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A16 sports
Friday 5 January 2024
PGA Tour starts a new year that feels like the old one.

There's more to golf than just the golf

By DOUG FERGUSON ers like Scottie Scheffler, Xan-
AP Golf Writer der Schauffele, Viktor Hov-
KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — land — stayed loyal when
One upside for the PGA each could have reaped
Tour extending the Dec. 31 Saudi riches. Wouldn't they
deadline to finalize a deal be the big losers if everything
with Saudi Arabia is the new was put back together the
season starting Thursday at way it was?
Kapalua can avoid a big "How do you make everyone
distraction. The focus finally happy? You can't," Hughes
returns to golf. said. "The way forward I
Except that it really doesn't. hope is smoother. But I know
The new year feels a lot like it will be messy before it gets
the old one — questions smooth again."
about a fractured land- He feels the PGA Tour is not
scape, more money than as strong without some of
ever that still doesn't seems the best players, and it will
to be enough, LIV Golf gear- be a topic at some point this
ing up for another season week.
while fans wonder who will Rahm was the latest to de-
be the next player to get an fect. He won last year at Ka-
offer he can't refuse. palua. Rahm has been seen
All of which led Mackenzie on Maui this week while on
Hughes and Patrick Cantlay Patrick Cantlay motions from the 18th green during the pro-am round of The Sentry golf event, vacation. A couple of play-
to long for the good old Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. Associated Press ers ran into him and the
days, even if they didn't nec- meeting was described as
essarily agree on the dates. all just concerned about Bryson DeChambeau in a see a lot more tournaments somewhere between cordial
Hughes referred to 2019 as money?' playoff in the BMW Cham- where the best players on and chilly. Aloha.
the "peak of professional "The fan just wants to watch pionship. The next week he tour are competing against Messy before it gets smooth
golf," at least for someone golf," he said. "I think you beat Jon Rahm on the final each other down the stretch again.
his age (33). It was the year watch sports for an escape hole to win the FedEx Cup on Sunday." "A lot of distractions,"
before the COVID-19 pan- from other nonsense, but I and was voted PGA Tour When will it get fixed? What Schauffele said. "It's been
demic. Tiger Woods was the think golf has brought a lot player of the year. will it look like? Everyone like that for quite some time."
Masters champion. of nonsense onto its plate. And now? has an opinion, and so Schauffele, who has never
"Our economic model was And now you don't get just "I feel for the fan," Cantlay many players know so little. seriously contemplated
sustainable," he said. "The LIV golf, you get a lot of other said. "There's been a ton of Cantlay knows more than going to LIV despite his
threat came along and all stuff going on. It's a bit of a confusion not only for play- most, and he doesn't divulge name being mentioned as
of a sudden we started to circus." ers out on tour in the last even his own opinions out of much as any over the last
double the purses, and we're Cantlay thinks back to 2021 year or two, but I can only respect to his position on the 18 months, has adopted
asking sponsors to double when it was all about the imagine for the fan at home. PGA Tour board. a mantra of keeping his
their investment, and we're golf, though that's personal. So I hope with having more Hughes can envision his ideal head in the sand. That's not
giving them the same prod- Fans were coming back in of the best players play the outcome. He just has no idea to suggest he doesn't care.
uct," Hughes said. "Fans also, force from the pandemic, same weeks, they know ex- how to get there. He would He has strong opinions. That
I think, are left wondering, and he sure heard all of actly which weeks are im- love the PGA Tour and LIV starts with his lack of trust in
'Do guys even love playing them when he pulled off portant, and important to us to find a way to co-exist. But PGA Tour Commissioner Jay
golf anymore, or are they that remarkable rally to beat as players. And they get to how? The elite in golf — play- Monahan.q

Antetokounmpo and James lead early

returns in NBA All-Star Game fan voting

are the early leaders in fan in fan voting last season as Kevin Durant and Denver's
voting for next month's All- well. Nikola Jokic. The East front-
Star Game, the NBA said Fan voting counts for 50% court leaders are Antetok-
Thursday. of the formula used to se- ounmpo, Philadelphia's
Antetokounmpo had lect the All-Star starters. Joel Embiid and Boston's
2,171,812 votes to lead all Media voting counts for Jayson Tatum.
Eastern Conference front- another 25% and voting The West guard leaders are
court players, and James by NBA players determines Dallas' Luka Doncic and
had 2,008,645 votes to lead the other 25% of the for- Golden State's Stephen
all Western Conference mula. The league is revert- Curry, and the East guard
frontcourt players. ing to the classic East vs. leaders are Indiana's Tyrese
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) goes to the James is looking for a re- West format for the All-Star Haliburton and Milwaukee's
basket against Indiana Pacers' Myles Turner (33) and Jalen
Smith (25) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, cord 20th All-Star selec- Game this year, with three Damian Lillard.
Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, in Indianapolis. tion; he is currently tied with frontcourt players and two The All-Star Game is Feb. 18
Associated Press Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for guards in each starting line- in Indianapolis. Fan voting
the most in league history up. continues through Jan. 20.
NEW YORK (AP) — Milwau- ounmpo and the Los An- with 19. He and Antetok- The West frontcourt lead- Coaches will choose the
kee's Giannis Antetok- geles Lakers' LeBron James ounmpo were the leaders ers are James, Phoenix's reserves for both rosters.q