What will Greg Norman’s Liv legacy be?
Check out our writers and editors weekly unfiltered opinions on the sport’s hottest topics and join the conversation by tweeting on @Golf_Com. This week, we discussed Ryder Cup stocks, Tiger Woods’ game plan, Greg Norman’s Liv Legacy and John Daly’s 19.
The Ryder Cup is two weeks away, but out of 24 players who played over the weekend, 21 played at the Procore Championship in Napa and the BMW PGA in England. What’s your biggest gain from Ryder Cup camp from everything you read, hear and see?
Zephyr Melton, Assistant Game Improvement Editor (@zephyrmelton): Many Ryder Cuppers have their own names on the first few pages of both rankings (Ben Griffin, Scottie Scheffler, JJ Spaun, Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland). It’s great to see a bunch of them heading to Bethpage in a beautiful form. It should cause some high-end golf in a few weeks.
Alan Bastable, executive editing (@alan_bastable): I should wish they got good wording on the first two pages, especially on Procore! Disrespect for the rest of the field, but this is a week when it should be reduced to its weight. American players have been praising our players against Keegan Bradley’s group in terms of how he communicates with his team and keeps on mission. He seemed to press all the correct buttons. We’ll see if this continues to exist in the heat of the battle.
Senior writer Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier): My biggest gain is that golf is fun. Alex Noren won two of the next three games after Europe chose its Ryder Cup team (and gave him the deputy captain)? Including this week, where did he beat the entire European team? You may not see the offensive coordinator beat QB in the preseason, but we are here. Additionally, both teams now have enough time to tie and prepare before Bethpage. There will be a back cup with fingertips, but “careless” is not valid on either side of the charge.
Whose Ryder Cup stocks are rising or falling alone and team?
Melton: I’m not sure if you can put it also There are a lot of stocks in a game, but if I have to choose, I will go with Team USA. Before Rome, the Americans did not receive much competitive representation, which was destined to be at Marco Simone. Their small “training camp” in Napa should serve them in keeping competitive juice flowing.
Riding skills: If there are any lingering questions about Ben Griffin, he answered them in Napa. On the other hand, Justin Thomas’ week may give Captain Bradley a stop. JT cut only one and closed it with Rock 75, which included two double bogeys. Not exactly the Ryder Cup springboard he’s been looking for. On the European side, Matt Fitzpatrick, who finished T5 at Wentworth, continued to do a great job. I think he will be an American problem. And how to turn P-Reed’s T3! He won’t be on Bethpage, but you can’t help but think Captain America didn’t play some extra burn this week.
Desir: Scottie Scheffler’s stock is rising to some extent; the latest sense of victory further proves that he makes golf simpler than the rest of the world. Other upward arrows? Ryder Cup rookies Ben Griffin, JJ Spaun and Cameron Young all made the top 10. Justin Thomas, on the other hand, spent about the same week with his iron and putts, which wasn’t ideal (although it’s easy (although it’s easy to be unrelated)?) heading to the Ryder Cup. For the euro, I’m particularly excited about the idea that Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg both headed to Bethpage in good shape – they watched last time. Just don’t fight…
Did two weeks of Ryder Cup results last week change your view of the Ryder Cup results?
Melton: Not even a little bit.
Riding skills: Correct. At this point, Scottie Scheffler got the calf that couldn’t change my view on how this week unfolded: the nervous Slug Fest until the final singles match.
Desir: No, whether it’s a week in Wine Country or one of the biggest events on the DP World Tour, it’s compared to what Bethpage is waiting for. The only thing that made me think twice before doing it: Ben Griffin missed the 18-year-old putter. Is this a good experience or a sign of putting a gun under a gun? This remains to be seen.
Greg Norman officially announced his departure from Liv Golf, ending a four-year relationship (three CEOs), and Norman helped the disconnected league come to life. What is Norman’s Leaven Legacy?
Melton: He will be known for his firm commitment to pulling the league off the ground. Is he the best CEO? Probably not. But he brought admirable work to the league in his early days, which is important.
Riding skills: Not only does Liv need billions to stand out, but he also needs a name-branded pitcher to bring credibility to the league and sell his vision. Norman answered the bell as Jack and Tiger passed by. He has never been a long-term solution for Commish or CEO, but he deserves a mention as he helped cross Liv’s first wave of signatures.
Desir: I know he’s been in the backstage for a while, but I still can’t completely revolve around the idea that Norman and Liv are just done. In my mind yes Greg Norman. The Alliance assumes his personality; its players take the chips from his shoulders and place them on theirs. Again, I know this has been going on for a long time, but the idea of the Norman-free liv is very, very strange. The league’s legacy will double his. It is not clear when it will solidify.
During his Nexus Cup game, Tiger Woods was spotted hitting the ball, although Woods has not competed since the 2024 Open. In his latest surgery, what are Woods’ realistic goals for playing next year?
Melton: If he could play in all four majors, I would say it was a huge win. I hate to say that, but at this stage, Tiger is more like a polite golfer than his actual competitor. He has too many bodies.
Riding skills: All four majors? I think Melton means Nine Grand Slam: There are four on the regular tour and five on the championship track! (In case you forget that the tiger turns 50 on December 30). Maybe it’s an aggressive schedule, but I hope TW can accept a cart-friendly premium tour. Regardless, we can see the 2026 Woods batting as we do whatever we are – it was a win at the Masters, the Dome, at the U.S. Senior Open at Old Timey Scioto.
Desir: Can’t believe you’ve overlooked the Tigers’ upcoming TGL season. If you think about it, so we can see TW on three different trips – although it’s also possible that we see him. I bet we see tigers at the Masters and hope to see tigers before that. It will be fun when we do this.
John Daly made headlines with the most John Daly ever, blowing 19 holes in one hole on the Championship Tour. What is your personal worst course explosion (or one you found yourself)?
Melton: I once saw a kid in a high school golf trial ranked 17 on a hole and just followed the birdie on the 3-pointer below. Not sure many have witnessed such a 17-2 victory. The bounce hell.
Riding skills: Hate to be a buzz, but I avoided August’s avoidance.
Desir: I got 11 times in the state championships in high school; I was trapped in the woods, Dali style. But I was really shocked by the stats behind this latest double-Daly moment – it turns out that it was at least 10 or more recorded in a PGA Tour approved game. No one does it like JD. (As for Zephyr’s high school teammate? He should know that Daly scored 18-2 in Bay Hill. Life has something to do with your response.)
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