The PGA Tour look like they’re trying to beat LIV Golf at their own game.
One of the key points of difference that ‘old world’ players and administrators were stressing was the competiveness they had that the breakaway rebels didn’t.
That meant half-way cuts and traditional size fields.
Bigger prize funds that have now been announced and 12 events with restricted fields might keep the top players happy in the short-term but I’m not so sure it was a good call in the grand scheme of things.
For starters, although the money has gone up, we all know who has the deeper pockets in this battle.
LIV will just keep raising the bar again and again.
But, even more importantly, the PGA Tour has conceded a bit of territory on the moral high ground.
In the court of public opinion – as we saw at The Open – there was a good guy and a bad guy.
Ian Poulter played down being booed by a section of the crowd on the first tee and admitted that this could be the final appearance at the open. pic.twitter.com/siMqpRbTK5
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 14, 2022
If I wasn’t one of the players who was likely to make those restricted field events, I’d be very concerned about what the future is going to look like.
And I’d also have big doubts if I was a young player yet to even get on the PGA Tour ladder.
The blurring of the lines might prevent a few of the stars jumping ship (I think even that’s unlikely if the rumours about Cameron Smith are true).
But maintaining a clear identity could well have bene the better long-term strategy.
Shooting 76 on the Carrick Course at Loch Lomond for Sir Alex Ferguson’s golf day last week shows that retirement is helping my own golf game!
I was certainly pretty pleased with that.
It was an honour to meet and chat to Sir Alex.
Hearing that true sporting greats like him were watching our Olympic final never gets boring, I can assure you.
He said he wants to give curling a try, so we’ll see!
🗣 “It’s great to see Sir Alex put so much passion, hard work and dedication into such a great charity.”@evemuirhead OBE discusses the importance of the GCU Foundation and the role Sir Alex Ferguson plays in this. 💙#GCUSirAlex pic.twitter.com/YEAhalw2Qp
— Glasgow Caledonian University (@CaledonianNews) August 18, 2022
And the Q&A at night with Gary Neville was inspirational.
The importance he places on things like knowing everybody’s name at whatever club he managed, from the top to the bottom, was fascinating.
Both men had the audience captivated.
It’s no wonder Manchester United were so successful with Sir Alex as manager and Gary the captain.
Last week had a bit of a strange feel to it with the new curling season starting off without me.
I couldn’t stop myself from watching, though.
That will never change.
As you’d expect there were perfect ice conditions at the National Curling Academy in the first Euro Super Series event.
And congratulations to Germany’s Team Jentsch on getting the win.
@teamjentsch claim the Euro Super Series title in Stirling after beating Team Rorvik 5-3 in the final. #curling #esscurling2022 pic.twitter.com/TEqOc0ZwFS
— British Curling (@BritishCurling) August 21, 2022
From a Scottish point of view, neither of our teams made it through to the semi-finals.
It will be Beth Farmer who will be the happier of the two skips, though.
Team Farmer are the Performance Foundation rink but they beat Team Morrison who are Podium when they faced each other.
That will be a rivalry to keep an eye over the next few months.
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