If you listen to Cameron Percy, it sounds like he has some inside-info on Cam Smith and Marc Leishman.
Percy, who lost his Tour card a few seasons back and is 154th on the FedEx list, declared in a recent radio interview that Open champion Smith and Leishman are headed to the LIV exhibition series.
“Unfortunately, yeah. They’re gone,” Percy said.
Last month Smith was asked about rumors that he was LIV-bound and he was annoyed. “I just won the British Open, and you’re asking about that. I think that’s pretty…. Not that good.” The 28-year-old then failed to deny the ongoing speculation when he added: “I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff. I’m here to win golf tournaments.”
Questions were fired at Smith on Tuesday at his press conference in Memphis. Key takeaway is that Smith would not deny that he intends to join the LIV. He did say he intends to play in the Presidents Cup.
If Smith were to eventually depart for the LIV, he would be the biggest name to join as Smith is currently ranked No. 2 in the Official World Golf Rankings nd is the current front-runner for PGA Tour Player Of The Year. He would also be the first top 10 player to leave.
Phil Mickelson, the face of the LIV, hasn’t won since the 2019 PGA. Dustin Johnson hasn’t won since the 2020 Masters. Brooks Koepka hadn’t won since the 2021 Waste Management. Bryson DeChambeau last won in 2021 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Patrick Reed’s last visit to the winner’s circle came at the 2021 Farmers.
Fellow Aussie and Open champion Ian Baker Finch urged Smith to reject the LIV. I don’t think he needs the money. I don’t think it is going to be something that he should do. He will be a $100 million guy or more now. Does he want to win more Majors or does he want the money? I am hoping he stays and leaves a great legacy like a Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy. The guys who go join LIV are going to miss out on the grind, what it takes to be a champion, to play in the great tournaments against the great players. It’s hard work. You’re not going to become a better player by going and playing 54 hole exhibition matches and getting paid $150,000 to finish last.”
As far as the timing, both Smith and Leishman may wait until after the President’s Cup at Quail Hollow in late September to defect.
Rickie Fowler Parts Ways With Long-time Caddie:
Joe Skovron has been Rickie Fowler’s caddie since Fowler turned pro back in 2009 — the two have now parted ways.
Fowler has been in a massive slump, he’s fallen to No 167 in the Official World Golf Rankings and barely secured his Tour card for next season, finishing 124th in the FedEx Cup standings last week, even though he missed the 36-hole cut at the Wyndham Championship.
Ben Schomin, the tour operations manager for Cobra Puma Golf, will caddie for Fowler this week at the St. Jude Classic at TPC Southwind.
Fowler isn’t the only player to change caddies. Last week at the halfway mark of the Wyndham Championship, Will Zalatoris parted ways with long-time looper Ryan Goble.
Carlos Ortiz Withdraws His Name From LIV Anti-Trust Suit:
There were 11 players filing suit against the PGA Tour citing anti-trust violations. Now there are 10.
Carlos Ortiz has decided to move on and has withdrawn his name from the plaintiff list.
10 Comments
baxter cepeda
This Percy is definitely pissing off his mates.
We talked about Rickie elsewhere but again, pleasantly surprised Rickie was able to make this move for his game. Surely it was not easy for Fowler. Joe will find a great bag and Rickie should benefit —hopefully—from a fresh bag toter.
Theres talk that LIv players may withdraw from suit to avoid public records and stuff. Maybe so but what Ortiz tells me is the pga tour is not worth the trouble. He is moving on. Which only makes the case that regardless of the successes the pga tour has in this case, it only loses by not allowing great players —great guys like Ortiz (I realize LIv has some bad boys also)—to return.
Tom Edrington
Your definition of Great is not the same as mine: Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, and so on were Great players…..folks throw out the “great” term too loosely these days….Great players go into the Hall of Fame….good players do not….right now Carlos Ortiz is a 31-year-old player who has ONE PGA Tour win and that in no way classifies him as “Great”…..I am not sure about his family background but I guess it may not be affluent and LIV upfront money would be attractive to him….same for Abe Ancer who found out how expensive it is to start up a Tequila company from scratch and battle giants in that market…..ventures like that SUCK CASH…..For Friday, I want you to pay special attention to the feature where we break down how bad the LIV lawyer performed on Tuesday…..basically the LIV is living proof that there’s no monopoly in golf, throw enough money out there and you can start your own tour, they basically had to steal players from the PGA Tour to try and create their own credibility…..the anti-trust suit would fail….in fact, the judge joked on Tuesday that the PGA Tour could end up suing LIV>
baxter cepeda
I’ll agree on the great thing about Ortiz, who is definitely not great compared to all the best players in the world, much less the best of all time.
But I will stand by Ortiz being one of the great classy guys on golf tours, which set a high standard to begin with. I don’t think Ortiz is struggling for money for a long long time now. And I’m sure his family weren’t struggling to begin with. There are no real rags to riches Mexican golf stories from what i see.
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I also agree LIv argument was weak. As I’ve said LIv needs to focus on qualifying for majors and world rankings points opportunities in order to qualify for majors —-especially in this transition period—they should have brought up who’s on that owgr board—again because they want their fair chance to qualify for the 4 real “legacy” events in golf.
The pga tour is basically one major qualifier after another, and the fed ex cup is another huge qualifier.
The liv lawyers needed to make clear the root of all this emergency argument trying to avoid “irreparable damage” is LIv players having their rightful opportunities to maintain their status for majors. At least ubtil this while this antitrust case plays out over years to come. That’s it. Once LIv gets its fair share of points maybe those players could be re-examined to be removed until the big case is settled.
The expert lady on golf today said the judge did invite LIv to file a “preliminary injunction” called “preliminary in term relief”, which would last throughout the case, which they are saying could be heard in 2025.
No doubt. Players signed for a lot of money with Liv knowing full well the pga tour would have problems as they are direct rivals (by the pga tours choice). Personally I feel excluding players in this new reality is a dumb business move regardless of what the courts allow. But it is reasonable to expect the pga tour to be able to exclude players if they choose to do so for playing a rival tour. I get that.
But the majors are the real “legacy” in golf, and these players need the John Deers of the world to have their opportunity at qualifying to compete for legacy.
Getting into majors is where the case is for LIv players, imo, at least until LIv are granted a fair share of the world ranking points required to get a reasonable number of their players into the majors.
The LIv lawyers should have made it clear the money means little to their clients, especially since they know are making more money now, but that some legal minds have argued that they have a case there as well. Still, this is completely about competing in golfs majors for them.
The pga tour is not a monopoly. But There are simply not enough qualifying opportunities for majors— outside of the pga tour at the minute— for all the LIv players —and counting— whom should be in the majors.
This is THE issue here.
Imo In the next small battle in this war, If LIv focuses on The issues of qualifying for majors because of legacy, that and only that, they have an argument. Otherwise they will lose to the pga tours bylaws.
Tom Edrington
Too bad you didn’t hear Michael Breed on his Sirius radio show this morning; The PGA Tour, with the leaders down the stretch, people want to see the best players hit great shots at compelling moments…..you don’t get with guys paid huge money up front and shotgun starts…..people want to see compelling stories like Tom Kim shooting 28 going out to take control of his destiny; They don’t want to see over-the-hill Phil Mickelson shoot 75.
baxter cepeda
I love Michael. I watch his cbs show. He had some random blonde haired guy on talking about pga tour not being a monopoly but something that sounds like monopoly but different. I couldn’t quite follow but it was interesting.
I will say Breeds old show was better. Breed can talk golf ok. But he is arguably the goat of tv instruction. I wish his show now had much more teaching than babbling the same things other shows say. Again, kinda lazy.
There’s a lot of give and take between the tours for me as a viewer. The pga tour often provides drama down the stretch. No doubt about that. Although I’m not sure Tom down the stretch was very dramatic. But LIv provides drama as well and will increasingly as more players join; not to mention Liv have the team competition which is fun and dramatic as well.
And frankly Liv is more entertaining from the first tee shot. Outside of majors, no one really gets pumped about the first tee shot on pga tour events; but in LIv, you kind of find yourself counting down like it’s a kickoff or something. It really is more like watching a game, which regardless of what anyone says, it really is pretty cool.
It’s almost like LIv don’t need that many great players because even just a few playing at the same time usually means as a viewer we are seeing more good players playing at the same time than at most times in most pga tour events…if that makes sense.
One more note, Tom Kim seems pretty cool but he is not even in Cam Smiths League. Pga tour may have dodged a bullet on Cam Young, but as good as that guy is, cam smith is the undeniable humongous loss if it happens. If it does, LIv gets that much more interesting and the pga tour diminished ITSELF another notch.
Tom Edrington
Who said he was? Tom Kim is 22 and just got his card and made top 35 on FedEx Cup list; What was Cam Smith doing at age 22?
baxter cepeda
Cam was Having a damn good time at 22 I’m sure.
I’m not sure what and whom you mean by “who said he was?”
Tom Edrington
Cam got his first PGA Tour win in 2020, which would make him, what, 26? You said that Tom Kim was not in “Cam Smith’s league” and I did not say that…..at age 22, Cam wasn’t in Tom Kim’s league — PGA Tour winner and in the top 34 in the FedEx……
baxter cepeda
I meant Tom Kim is not on cam smiths level of cool. Very few if anyone is. Cam is as cool as it gets.
This Tom Kim is potentially an all time player and even more possibly the best ever Asian player. Tom should be better than Cam.
But again no one in golf beats cam at being cool.
Tom Edrington
Cam is nerdy with a mullet from the 80s and a mustache no one can see……