November 29, 2021 • 16 mins
The week's Reacts is all about the not-so-historic duel of Brooks and Bryson, Shady Phil, and the Premier Golf League. Check out Keith's and Adam's reactions on this episode.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Everybody, good afternoon, and happy lunchtime, Happy Monday, post Thanksgiving.
It is Monday, the twenty nine, and this is Sticking
Hack Reacts. I'm Adam Grow from Sticking Act. That's Key
Stewart from ESPN Radio and host of the Pro Show
with me today as always, as we break down the
p g A lpg A news and storylines and give
our reactions to such storylines. And there really was only
(00:25):
one major storyline over the weekend, Keith, and that is
the match. This is the match. It feels like thirty,
but apparently it's only been five. Is that correct? That's correct?
But you know what, thirty is a good number. In
five matches, they've raised thirty million for charity. That's a
good thing. I'll look at that. Look how we intertwined
that right in there. Appreciate that The match five featuring Brooks,
(00:48):
Kepka and Bryson D. Shambo, this was I don't know,
this felt like WWF to me, w w E whatever
the hell are calling it now? This felt completely contrived,
completely just kind of wedged into this this world of Hey,
people will love this because it's this uh, this debut
of their their beef. Throughout the year and now here
(01:10):
here they're gonna play against each other on paper, he
didn't make sense. I thought it was thought it was dumb.
In reality, I thought it was dumb. Uh Keith your
reaction to the match five, I'm with you there, Adam.
I mean it's pretty much two thumbs down. Um, as
far as the participants went, one of them showed up,
the other didn't. But overall the whole presentation they were
(01:31):
gonna play twelve holes. We didn't know which twelve holes
they were ahead of time. Um. You know, people gamble
on these things that that might be important to them,
like when's up Part five, I'm gonna show up? What
are we gonna have? Part three's? Um? You know it
just by the time six holes were playing, Brooks and
on half of them, and you know, half the people
that were watching were done and clicked off and went
to you know, probably the Iowa football game. I mean,
(01:53):
of all things where we really had an opportunity to
do something here once again with one of these matches,
we didn't do much besides introduced Phil and you know,
maybe give him like a really good resume booster for
being a commentator when he ever decides to you know,
(02:13):
hang up the eats, so let's let's let's do let
let's get into it. It wasn't It wasn't great. Yeah,
let's break it down. So it wasn't great for a
couple of different reasons in my In my opinion, number
one is that Brooks luck looked like he would rather
be at my Thanksgiving dinner than at the match that
he was. That he was in Bryson was was amped
up on on five hour energy, I'm sure, and and
(02:36):
some maybe you got into Phil's coffee. I don't know.
He is consistently the same character and I say, w
W E and Jess, but it did feel that way.
These are two two titans of of golf and they're
they're matched up against. Did they really hate each other?
Probably not. Did they really care about this? Probably not.
I don't know. It just the whole thing felt just
a little a little flat and stale. But more specifically,
(02:59):
it's twelve whole holes that felt to me like, you know,
after you you you play with your buddies on a Saturday,
and two of them are still amped up, they still
want to go play more golf. They're chasing daylight. And
then I got to go play twelve holes, you know,
and me versus you for hundred bucks or whatever. Okay,
we'll go follow that for a couple holes, and then
just like in real life, after three holes, you're like,
(03:19):
this is this is incredibly boring. Uh. The only thing
that was great was Charles Barkley, who we knew was
gonna be great. King of one liners Phil, I mean,
they were the ultimate stick and hack. Let's be honest
here with Phil and Charles in the booth. Uh, that
was fun and you and you're wanting to see what
they're gonna say next, and who's going to be more
outrageous Barkley talking about losing money in the Nebraska game.
(03:39):
I mean, it all was theater and it was that
part was great, but the golf I could have done without.
At the end of the day, if if you're just
gonna have one on one, it has to be competitive.
It wasn't competitive. So the match failed in that respect.
And I've been saying this forever, a monoe mono match,
even if it's Phil Verse this Tiger, there's not enough
(04:01):
activity for the average fan to want to watch through
all of that. They need undercards. I mean, how about
introducing a woman into this. I mean, if we had
Nellie versus Jin Youngko, I mean, how good would that
match be? Number one versus number two in the world.
And of course they would do it because the LPGA
would love the press, right. Um. You know, how about
Pat Mahomes versus Steph Curry, you know, and again choosing
(04:25):
a time of year where all of these people can
be brought together. But the best heavyweight matches have undercards.
And I've been saying, you know, I just I think
that we should um, and you know, Phil and Barkley
were great, but they could only go so far. There
was some great phil um back and forth though with
each of the players. And if he wasn't there, and
if he didn't probably have a money steak in this
whole match thing, I don't know if it would have
(04:46):
gone anywhere though, Yeah, I agree. Um, I mean that's
an interesting concept to the undercards and and and that
way you have more golf to watch and and uh,
you do have these this heavyweight about, but you you
also have these under cards, and you have these up
and comers, or you have these other big names in
golf and they're doing other other things outside of just
just playing. Uh, and I think that the bets themselves. Uh.
(05:09):
There there should be a skin spot, there should be
a challenge pot, there should be some some other things,
and not just in the moment, but things that you
have to do each hole. I think makes makes most sense.
What's happening here? Are you? Are you? Are you? Are you?
I thought you were getting ready to talk about Phil,
So let's go. I was gonna give you my top
(05:29):
four philm moments from the match, because I'm sure everybody
didn't watch the whole thing, but he was. He was
on point. All right, let's go, let's get right in
to fil that. So your reaction. So, I think the
storyline here is that Phil Mickelson has a career ahead
of him after he's done playing golf, which doesn't sound
like it's anytime soon. But when he's when he's done,
just like his old Caddy bones, he's gonna go into
(05:50):
the booth AND's gonna kill it. Uh. He he looked
like you do the entire time. He has shades on
because he's contractually obligated to, and he looked looked around
on his if if he was the smartest person in
the room, which in some cases he probably was. Your
reaction to Phil Mickelson in the booth for the match five.
Phil Michelson, the Manning cast, These things that we're experiencing
(06:13):
right now, Adam in you know, in modern day commentators
could really reinvent the way that you know, you know,
fans get to appreciate and connect with these broadcasts. I
mean he was fantastic. Uh. Certainly, it's interesting that he
gets to have conversations with the actual players right Like
he was asking Bryson whether or not that he thought
hitting bombs was attractive and they had that whole back
(06:36):
and forth. Um. But Phil brings it to the table
and he said it there and forget what he's talking
about like eighteen other different things that he just read
off Wikipedia and he's repeating back to the fans. But
when when on Hold two, when he read that Putt
four Brooks, I mean that was like Tony Robo reading
coverages right before the play. I mean those types of insights,
you know, that's like, uh, you know Peyton on Monday Nights.
(06:58):
People love that stuff. I mean, that stuff really engaging
and to bring that to golf um is really cool.
I mean even afterwards, Brooks could hear him in his
ear and he said, hey, thanks for that, Phil. He goes,
I agree with you, and obviously he had made the putt,
but it did exactly what Phil had said, which was
kind of cool. Um. You know, there was one point
where Bryson was getting killed. I think he was like,
you know, he lost half the holes he had played
(07:20):
through six and they're on the seventh tee and Phils like, hey,
you need to get in your theta state. You know
that that that area between the sympathetic and the parasympathetic,
you know, nervous system where you know you can operate
your best and Bryson's They're having this conversation that nobody
knows what they're talking about, but it's pretty funny, you know.
And um, probably the best one though, you know, because
(07:42):
Brooks basically he held the trump card of confidence over
Bryson the whole match, right, It just felt that way.
Even though Bryson brought out the cupcakes or whatever, it
wasn't competitive. And Brooks knew that by about the fourth
hole that he had this guy. And when Brooke went
after Phil and he said, hey, Phil, what's up with
(08:03):
you picking Bryson before this match? And Phil comes back
with like Hey, do you remember the p g A.
You know, but Phil beat him on Sunday he played
against him. I mean that kind of stuff. We you
and I have never experienced that level of back and
forth without judgment, you know, with just you know guys,
haven't at it. Or if it was let's say it
(08:25):
was Onika sitting there and she was able to talk
like that, going back and forth with Nelly or something.
I mean, we could be on the precipice of something
really cool if we would just add more people to
these matches that were interesting and and bringing a level
of commentating like Phil did, like Charles did. He was
talking about Ay, I want to get out of here.
Let's go to the iron Ball. Thanks Brooks for doing
(08:45):
you know, you killing this thing earlier. I mean it
was great and they raised three million for charity, which
is a good thing. Well Thanksgiving weekend. Yeah, and I
think that's something that we we do forget that, um
with all this that there is UH charities that are involved,
and they raised over threty million dollars as you indicate
at the beginning of this the show UH for charity
over the course of the five matches. I think that
(09:07):
this with each each one of these, there's something new,
there's a new element that's brought in that I think
makes it interesting. It does take me back two years
ago with the first one with with Tiger and Phil,
which which I thought at that point that was the
end of it. I mean, because it was not great
that first one. Um, but it did it. It got
it's gotten better and um so I hope they do
more of them. But I think they they if they
(09:28):
look at some of the ideas that are out there
in some of the ways to make this even more
inviting for the casual golf fan. I think it's it's
gonna be great. Um And I don't know how we
transition out of you with the with the Phil looks,
So maybe we just stick with it the rest of
the time, or do you want to casually take them
off here kind of like you would if you were
a NASCAR driver in the middle of a press conference.
It's up to you. I'm gonna leave it. I'm gonna
(09:49):
leave the choice up to you here live on sticking
ac reacts. Are you asking for my reaction to Phil's
look in the booth? Two thumbs up? All right? Uh?
Onto my last that the third topic here sticking out
accident and perhaps one of my my favorite topics currently
to be talking about, and that is the the Premier
(10:11):
Golf League the PGL. Uh, the backing of some Saudi Arabia,
the backing of Greg Norman, the confusion and concern that
people will be being stripped from the p g A
and going over this other new league, and it's this
entire new thing that could be happening to really shake
up golfing in a week where Tiger Woods could possibly
potentially show up at his his own tournament the Bahamas,
(10:33):
the Hero World Challenge this weekend that might not be
the biggest news story, is we have breaking news just
from this morning alone, Keith around uh my favorite topic,
the PGL. Well, the Saudi International is no longer sanctioned
by the European Tour. And this is an important distinction
is why this is a story. It is now sanctioned
by the Asian Tour, which is backed by Greg Norman's
(10:54):
group Live Golf entertain Right, So anyone that goes and
plays in that isn't playing a euro Pian Tour event
or what's not called the DP World Tour. They are
playing and you know they are basically being courted by
the Saudis right this event is playing being played over there.
So the list comes out this morning, Bryson Sergio, DJ
(11:16):
Louis Louis Tas and of course Phil zander Um, even
you know, some middle tier guys like HP three and
Johnny Vegas, Kevin nah Ian Poulter, Terrell Hatton, Jason co
crack um. That's a pretty big list that somebody's gonna
have to react to because if you remember back to July,
the PGA Tour came out and said anyone that goes
(11:37):
and plays in that event needs to petition the tour,
and you know, if it's not a European Tour sanctioned event,
you know their card could be in jeopardy. So this thing,
how is that though? If they're independent contractors, and this
is what I never have understood, they pride themselves on
on the independent contractor model within their athletes, and if
(12:00):
there's no Players Association or there there's no there's no
nothing outside of I work for myself and I play
where I want to play, when I want to play.
It is surprising to me. It is almost like a
higher independent sales consultant to work for you and uh,
and they're on their own. But then tell them, hey,
you can't sell for other people. You can't sell you
(12:20):
have to have a noncompete. How are you an independent
with a noncompete, which is basically what's happening here. Um, adam,
they're not independent right at the end of the day.
You could say that all you want, but they're just not.
The PGA tour is going to control who plays on
their tour and they're in a really tough spot right
now heading into what's gonna be a lot of downtime
(12:42):
with a lot of conversations behind the scenes and what
they tell us or what they're doing quietly. Um, will
be very interesting at a week where everyone could celebrate
Tiger Woods coming back. Um, just that he's out on
the course and out in public, I think, And just
to clarify, he's not point Oh yeah, that he makes
an appearance. We haven't seen Tiger, you know since last February,
(13:04):
so um where you could have used these sunglasses talking
to Jim nance but that's neither here nor there. Um,
so what a com back. But it was rough, remember
that that was right? But I love Tiger, so you know,
by all means so happy to have him back. You know,
(13:24):
we've got twenty players, all top fifty in the world,
all going to the Bahamas. How gonna have a huge
event really tough to handicap. I mean, you've got all
the best players in the world there, Who will win,
who will play well? How much will Patrick Reichi? You know,
I mean all these factors are coming into play. And
then the Saudi's dropped this thing on Monday, the week
of what was I mean, they couldn't wait a week,
(13:45):
you know, it's it's it's all very interesting that they
continue to seem like they're the ones that are moving
their chess piece. First, let me ask you this, if
this was any other group other than Saudi Arabia, if
this was any other collection people, is this as big
of a new story and is they're they're the as
much angst and frustration over players playing in this new
(14:08):
new league or and or new backed events. I know,
the Saudi thing kind of makes it controversial. I think
it has more to do with the money at them,
because with the amount of money that they have, the
thing becomes very real and becomes a threat to the
p G A tour um. So if it was you know,
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett wanting to start their own
(14:28):
tour and they were gonna throw around, you know, a
couple hundred million to players. Um. I think you'd have
similar types of conversations now. As much as the Saudi
thing um on a world stage is controversial and everything,
really that hasn't been brought up as much as the
partners involved, like the Greg Normans, who are saying, hey,
(14:49):
we need to do better, we need to create something better.
The PGA Tour isn't doing a good enough job right.
PGL didn't get there, Super Golf League didn't get there
all of a sudden, Live gets there. Why because they
have all the money, and the money is probably the
biggest threat out of at the end of the day.
So I'm not sure if it's a Saudi thing, and
(15:10):
I could be totally naive and off on that, but
I think it's more of a money things as as
generally these types of situations UH come from. You know,
it's it's always a question of economics, and there's no
doubt they have economics. And you start to bring over
Bryson Phills and er dj Um those are big big names,
(15:30):
not Harris English. I mean, you know, the PGA Tour
event that week is the Pebble Beach, you know, a
t T program which I know isn't the biggest one anymore,
but at the same time, um, it's squeezed in between
the farmers and the waste management, which guys love to
play in, and you know they're obviously not not really
supporting the p G A Tour there. So it's it's
(15:52):
definitely this thing isn't going away, and which will make
you happy because you love talking about I love talking
about it. I think it's fascinating. I think change and
disruption is fascinating and anybody that is coming into to
make a make a move on something, Uh, the establishment
I enjoy in golf. You know, that's about where that
ends as far as my allegiance to two things. Keith Stewart,
(16:15):
host of the Pro Show on ESPN Radio in New
York as well as where you find your podcast. You
had an incredible guest on Friday from the LPGA, Director
of Communications Marketing for the LPGA. Go check out key
show from last Friday. We've got Brittany Lincicum on the
Stick and Hack Show that is tomorrow here on the
sticking AC Podcast Network. He's Keith Stewart. I'm Adam Grub.
Thanks so much for listening to Sticking Hack Reacts. An
(16:35):
incredible show. Keith, enjoy your week and thank you so
much for your time today. As always, Adam, enjoy the Grub.
It's lunch time.
Everybody, good afternoon, and happy lunchtime, Happy Monday, post Thanksgiving.
It is Monday, the twenty nine, and this is Sticking
Hack Reacts. I'm Adam Grow from Sticking Act. That's Key
Stewart from ESPN Radio and host of the Pro Show
with me today as always, as we break down the
p g A lpg A news and storylines and give
our reactions to such storylines. And there really was only
(00:25):
one major storyline over the weekend, Keith, and that is
the match. This is the match. It feels like thirty,
but apparently it's only been five. Is that correct? That's correct?
But you know what, thirty is a good number. In
five matches, they've raised thirty million for charity. That's a
good thing. I'll look at that. Look how we intertwined
that right in there. Appreciate that The match five featuring Brooks,
(00:48):
Kepka and Bryson D. Shambo, this was I don't know,
this felt like WWF to me, w w E whatever
the hell are calling it now? This felt completely contrived,
completely just kind of wedged into this this world of Hey,
people will love this because it's this uh, this debut
of their their beef. Throughout the year and now here
(01:10):
here they're gonna play against each other on paper, he
didn't make sense. I thought it was thought it was dumb.
In reality, I thought it was dumb. Uh Keith your
reaction to the match five, I'm with you there, Adam.
I mean it's pretty much two thumbs down. Um, as
far as the participants went, one of them showed up,
the other didn't. But overall the whole presentation they were
(01:31):
gonna play twelve holes. We didn't know which twelve holes
they were ahead of time. Um. You know, people gamble
on these things that that might be important to them,
like when's up Part five, I'm gonna show up? What
are we gonna have? Part three's? Um? You know it
just by the time six holes were playing, Brooks and
on half of them, and you know, half the people
that were watching were done and clicked off and went
to you know, probably the Iowa football game. I mean,
(01:53):
of all things where we really had an opportunity to
do something here once again with one of these matches,
we didn't do much besides introduced Phil and you know,
maybe give him like a really good resume booster for
being a commentator when he ever decides to you know,
(02:13):
hang up the eats, so let's let's let's do let
let's get into it. It wasn't It wasn't great. Yeah,
let's break it down. So it wasn't great for a
couple of different reasons in my In my opinion, number
one is that Brooks luck looked like he would rather
be at my Thanksgiving dinner than at the match that
he was. That he was in Bryson was was amped
up on on five hour energy, I'm sure, and and
(02:36):
some maybe you got into Phil's coffee. I don't know.
He is consistently the same character and I say, w
W E and Jess, but it did feel that way.
These are two two titans of of golf and they're
they're matched up against. Did they really hate each other?
Probably not. Did they really care about this? Probably not.
I don't know. It just the whole thing felt just
a little a little flat and stale. But more specifically,
(02:59):
it's twelve whole holes that felt to me like, you know,
after you you you play with your buddies on a Saturday,
and two of them are still amped up, they still
want to go play more golf. They're chasing daylight. And
then I got to go play twelve holes, you know,
and me versus you for hundred bucks or whatever. Okay,
we'll go follow that for a couple holes, and then
just like in real life, after three holes, you're like,
(03:19):
this is this is incredibly boring. Uh. The only thing
that was great was Charles Barkley, who we knew was
gonna be great. King of one liners Phil, I mean,
they were the ultimate stick and hack. Let's be honest
here with Phil and Charles in the booth. Uh, that
was fun and you and you're wanting to see what
they're gonna say next, and who's going to be more
outrageous Barkley talking about losing money in the Nebraska game.
(03:39):
I mean, it all was theater and it was that
part was great, but the golf I could have done without.
At the end of the day, if if you're just
gonna have one on one, it has to be competitive.
It wasn't competitive. So the match failed in that respect.
And I've been saying this forever, a monoe mono match,
even if it's Phil Verse this Tiger, there's not enough
(04:01):
activity for the average fan to want to watch through
all of that. They need undercards. I mean, how about
introducing a woman into this. I mean, if we had
Nellie versus Jin Youngko, I mean, how good would that
match be? Number one versus number two in the world.
And of course they would do it because the LPGA
would love the press, right. Um. You know, how about
Pat Mahomes versus Steph Curry, you know, and again choosing
(04:25):
a time of year where all of these people can
be brought together. But the best heavyweight matches have undercards.
And I've been saying, you know, I just I think
that we should um, and you know, Phil and Barkley
were great, but they could only go so far. There
was some great phil um back and forth though with
each of the players. And if he wasn't there, and
if he didn't probably have a money steak in this
whole match thing, I don't know if it would have
(04:46):
gone anywhere though, Yeah, I agree. Um, I mean that's
an interesting concept to the undercards and and and that
way you have more golf to watch and and uh,
you do have these this heavyweight about, but you you
also have these under cards, and you have these up
and comers, or you have these other big names in
golf and they're doing other other things outside of just
just playing. Uh, and I think that the bets themselves. Uh.
(05:09):
There there should be a skin spot, there should be
a challenge pot, there should be some some other things,
and not just in the moment, but things that you
have to do each hole. I think makes makes most sense.
What's happening here? Are you? Are you? Are you? Are you?
I thought you were getting ready to talk about Phil,
So let's go. I was gonna give you my top
(05:29):
four philm moments from the match, because I'm sure everybody
didn't watch the whole thing, but he was. He was
on point. All right, let's go, let's get right in
to fil that. So your reaction. So, I think the
storyline here is that Phil Mickelson has a career ahead
of him after he's done playing golf, which doesn't sound
like it's anytime soon. But when he's when he's done,
just like his old Caddy bones, he's gonna go into
(05:50):
the booth AND's gonna kill it. Uh. He he looked
like you do the entire time. He has shades on
because he's contractually obligated to, and he looked looked around
on his if if he was the smartest person in
the room, which in some cases he probably was. Your
reaction to Phil Mickelson in the booth for the match five.
Phil Michelson, the Manning cast, These things that we're experiencing
(06:13):
right now, Adam in you know, in modern day commentators
could really reinvent the way that you know, you know,
fans get to appreciate and connect with these broadcasts. I
mean he was fantastic. Uh. Certainly, it's interesting that he
gets to have conversations with the actual players right Like
he was asking Bryson whether or not that he thought
hitting bombs was attractive and they had that whole back
(06:36):
and forth. Um. But Phil brings it to the table
and he said it there and forget what he's talking
about like eighteen other different things that he just read
off Wikipedia and he's repeating back to the fans. But
when when on Hold two, when he read that Putt
four Brooks, I mean that was like Tony Robo reading
coverages right before the play. I mean those types of insights,
you know, that's like, uh, you know Peyton on Monday Nights.
(06:58):
People love that stuff. I mean, that stuff really engaging
and to bring that to golf um is really cool.
I mean even afterwards, Brooks could hear him in his
ear and he said, hey, thanks for that, Phil. He goes,
I agree with you, and obviously he had made the putt,
but it did exactly what Phil had said, which was
kind of cool. Um. You know, there was one point
where Bryson was getting killed. I think he was like,
you know, he lost half the holes he had played
(07:20):
through six and they're on the seventh tee and Phils like, hey,
you need to get in your theta state. You know
that that that area between the sympathetic and the parasympathetic,
you know, nervous system where you know you can operate
your best and Bryson's They're having this conversation that nobody
knows what they're talking about, but it's pretty funny, you know.
And um, probably the best one though, you know, because
(07:42):
Brooks basically he held the trump card of confidence over
Bryson the whole match, right, It just felt that way.
Even though Bryson brought out the cupcakes or whatever, it
wasn't competitive. And Brooks knew that by about the fourth
hole that he had this guy. And when Brooke went
after Phil and he said, hey, Phil, what's up with
(08:03):
you picking Bryson before this match? And Phil comes back
with like Hey, do you remember the p g A.
You know, but Phil beat him on Sunday he played
against him. I mean that kind of stuff. We you
and I have never experienced that level of back and
forth without judgment, you know, with just you know guys,
haven't at it. Or if it was let's say it
(08:25):
was Onika sitting there and she was able to talk
like that, going back and forth with Nelly or something.
I mean, we could be on the precipice of something
really cool if we would just add more people to
these matches that were interesting and and bringing a level
of commentating like Phil did, like Charles did. He was
talking about Ay, I want to get out of here.
Let's go to the iron Ball. Thanks Brooks for doing
(08:45):
you know, you killing this thing earlier. I mean it
was great and they raised three million for charity, which
is a good thing. Well Thanksgiving weekend. Yeah, and I
think that's something that we we do forget that, um
with all this that there is UH charities that are involved,
and they raised over threty million dollars as you indicate
at the beginning of this the show UH for charity
over the course of the five matches. I think that
(09:07):
this with each each one of these, there's something new,
there's a new element that's brought in that I think
makes it interesting. It does take me back two years
ago with the first one with with Tiger and Phil,
which which I thought at that point that was the
end of it. I mean, because it was not great
that first one. Um, but it did it. It got
it's gotten better and um so I hope they do
more of them. But I think they they if they
(09:28):
look at some of the ideas that are out there
in some of the ways to make this even more
inviting for the casual golf fan. I think it's it's
gonna be great. Um And I don't know how we
transition out of you with the with the Phil looks,
So maybe we just stick with it the rest of
the time, or do you want to casually take them
off here kind of like you would if you were
a NASCAR driver in the middle of a press conference.
It's up to you. I'm gonna leave it. I'm gonna
(09:49):
leave the choice up to you here live on sticking
ac reacts. Are you asking for my reaction to Phil's
look in the booth? Two thumbs up? All right? Uh?
Onto my last that the third topic here sticking out
accident and perhaps one of my my favorite topics currently
to be talking about, and that is the the Premier
(10:11):
Golf League the PGL. Uh, the backing of some Saudi Arabia,
the backing of Greg Norman, the confusion and concern that
people will be being stripped from the p g A
and going over this other new league, and it's this
entire new thing that could be happening to really shake
up golfing in a week where Tiger Woods could possibly
potentially show up at his his own tournament the Bahamas,
(10:33):
the Hero World Challenge this weekend that might not be
the biggest news story, is we have breaking news just
from this morning alone, Keith around uh my favorite topic,
the PGL. Well, the Saudi International is no longer sanctioned
by the European Tour. And this is an important distinction
is why this is a story. It is now sanctioned
by the Asian Tour, which is backed by Greg Norman's
(10:54):
group Live Golf entertain Right, So anyone that goes and
plays in that isn't playing a euro Pian Tour event
or what's not called the DP World Tour. They are
playing and you know they are basically being courted by
the Saudis right this event is playing being played over there.
So the list comes out this morning, Bryson Sergio, DJ
(11:16):
Louis Louis Tas and of course Phil zander Um, even
you know, some middle tier guys like HP three and
Johnny Vegas, Kevin nah Ian Poulter, Terrell Hatton, Jason co
crack um. That's a pretty big list that somebody's gonna
have to react to because if you remember back to July,
the PGA Tour came out and said anyone that goes
(11:37):
and plays in that event needs to petition the tour,
and you know, if it's not a European Tour sanctioned event,
you know their card could be in jeopardy. So this thing,
how is that though? If they're independent contractors, and this
is what I never have understood, they pride themselves on
on the independent contractor model within their athletes, and if
(12:00):
there's no Players Association or there there's no there's no
nothing outside of I work for myself and I play
where I want to play, when I want to play.
It is surprising to me. It is almost like a
higher independent sales consultant to work for you and uh,
and they're on their own. But then tell them, hey,
you can't sell for other people. You can't sell you
(12:20):
have to have a noncompete. How are you an independent
with a noncompete, which is basically what's happening here. Um, adam,
they're not independent right at the end of the day.
You could say that all you want, but they're just not.
The PGA tour is going to control who plays on
their tour and they're in a really tough spot right
now heading into what's gonna be a lot of downtime
(12:42):
with a lot of conversations behind the scenes and what
they tell us or what they're doing quietly. Um, will
be very interesting at a week where everyone could celebrate
Tiger Woods coming back. Um, just that he's out on
the course and out in public, I think, And just
to clarify, he's not point Oh yeah, that he makes
an appearance. We haven't seen Tiger, you know since last February,
(13:04):
so um where you could have used these sunglasses talking
to Jim nance but that's neither here nor there. Um,
so what a com back. But it was rough, remember
that that was right? But I love Tiger, so you know,
by all means so happy to have him back. You know,
(13:24):
we've got twenty players, all top fifty in the world,
all going to the Bahamas. How gonna have a huge
event really tough to handicap. I mean, you've got all
the best players in the world there, Who will win,
who will play well? How much will Patrick Reichi? You know,
I mean all these factors are coming into play. And
then the Saudi's dropped this thing on Monday, the week
of what was I mean, they couldn't wait a week,
(13:45):
you know, it's it's it's all very interesting that they
continue to seem like they're the ones that are moving
their chess piece. First, let me ask you this, if
this was any other group other than Saudi Arabia, if
this was any other collection people, is this as big
of a new story and is they're they're the as
much angst and frustration over players playing in this new
(14:08):
new league or and or new backed events. I know,
the Saudi thing kind of makes it controversial. I think
it has more to do with the money at them,
because with the amount of money that they have, the
thing becomes very real and becomes a threat to the
p G A tour um. So if it was you know,
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett wanting to start their own
(14:28):
tour and they were gonna throw around, you know, a
couple hundred million to players. Um. I think you'd have
similar types of conversations now. As much as the Saudi
thing um on a world stage is controversial and everything,
really that hasn't been brought up as much as the
partners involved, like the Greg Normans, who are saying, hey,
(14:49):
we need to do better, we need to create something better.
The PGA Tour isn't doing a good enough job right.
PGL didn't get there, Super Golf League didn't get there
all of a sudden, Live gets there. Why because they
have all the money, and the money is probably the
biggest threat out of at the end of the day.
So I'm not sure if it's a Saudi thing, and
(15:10):
I could be totally naive and off on that, but
I think it's more of a money things as as
generally these types of situations UH come from. You know,
it's it's always a question of economics, and there's no
doubt they have economics. And you start to bring over
Bryson Phills and er dj Um those are big big names,
(15:30):
not Harris English. I mean, you know, the PGA Tour
event that week is the Pebble Beach, you know, a
t T program which I know isn't the biggest one anymore,
but at the same time, um, it's squeezed in between
the farmers and the waste management, which guys love to
play in, and you know they're obviously not not really
supporting the p G A Tour there. So it's it's
(15:52):
definitely this thing isn't going away, and which will make
you happy because you love talking about I love talking
about it. I think it's fascinating. I think change and
disruption is fascinating and anybody that is coming into to
make a make a move on something, Uh, the establishment
I enjoy in golf. You know, that's about where that
ends as far as my allegiance to two things. Keith Stewart,
(16:15):
host of the Pro Show on ESPN Radio in New
York as well as where you find your podcast. You
had an incredible guest on Friday from the LPGA, Director
of Communications Marketing for the LPGA. Go check out key
show from last Friday. We've got Brittany Lincicum on the
Stick and Hack Show that is tomorrow here on the
sticking AC Podcast Network. He's Keith Stewart. I'm Adam Grub.
Thanks so much for listening to Sticking Hack Reacts. An
(16:35):
incredible show. Keith, enjoy your week and thank you so
much for your time today. As always, Adam, enjoy the Grub.
It's lunch time.
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