⛳️ Who owns golf now?

Plus: Q School, A Meme, and more.

Author

The Shanks Gator
December 16, 2023

Good Morning. Welcome to Shanks. Thank you to today’s sponsor Maker Golf, a small company that makes great putters at a great price. If you love watching golf, there are five PGA Tour cards on the line this weekend at Q School and it’s on TV. It’s much more compelling golf than the PNC Championship.

Golf Dad Joke: If you get into a fight with your wife, go golfing. She’ll still be mad, but at least you went golfing.

Here's what we've got for ya today:

  • Report: PGA Tour & SSG Nearing Deal

  • Up & Comer: Maker Golf

  • A MEME

  • Shots Heard Round The World

  • Q School On TV

  • Thing We’d Buy If We Weren’t Broke

Report: PGA & SSG Nearing Deal

Golf Has New Ownership

The Tour’s deal with “SSG” or “Strategic Sports Group” is imminent, according to sources.

Remember, the SSG is made up of a consortium of American billionaires, who own a bunch of other sports teams.

That list includes; Tom Werner and John Henry (Boston Red Sox), Arthur Blank (Atlanta Falcons), Wyc Grousbeck (Boston Celtics), Mark Attanasio (Milwaukee Brewers), Cohen Private Ventures (New York Mets), Tom Ricketts (Chicago Cubs) and Marc Lasry (Milwaukee Bucks, former co-owner).

The plan is to infuse the PGAT with $3 billion in cold hard American cash under a new for-profit entity called PGA Tour Enterprises.

What about PIF?

Well, they bought Jon Rahm.

Which brings us to one of the better quotes from the ESPN Article:

"It was nothing more than a shot across the bow," said a source familiar with the negotiations. "It was a f--- you by PIF to the tour that they can grab anyone, even the guy who was adamant about not joining. Three hundred million dollars is a rounding error to the Saudis. Their message was: 'You want to keep fighting with us, really? You want to keep talking to everyone and box us out? Good luck with that.' That's their message."

We will take a guess that the Saudis didn’t take too kindly to the PGAT inviting new guests to the negotiating table.

All the reports so far say, that despite buying Jon Rahm, the deal with the PGA Tour & PIF is not off, yet.

The PGA Tour says that it hopes it can still get a deal done with PIF and there’s a chance the December 31st deadline could be pushed back if progress is being made.

The combined cash infusion between PIF & SSG could be north of $7 billion dollars, according to some reports.

Shanks Says

Is there really a situation developing where Jay Monahan wins? Possibly.

However it came to be, the LIV drama got American businessmen to the negotiating table. Those businessmen are providing a huge cash infusion to the PGAT, a lifeline.

Meanwhile, PIF now has to share the pie with two entities (PGA and SSG) instead of just one partner, who was financially struggling, and had no leverage.

So, if Jay Monahans goal was to ensure the future of the PGAT (with billions in cash) and make sure the Saudis don’t run the whole thing (dilute them with other partners), he may just succeed.

With Maker Golf

Up & Comer: Maker Golf

At Maker Golf, we are gearheads and avid lovers of golf - we've always been on a quest for perfection. Our journey has seen countless putters come and go in our bags, each falling short in its own way: too flashy, built from lackluster materials, or priced beyond reason. We knew something had to change.

That's when the light bulb went off: Why not design our own putter?

What began as a simple experiment in design quickly blossomed into a full-fledged mission: to create a putter that stands a cut above the rest.

A MEME

Shots Heard Round The World

Q School On TV Today

This week, for the first time, 5 PGA Tour cards are on the line for the top-five finishers this weekend at Dyes Valley Course and Sawgrass Country Club.

This is the heart of golf. This is what it’s all about.

Of course, the PGA Tour has hardly promoted it, because they are too focused on tweeting out Taylor Swift lyrics and posting about the PNC Championship.

AND

You can watch on Golf Channel on Saturday from 2:30- 4:30 p.m ET and Sunday from 1:30- 4:30 p.m ET. 

Golf Thing We'd Buy If We Weren't Broke

Why Golf makes this portable bunker simulator designed to give you the feedback and instructions you need to really improve your bunker game. 

Bunker Mate is designed with a top layer custom developed by WhyGolf to mimic the feel and ball flight of sand, an internal "bounce" layer with just the right amount of resistance to digging, and a bottom rubber layer for weight, traction, and durability.

That’s all folks! See you Monday.