The Sportsletter - LIV vs. PGA ⛳️

BY JEFF YODER & MARISSA KASCH

JUN. 9, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning,

It’s a new day in golf as the LIV Golf Series nears its first tee times. What does it mean for the PGA Tour? Drama… Golf is getting a shakeup. For better or worse.

Letter Rip!

GOLF

Is LIV the END of the PGA?

Photo: Steven Paston / Getty Images

LIV Golf Debuts Today in London, But What Does It Mean for the PGA Tour? (By Marissa Kasch)

Speed bump? Detour? Road block? Dead end? The range of outcomes for the way the LIV will affect the PGA Tour are infinite. However, if you’re a fan of the PGA, there is plenty of reason for optimism. In a game rooted in tradition and almost stoic in its approach to change, it might be difficult for a new tour to make headway quickly, if at all.

The LIV tour has been a hot topic recently for good reason. The controversial Saudi-backed league is pulling players from the PGA Tour and offering a whopping $25 million purse for each tournament, starting with today’s season opener at the Centurion Club outside London. The inaugural event’s press conference made headlines throughout the week. For reference, the average PGA purse is $9.1 million. Yes, you read that right; The LIV purse is nearly three times that of the PGA. The LIV Tour’s payout for the winner of the event is an astounding $4 million. 

Aside from the grand payouts, there is another very interesting and controversial aspect of the LIV Tour: The schedule overlaps with the PGA’s. The LIV Tour has eight events between June and October, with many of these falling on the same week as scheduled PGA events. The LIV is making no attempt to hide their intention to pull players from PGA events with the lure of more money. It’s also nearly impossible for players to play on both tours with the exception of the majors. 

The Players Joining LIV

The LIV Tour has already pulled Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Kevin Na, and most notably, Phil Mickelson. On Wednesday, the trio of Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler also committed to the LIV Tour. Many golf fans watch anxiously to see if more of their beloved golfers will “join the dark side” or if they’ll stay with the current face of golf. The rise of the LIV is unprecedented, but we’ve seen this before in the sports world with the likes of the USFL and other “rival” leagues.

The Format & Team Names

Here’s where things get really interesting. A total of 48 players will be broken up into 12 teams of four to play a 54-hole format. Everyone tees off at the same time and there are no weekend cuts. There is no TV deal yet, but golf fans can watch the event on LIVGolf.com as well as Facebook and YouTube broadcasting services. Some of the team names includes 4 Aces, Niblicks, Majesticks, Punch and Fire Balls. Yikes.

LIV vs. PGA — Who Wins?

Sure, money talks, but does it speak as loud as tradition? There is a key difference between a US-based tour and a Saudi-based tour: In America, we measure athletic success by achievement. Tom Brady is widely considered the greatest of all time. Is he the most talented quarterback? That’s up for debate. But you know what he does have? Rings. 7 of them to be exact. In golf, success is measured by the number of Green Jackets, Wanamaker Trophies, or Ryder Cups one has. All of these trophies are rooted in tradition. So, the question is: Are viewers going to be more excited to watch a tour that awards millions of dollars or one that awards the Claret Jug? Only time will tell, but when we’re talking about golf, my bet is always on tradition.

LIV Golf Season Opener

Today (9:00 am ET)

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: What Is LIV Golf? List of Players, Tour Schedule & More

Yahoo! Sports: Bryson DeChambeau & Patrick Jump to LIV Golf

Golf Digest: The LIV Golf Team Names Are In and They Are The Worst Things You Have Ever Seen

FTW: The 8 Dumbest Comments Made at Tuesday’s LIV Golf Press Conference

ESPN: What We Know & Still Don’t Know About LIV Golf, The Circuit Challenging the PGA Tour

NBA FINALS

Celtics Show Strength in Game 3

Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images

Boston Backcourt Shines as Celtics Pull Away From Warriors in 4th Quarter (116-100)

Another double-digit scoreline in the NBA Finals? All three games have been decided by double figures, and Game 3 belonged to Boston in the 4th quarter. The Celtics — after surrendering a 12-point halftime lead in the 3rd — bounced back to hold Golden State to just 11 points in the 4th. The Celtics trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart all had 20-5-5 nights in a historic outing. Brown (27) did most of his damage in the first half with 22 before the break. Steph Curry (31) and Klay Thompson (25) were firing from 3-point land, but Draymond Green (2 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) was non-existent before fouling out. Game 3 belonged to Boston, and the series leans in favor of the Celtics. BOS Leads (2-1)

Fun Fact: Teams who take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals go on to win 82% of the time.

Boston Backcourt Trio

J. Brown: 27 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists

J. Tatum: 26 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists

M. Smart: 24 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists

Watch: Celtics Pace Warriors in Game 3 (116-100)

Additional Storylines

The Athletic: How the Celtics Defeated the Warriors in Game 3

SI: Inside the Celtics’ Dramatic Turnaround From Under .500 to NBA Finals

B/R: What Are Celtics & Warriors Do-Or-DIe Finals Lineups Right Now?

WCWS

Sooners Swing Away in Game 1

Photo: Brian Bahr / Getty Images

Oklahoma Smokes Texas (16-1) in Game 1 of Women’s College World Series

The softball edition of the Red River Rivalry will decide the Women’s College World Series, and Game 1 was a rout. Texas took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning to lead off Game 1 on Wednesday night, but the Longhorns’ smiles quickly dissipated. Oklahoma hung five runs in the bottom of the 1st before torching Texas with runs in every inning the rest of the way. OU rang up 16 runs by the 6th frame. Sooners star Jocelyn Alo went 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs. Tiare Jennings (4-for-5, 5 RBIs) also went yard twice while Taylor Snow smacked a blast of her own — six total Oklahoma HRs. The Sooners are the No. 1 overall seed and the defending champs. They can close out the WCWS tonight with a Game 2 win in the best-of-3 series.

Watch: Oklahoma Crushes Texas in Game 1 of WCWS (16-1)

WCWS Schedule

Gm 2: Oklahoma vs. Texas (Tonight, 7:30 pm ET)

*Gm 3: Oklahoma vs. Texas (Fri. 8:30 pm ET)

*If Necessary

Additional Storylines

Sporting News: Jocelyn Alo, Tiare Jennings Star as OU Rolls in Game 1 of WCWS

The Athletic: How Oklahoma Won Game 1 of the WCWS

NFL

Rams Reload Continues

Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images

Rams Give WR Cooper Kupp 3-Year, $80 Million Extension

The Rams reload continues. After giving QB Matthew Stafford and DL Aaron Donald extensions this offseason, the Super Bowl LIV champs handed WR Cooper Kupp a 3-year, $80 million extension on Wednesday. That brings his total contract to five years and $110 million through 2027, and his $75 million guaranteed is the highest ever for an NFL receiver.

Most Guaranteed Money for WRs

Cooper Kupp (LAR): $75M

Tyreek Hill (MIA): $72.2M

Stefon Diggs (BUF): $70M

Davante Adams (LVR): $65.7M

Kupp’s Catch-Tacular Season

In 2021-22, Kupp had 145 grabs for nearly 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns to become the fourth player in NFL history to lead the league in the receiving triple crown — receptions, yards and TDs. Now, he’s a Ram for the long haul.

Additional Storylines

Yahoo! Sports: Cooper Kupp Signed His New Deal While Wearing a Matthew Stafford Jersey

Forbes: Rams’ Cooper Kupp Focused on Fine-Tuning His Performance From Historic Season

THE STORYLINES

⚽️ 2022 World Cup Odds

With the World Cup draw officially in the books, we now know who the United States Men's National Team will face in the 2022 World Cup. (FOX Sports)

🏈 Mile-High Money

The Walmart family is officially taking over the Denver Broncos. The agreement became official on Tuesday night for a record-setting $4.65 billion. (Yahoo! Sports)

⚾️ NCAA Baseball Tournament 101

The Men's College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, begins on June 17, with the best-of-3 finals starting June 25. Here’s everything you need to know… (USA Today)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Jazz to Interview Frank Vogel & Lamar Skeeter for Head Coaching Job (B/R)
• Browns Excuse QB Baker Mayfield From Mandatory Minicamp in “Mutual Decision” (ESPN)
• Larry Nassar Survivors Filing Lawsuits Seeking $1 Billion From FBI (SI)
• Drew Brees Leaves NBC Sports After 1 Year Over ‘Lifestyle Choice’ (Yahoo! Sports)
• Phoenix Suns Reportedly Had COVID Outbreak During Western Conference Semifinals (CBS Sports)
• Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud Gets $150,000 Bentley in Latest NIL Deal (USA Today)

🗓️ TODAY'S SCHEDULE

NHL Playoffs

Gm 5: Lightning at Rangers (8:00 pm ET, ESPN)

Series Tied (2-2)

WCWS

Gm 2: Oklahoma vs. Texas (7:30 pm ET, ESPN)

Oklahoma Leads (1-0)

MLB

Yankees at Twins (7:40 pm ET, ESPN+)

LIV Golf

LIVGolf.com + Facebook/YouTube (9:00 am ET)

Support The Sportsletter Team

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Technical Lead: Kevin Lonergan

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