Agree and disagree: Reactions to LIV Golf review of Orlando tournament | HEY, WILLIE!

HEY, WILLIE!

Just want to compliment you on your article about LIV golf in Orlando. You are one of the few writers who approach the subject with minimal to no bias.  

The thing that makes sports worth watching is the fact that in every sport, amateur or professional, the participants are playing for something important to them, something besides money.

I just don't see LIV ever achieving the popularity they seek regardless of how much they turn up the volume. Quite a few of us don't really care for music on the golf course.

JOHN A IN MISSOURI

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HEY, JOHN!

I didn’t even mention how they charged $9 for a 12-ounce Bud Light.

Even the Speedway sells you a 16-ouncer for that price — and a 24-ounce Busch Light if you don’t mind pretending you’re a college kid.

My biggest beef remains fairly basic and, admittedly, a bit old-mannish: Golf fans had a good thing going and were quite fine with it. Nearly year-round tournaments, the four majors, a few other favorites, and probably the purest meritocracy in all of athletics.

LIV has forced a couple of changes on the PGA Tour, including raised purses and a handful of limited-field, no-cut tournaments — tournaments the rank-and-file can aspire to reach, by the way, without contractual guarantees. We’ll see how those changes affect our collective vibe.

Meanwhile, I'm still fine with the music. Just wish it was my music.

HEY, WILLIE!

Your article on LIV is a hit-piece that exposes you as a lapdog of the PGA tour. 

Have you ever gone to the Travelers Championship (aka Sammy Davis Jr. Greater Hartford Open)? Guess where the people park their cars ? In a bean field.

And that tournament is one of the new elevated events!

You quote Tiger on his ridiculous comments questioning what LIV golfers’ incentive is to practice? Did people question Tiger’s incentive when he signed a multi-million dollar deal with Nike after he turned pro? Why not?

Why do you perpetuate stupid comments like that without giving the other viewpoint? The drivel you write is the same as all the other PGA lapdogs.

VIN M

HEY, VIN!

Bean field? I’ll take it! The public parking at LIV Orlando was an ugly scene — a bush-hogged field of scrub, soft sand and an occasional flattened cactus. Thank God it never rains anymore, or it might’ve been a real disaster.

Fair point on Tiger and the endorsement deals in general. But my guess is, Tiger (like others) has to maintain a certain level of play — perhaps to trigger certain contractual clauses that add to value, and certainly to make sure more (and bigger) deals are to follow.

I’m too big to be a lapdog, but thanks for the thought, and thanks for the Sammy Davis references.

Hard to believe, kids, but in the world before corporate title sponsorships, the PGA Tour would make celebrities the “hosts” of certain tournaments in order to generate publicity, which is how we got the Bob Hope Desert Classic, the Glen Campbell L.A. Open, and even the Ed McMahon Quad Cities Open.

HEY, WILLIE!

Superb reference to the Flying Wallendas. Very appropriate. 

In fact, it could be the LIV motto. “LIV: The Golfing Wallendas. Golf … with nets!” 

If a birdie putt falls in the forest, does it earn world ranking points? Keep up the good work.

DONNIE

HEY, DONNIE!

As happens from time to time, a distraction has ensued and someone got sidetracked.

A short burst of research tells me that, man oh man, there were a few times when Karl Wallenda and his kids really should’ve considered a net.

HEY, WILLIE!

Nice critique of your recent visit to the LIV golf adventure in Orlando. One wonders if the piped-in atmosphere and party vibe is as enjoyable when the tour organizers tighten the spicket on gas and prices rise above $5 a gallon again?

DAN

HEY, DAN!

And there you go. Someone had to eventually bring up the politics of it all.

Meanwhile, yes, you can find “spicket” in some dictionaries, while the old-schoolers continue with their ancient spigot nonsense. They say it’s a geographical thing, but I’ve been to all corners and never heard anyone use the hard G in spigot, just a ck sound.

Thoughts? Oh, never mind.

And however they pronounce it in Ryadh, the Saudis announced this week they’re indeed going righty-tighty with the faucet. Let’s assume the flow is still fine for Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and the rest.

HEY, WILLIE!

Quick story on Smokey Yunick’s windmill. 

I owned and operated the property at 2120 South Atlantic (Daytona Beach Shores) for 27 years, 1980-2007. I had eight 4x8 solar panels on the roof.

I’d get my high-pressure lines from Smokey’s shop. Sometimes I’d talk with him, and I told him about my solar panels and he asked me about putting a windmill on the roof. He wanted to test the ocean wind. 

Well I tried to get a permit and the city told me I was crazy. Smokey and I were not happy. 

TONY

HEY, TONY!

Ran into an issue with City Hall? Never heard of such a thing.

Listen, Tony, we try to keep things on the up-and-up around here.

HEY, WILLIE!

What’s y’alls opinion on Denny Hamlin  dumping JJ Yeley into the wall at Richmond? 

It had to be deliberate. Time for a points penalty?

STAN

HEY, STAN!

Apparently, Denny has gone public in saying it was a mistake but not deliberate.

A few weeks earlier, he said he deliberately wrecked Ross Chastain. He’s now appealing penalties for that admission.

Lesson learned?

Y'all take care.

— Reach Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: LIV Golf, Tiger Woods and windmills? They're here, but not related