bit different let’s just be uh be real yeah yeah yeah and then if you just lastly I want just talk very quickly I talk about some of the players at the top as well um players that surprised me um Kazuma [Music] um he he looks like a player who has got the ability to be fantastic but can’t put three rounds together a lot of good two round performances from him yeah do you know do you know what I mean a lot a lot of good two round performances obviously had a terrible time out in Singapore finished dead dead last but yeah it’s um a lot of good two round fences a player that I think struggled a little bit maybe and surprised me he struggled I thought I thought Lucas Herbert would have a better season I thought Matt Jones would have been would have been the weaker player of of the of the Rippers but he hasn’t he’s 32nd yeah Herbert at 41 is a little bit if your worst player is between 28 and 32 28 and 33 that’s a great place for your worst player to be 100% yeah um I’m very close close to the screen I just realized um do apologize everybody God I’m close that’s scary for of you just have to cope um no no it’s fine I mean we we we should end on on a positive note though we’ve talked a lot lot about the players that positive one pos end on which is a weird positive is that hudon sford has had a not great season not played brilliantly and I would be Beyond amazed If he if he if he remains to live next year there’s any chance at all no but he’s a consumate professional yes he is loved by the live the live me the the live teams they talk to him he seems to be very popular amongst everyone he’s going out there doing what he can and obviously he is not injury free right his ball speed is way down yeah he’s struggling so as a positive like what a grinder be getting out there grinding doing what he can full credit yeah yeah I mean look he’s a three-time winner in the PJ tour like he’s not like he’s uh like he he came over he was top 60 in the world like he was a very high level player on on the on the tour he he’s had injuries he’s he’s had just the deterior like it was a pretty major hip injury that he had and I I kind of knew it was going to take him like a year to sort of get it back so when it comes to this like like merger they were not not really talking not really a merger more of a coming coming together and like players that that want to path back to the PJ tour it’s like Hudson swafford’s one that I’d like to see them figure out some sort of path back because as a three-time winner of a PJ Tour event he should pretty much be like in every Tour event but I know that he won’t and that’s something that that’s something thing I have to to figure out like if he can’t play on on live I don’t expect him to go grind it out on the agent tour he he may have to but U or they may say Hey you gotta go back to the corn fairy tour and earn your way way back to the PJ tour like I could see that too but we’ll we’ll have to see how things play out with Hudson sword but um on the sort of positive note I I did want to give a shout out uh to walking Neeman like I think walking Neeman has been the MVP of the first half of the Liv season like I think he’s been playing awesome he’s got two wins um and he’s proven himself to be a top 10 player in the world um I I would like like to see him play a little bit better in the majors and I think that the uh the next two set up a little bit better for him so you know we’ll have to see how Pinehurst TR I guess he’s got to get into Pinehurst first uh except that I kind of have a funny feeling he’s gonna get a special exemption in um I haven’t gotten any inside information on that but I mean that would that would make make a ton of sense and he’s already in the open so um um other than that like I mean a lot of guys have performed pretty much the way I thought uh do want to give a couple shout outs to Paul Casey and Matt wolf uh you know Paul Casey also kind of had injury concerns last year he’s been playing pretty well he’s 13th in the standings he started out really hot the sort of first quarter third of the year he’s kind of tailed off a little bit lately but um and then Matt wolf like Matt wolf has been like hot and cold he’s got uh two top fives but then he’s got uh one tournament that he WD and the other finished 45th so uh Matt wolf in addition to Phil were my two players that that I thought were going to be most improved from last year I think Matt wolf on the Range ghost uh is a great fit I think Bubba is a great leader for him um and I expect to see a little bit more for Matt wolf as the season goes on I I think that he he will knit out probably that that top 10 to 12 spots yeah and I think I think the positive side of it is that I love just watching Everybody play and how everything matters and yeah yeah sometimes feel with podcast like this that people think we’re being critical I’m not mean to be critical because and I think people may laugh at it I could go and watch AK Lee West and Hudson sord teared up for months go watch him I’d love to go and watch it I love watching Pro Golf I love watching characters so I love watching every player i’ live like there’s not a single player that I’m like oh man I I really don’t don’t want to watch this guy play like I mean every single guy I even the ones that that I don’t know well like Kazuma like I’m like yeah I want to see what kazuma’s got like he’s he’s an interesting player and I think that’s the best one of the best things about the live models that you’re able to get to know these guys rather than the the PJ tour where it’s like it’s just so hard to develop the personalities of these guys because there’s so many players and there’s so many events here it’s just more centered you know who’s playing every event you start to know the personalities through the course of the year and it’s just easier to uh so much e easier to follow like it’s not even close yeah well look I think for me I pick two players I think will have a really good end to the season this is where they are and those players are I think Caleb Sarat has had a little bit of a drop last couple of weeks um started well had a blip got back got back to it again had another blip I think it break some time away centering he’s a young man sort of reort of re recombobulate for one of a better phrase um two events in the US come over and do the UK and UK and Spain and the UK I think he’ll have a really good finish um and a player that I think that you picked is Matty wolf um I think Matty wolf will will have a really good finish too so there’s two players think they have a really good finish and and I think top 12 Matty wolf would be a great finish for the year top 12 top 10 would be amazing but they say top 10 top 12 and if Caleb can get himself into top 20 going be a really really good first year do you want to pick two players that aren’t currently in the top five six do you think you’re going have a a real great finish to the end I know you’ve already picked you said about filling some courses but you have to pick two yeah sure so uh you’re you already kind of took mad wolf but um I will say I’m actually really interested to see how rich Richard Bland gets on the rest of the season Like Richard Bland’s 25th in the live standings we all know top 24 are locked in for next next season which is a really it’s going to be a really interesting thing seeing who who’s on on the cut cut line right now if you you look at the sort of 20 to 20 21 to 27 you got Peter Uline uh Thomas Peters Carlos Ortiz CRA Bland GMAC and Sebastian Munoz like those are really highle players so uh some of those guys are going to be on the out outside look looking in which is going to be really uh really interesting but um I think uh you know it’ll be interesting to see how bland plays the rest of the year um I think Thomas Peters has been I think Thomas Peters has finally found his footing on live um he’s had some really interesting uh good finishes the last couple events again kind of horses for courses um I knew he plays Singapore really well he’s just like that’s his style of play um and I think Thomas Peters is going to have a strong back half of the year I expect to see him sort of elevated as the year goes on on um and then Adrian [ __ ] is kind of a he’s an enigma to me um I uh he’s been another one that’s been like either he has a good event or a really bad event um I think he’s another one that’s starting to find his footing um and I think that he’s he’s gonna have a good second half half of this uh season I I think he’s going to start playing a little bit better and sort of elevate a little more um and I I expect him sort of get into the that he’s currently 18th C certainly see him getting into the top 12 but also that top 12 is going to be really hard to crack like there’s a lot of play Bryson is 12th in the standing so you’re you’re going to have to leap leap Bryson Hatton is 11th Sergio is 10th DJ is ninth guc is eight cam Smith is seventh like it’s G be hard to get into that actually say if you look at the line the line really is the dropping points from 13th to 14th um and then the drop from sort of 17th to 18th 18th yeah it’s almost like two or three mini leagues yeah yeah really is it really is no the uh that’s one of the things that like I think is going to be really interesting just sort of follow like um I mean seeing where like there’s a lot of volatility to these standings like it’s going to be really compelling like I know last last year was compelling and I think this year it’s going to be even more so as you continue to add some some additional depth to the leag League like it’s just going to continue to get get better and better more intriguing because they get into the top 10 12 and live you’re beating out some some quality you’re beating out major winners you’re beating out former world number ones you’re beating out like a lot of high level players guys that have won five 10 15 20 PJ Torv so I mean question you got you got to answer this the yes or no Martin kimer ises he come back next year or not no no does he come back next year or not yes he does didn’t he I think he gets another year I I don’t know the details of his contract but I I think he has a two-year two-year deal and I think it’s going to be his call so uh I think I think I think it’s a double option I think they both I think they both got the option to renew for second year okay yeah yeah yeah yeah it’s going to be interesting look we already we we’re pretty sure it’s going to 60 players next next year so except there’s so many things that are going to happen in the next six months like I’m like everybody needs to sort of strap in here like with everything going on with the coming together between the PJ tour and piff some of the changes to live that that are come up like everything sort of it’s like you you’ve got this uh pot this Kettle you just keep putting new things in into it and you’re just like starring it up 2025 is going to be to me one of the best years in pro golf history so um again we’ll have to see how it all plays out but I’m I’m really really excited about Perfect all right mate well I will love you and leave you we’ll end the podcast there thank you everybody for sticking with us and being with us we love you all and have a really good uh live Houston um and who’s going to win live Houston J we’ll go Patrick Reed we we’ll go Pat Uh Patrick Reed um I haven’t really thought about Houston it’s it’s still too too far far in the future maybe we but if we don’t get a chance to do review show because I know that we we we got an option with the review it might not be me it might be red joining you it might be me and you not sure so what are you what are you thinking I I pick Bryson I go out pick Bryson he’s an absolute heater he he he’s an absolute baller of the minutes to pick Bryson okay fair it’s good all right look Patrick re’s going to win a live event at some some point it might as well be uh his adopted home hometown of Houston so let’s get it done P I have a really weird feeling Patrick Reed’s going to win the open really got I got a horrible horrible feeling it’s going to be a real slog fest with weather and all that sort of stuff and I just got certain characters just get through that and just don’t give a [ __ ] about being like Skin’s waterproof I’ll dry off he’s got he’s got that about him it’s true that’s true yeah got we got to end it it’s half past 11 in the UK I got to go to bed take it easy everybody stay safe