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A16 sports
Wednesday 24 august 2022
PGA Tour stars unified, pushing ideas similar to LIV
By DOUG FERGUSON AP
Golf Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — Greg Nor-
man braced for another
fight with the PGA Tour and
was equipped with what
he often referred to as the
tour's "playbook" from the
first time he tried to start a
rival league.
This version might have a
similar ending.
Norman's first attempt to as-
semble an exclusive field to
play for big money around
the world never got off
the ground. The PGA Tour
wielded its political influ- Andrews, Scotland, Thursday July 14, 2022.
ence, Arnold Palmer stood
behind the heritage of the said the next morning, the
tour and that was that. closest any player came
And then the PGA Tour to a public revelation. "I'm
stole his idea. talking about all in the
What emerged were the same tournaments, all in
World Golf Championships, the same weeks."
the richest events (back For now, the plan is some-
when a $5 million purse where between a vision
meant something) with and reality. The players
no cut and a limited field. have been in touch with
Former PGA Tour Commis- Commissioner Jay Monah-
sioner Tim Finchem publicly an, and he could provide
thanked Norman for his a better sense of where it
"determination and sug- all stands when he speaks
gestions of 1994" when the Wednesday ahead of the
Tiger Woods of the US on the 11th hole during the first round of first WGC was played. Tour Championship.
the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. In that respect, this is start- But the value of that meet-
ing to feel like a repeat. ing went far deeper than
Associated Press Reports over the week- details. By all accounts, the
end — the most thorough players left inspired, unified
from No Laying Up, which and unusually quiet. Xan-
has engaged top players der Schauffele smiled when
on its podcast for years — he referred to the silence
pointed to a plan to cre- as a "code," which is not to
ate up to 15 tournaments suggest he was joking. Said
offering some of the richest one player, speaking on
purses for a limited field of condition of anonymity to
elite players. Those were honor such a code, "When
the most pertinent de- was the last time all the
tails that emerged from a top players got together in
players-only meeting last the same room? That has
week. Norman must feel never happened before." It
as though he has seen all spoke to the ownership the
this before. But this was players have taken of their
less about trying to quash tour, and their determina-
Saudi-funded LIV Golf and tion to stave off the great-
more about taking the est threat professional golf
PGA Tour in a modern di- has faced.
rection that emphasizes its Hideki Matsuyama and
biggest names. And what Sungjae Im might have re-
makes this different from quired translation, though
1994 is how the movement they should have been in-
unfolded. cluded. Matsuyama was
No Laying Up reported 23 said to be curious why he
players in attendance at wasn't invited. Two people
the invitation-only meeting. who know of his plans say
That included — it starts the Japanese star is not go-
with, really — Tiger Woods, ing anywhere. They spoke
who flew to Delaware from to The Associated Press on
Florida for the meeting. condition of anonymity
"We need to get the top because Matsuyama has
guys together more often not said anything publicly
than we do," Rory McIlroy about his plans.q