SCHAUMBURG, IL FEBRUARY 22, 2023 JACOB DIETRICH
Viktor Hovland made some alarming feedback this week on the PGA TOUR’s Genesis Open. He has actually not closed the door and over the previous two weeks or so now we have seen now 5 names defect from the TOUR and head to the Saudi-backed group: Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz, Brendan Steele, Thomas Pieters, Danny Lee. LIV Golf expects for the 5 to all compete within the first occasion of the season at Mayacoba in Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico. I don’t suppose LIV is completed including to its more and more spectacular roster.
Viktor Hovland
Hovland has made some fascinating remarks concerning the dialog round LIV Golf lately and with the latest information from the DP World Tour permitting for LIV Golf gamers to seem on their tour, this enables Hovland to nonetheless play a whole schedule. For LIV, he can be a serious signing when it comes to Ryder Cup eligibility as a result of it will be including one other younger star to the roster that appeared to be on a number of groups within the years to come back. The extra gamers LIV Golf indicators that will be locks to play within the USA vs Europe occasion can be a serious blow to the occasion because it additional clarifies that one of the best gamers aren’t within the occasion. The query can be for Hovland, “How badly do you need to play for staff Europe?” Hovland performed in 2020 and had an extremely tough efficiency. He went 0-3-2 and solely managed 1 level out of 5 doable. Does this efficiency presumably go away a nasty style in his mouth? Possibly. Does he know that if he leaves this is probably not the occasion of his Ryder Cup profession? Additionally perhaps. If Hovland feels that he might be a possible needle in getting the occasion to just accept golfers from LIV, it might be sufficient to maneuver him. Main championships haven’t stopped permitting for the gamers to compete and he has three profession wins on the TOUR so there may be nothing left to lose for the Norwegian star. Hovland is totally somebody that I may see shifting particularly earlier than the occasion in Spain in late June which might enable for Hovland to return to Europe and dwell in his residence nation earlier than ultimately heading again to The Greenbriar… One other former PGA TOUR cease. Total, I see this as a 90% probability of Hovland leaving for LIV Golf.
Jon Rahm
Nobody is a warmer golfer on the PGA TOUR than Jon Rahm. However nobody speaks his thoughts on tour as a lot as Rahm both. This complete choice will rely upon eligibility for the Ryder Cup. He is not going to go away until he will get 110% affirmation that LIV Golf athletes will be capable to compete for the Ryder Cup. This has been a transparent assertion. The Spanish golfer who now resides in Arizona has been recognized to be a bit cash hungry and need to compete in opposition to one of the best. Sergio Garcia made a small slip up nonetheless late final 12 months when he talked about Rahm when speaking concerning the pleasure of going again to their residence nation to play at Actual Membership Valderrama. Whereas I might say in the meanwhile I put the possibility of Rahm leaving for LIV at 10%, if it occurs it is going to be for him to play in Spain in late June.

Danny Willett
This former main champion is in a wierd spot. With the PGA TOUR, not often can we see Danny Willett’s identify within the combine at any match. He sometimes performs in DP World Tour and so far as I do know, has been excluded from the PGA TOUR’s participant solely conferences and the hierarchy that’s the governing physique. Willett nonetheless performs nice golf, nonetheless but nobody is ever capable of acknowledge this. Anirban Lahiri mentioned it finest in Chicago final 12 months when addressing the transfer to LIV when he talked about with the ability to achieve extra protection all through occasions and permitting family and friends to see him play extra typically. This might be the identical for Danny Willett. Now we have been seeing gamers from Europe go away for LIV and for Willett to have the ability to steadiness himself in LIV and in addition the DP World Tour, this transfer may take advantage of quantity of sense. I give this a 55% probability of Willett departing the PGA TOUR.

Francesco Molinari
Molinari has had a tough go because the Ryder Cup in 2018 when Moliwood took over the golf world. Since then it has been a bunch of missed cuts and lack of cash earned. Molinari nonetheless carries a reputation nonetheless with regards to the panorama of golf. Molinari may take the route of Ian Poulter and on the again half of his profession, take the cash and head to LIV Golf. If he’s to resolve to go away the TOUR, the following query can be would LIV Golf be prepared so as to add him to the roster contemplating he’s in his 40s and his finest golf is behind him? If LIV want to break into Italy for an occasion in 2024, this might be the transfer to get them there, making sense to carry the Italian hero into the golf league. I give this transfer an 70% probability of taking place

Hideki Matsuyama
Hideki can be a backbreaker for the PGA TOUR to go away. Many individuals consider Rahm can be the most important identify that would go away for LIV nonetheless, if Matsuyama leaves, that will be an enormous transfer as many followers from Asia would then focus their consideration to Hideki and the LIV Golf League. Matsuyama is undoubtably the most important star Asia has had in golf in the present day and really presumably ever. The TOUR must depend on gamers like Sungjae Im to avoid wasting the viewership in Asia but when Matsuyama leaves and comes again to inform everybody how nice it was enjoying in LIV, I might see many extra gamers taking the soar as effectively. Matsuyama is the golden ticket to LIV and if he have been to make the transfer, it might be the change that causes the TOUR to waive the white flag and are available to agreements with the Saudi-backed golf league. For Matsuyama, I might assume LIV would supply loads of cash to get this to occur, he would achieve generational wealth and can be on prime of the leaderboard week in and week out. Taking part in for $4,000,000 each week can be sufficient to incentivize many individuals and it might be sufficient for Hideki. I give this transfer a 50% probability and if I needed to put a timetable on this, it will be like Cameron Smith leaving proper after the FedExPlayoffs.

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