"Moments before Bryson DeChambeau teed off to open LIV Golf's first American tournament of the year, at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, the public address announcer bellowed Long! LIV! Golf! to try and electrify a modest crowd by the first tee. The irony wasn't lost on the devoted group who skirted work and school to enjoy a sunny afternoon just 25 miles outside Washington DC: this was the first tournament since the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund confirmed it would no longer fund the outfit that it once imagined as the world's premier collection of professional golfers."
"Before that news was finalized, the league postponed a tournament scheduled to take place in New Orleans at the end of June. We have a good runway through this season fortunately, LIV's chief executive, Scott O'Neil, said during a press conference on Tuesday. And it's for next year that we're going to be making some pretty significant, substantive changes. The news hung over a predictably quiet Thursday afternoon to open a tournament that Donald Trump is expected to attend on Saturday."
"Trump, who had publicly supported LIV's growth after the PGA temporarily refused to hold tournaments at his properties, told reporters that he believes the PGA should welcome back players seeking to leave LIV with its future in question. Among the crowd were two distinct classes of golf fan that LIV has been working for the past years to capture as part of their breathtakingly expensive and ferocious effort to become a viable competitor to the PGA Tour."
"Perched behind a railing with a pink baseball cap and synthetic golf shirt covered in pastel dots was Riley Robbins, a mustachioed contractor who traveled with his mom and fiancee from Virginia Beach, Virginia to celebrate his 21st birthday by attending all four days of the tournament. I came here to watch Bryson hit the shit out of the ball, Robbins said with a chuckle. I came here to watch Jon Rahm hit the shit out of the ball."
LIV Golf began its first American tournament of the year at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, with a loud “Long! LIV! Golf!” announcement. The event followed confirmation that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund would no longer fund the league, and LIV had already postponed a New Orleans tournament scheduled for late June. LIV chief executive Scott O’Neil said the league had a good runway through the season and planned significant substantive changes for next year. The tournament also carried political attention because Donald Trump is expected to attend on Saturday and said the PGA should welcome players seeking to leave LIV. Fans included those focused on watching specific players hit long shots.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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