How LIV’s Dallas Debut Joined the North Texas PGA Institutions

When it comes to top-tier talent, fan support and infrastructure in the sport of golf, few counties in the country come close to North Texas. That’s why the PGA of America moved its headquarters from Florida to Frisco In 2022, the organization now has two championship courses and a golf-centered entertainment district. And why has North Texas long boasted two major PGA events in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and Charles Schwab Challenge?

So it made sense that the fledgling LIV Golf tour would eventually reach the region as well. It finally happened last weekend when the LIV Golf Team Championship was held at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton.

For the uninitiated, LIV is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, whose seemingly unlimited resources have helped it attract some of golf’s biggest names, including Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Dallas owner Bryson DeChambeau and legend Phil Mickelson. One big reason: this money is guaranteed, unlike the PGA Tour where you get nothing if you miss the cut.

Unsurprisingly, there is a lot of bad blood between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. In the summer of 2023, the PGA Tour announced: study on an agreement that would allow LIV and the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) to “work cooperatively and in good faith”. This it hasn’t come to fruition yet and it may never be given to sports investor John Henry loyalty Up to $3 billion on the PGA Tour in a deal that will provide equity to nearly 200 players. Aim? Help the league compete with Saudi Arabia’s deep pockets, not cooperate.

So what does this mean for fans? How do experiences at LIV Golf events compare to PGA Tour tradition? This question was answered at Maridoe this past weekend. Here’s a look at the top pros and cons of this event and how it compares to the Byron Nelson and Charles Schwab Challenge.

We’ll start with old events.

CJ Cup Byron Nelson

Founded in 1944 and currently known as the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the tournament has been held at various North Texas courses over the years, including Lakewood Country Club and Preston Trail Golf Club. Moved to McKinney’s TPC Craig Farm in 2021.

A big advantage is that it is managed by the Dallas Vendor Club, where hundreds of volunteers help ensure a good fan experience by providing spectator directions, crowd control for players, and more. The tournament is also among the leading fundraisers for charity on the PGA Tour and has raised more than $143 million in total donations.

TPC Craig Ranch is an extremely easy course, so fans will see plenty of scoring as well. This year Canadian Tyler Pendrith won with -23 points. It also offers one of the only stadium-style holes of any tournament: No. 17—a unique viewing experience that creates a party atmosphere. (Inspired by the famous hole 16 at the WM Phoenix Open.) Added to the 16th hole in 2023, the Choctaw Club (which also offers views of the 12th hole) will allow fans to get out of the summer heat and play blackjack, craps. roulette and more.

The biggest disadvantage of this year was that the country was not represented. The world’s top player, Scottie Scheffler of Highland Park, missed the tournament because he and his wife are expecting their first child. Jesuit graduate Jordan Spieth missed the cut, while Plano’s Will Zalatoris withdrew to recover from his injury before upcoming major tournaments. (This may traditionally occur at an event held the week before the PGA Championship.)

Then there’s location. While Craig Ranch is a huge improvement over previous host Trinity Forest, I’ve also heard complaints about having to drive all the way to McKinney at the event. The layout of the track can be a bit difficult to navigate for spectators and there isn’t a lot of shade either.

Charles Schwab Challenge

Founded in 1946 and played at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, this event has a deep tradition. The event is run by the Colonial membership, which continues to make incremental improvements for players and fans alike. This year, they’ve largely perfected that with a meticulous course design inspired by the 1941 U.S. Open at Colonial. (It was managed by Jim Wagner and Gil Hanse, who also helped design PGA Frisco.) The improvements also created better walking paths and more viewing areas for fans.

The history and tradition of the tournament is obvious. It honors the late Ben Hogan, a longtime Fort Worth resident and five-time winner of the event. Champions can feel like mini Masters with the Scottish tartan plaid jacket. It’s also one of the few “invitational” tournaments on the tour, which only adds to the prestige.

One of the disappointments this year was the removal of the old scoreboards where volunteers posted scores by hand. Both the boards and the volunteers were replaced by video boards, which felt a bit out of place. Trees surrounding the course were also removed, creating a former Augusta-like feel.

Finally, like Byron Nelson, Colonial’s timing on the golf calendar doesn’t help the course. In recent years it has been held the week after the PGA Championship, which means you can expect some of the big names to take a week off instead of heading to Fort Worth.

LIV Golf Team Championship Dallas

The format of LIV’s second Texas event (LIV Houston took place in June) ensured a different golf experience from the jump. The Tag Team Championship is similar to the Ryder Cup in that it has a knockout format that combines bouts and strikeouts. wordsIt creates a “head-to-head environment across the entire pitch”. Players are ranked based on their performance in the 13 regular season tournaments.

A big advantage is that fans are guaranteed to see the best players throughout the entire tournament. With no interruptions, you can buy Sunday tickets with confidence knowing that you’ll see your favorite player even if he has a week off. Tickets were also much more affordable than Tour events; three-day passes were under $90. LIV doesn’t release attendance numbers, but Sunday’s attendance appeared healthier than Byron Nelson’s, for example. (The overall attendance at the LIV event was almost certainly overshadowed by Nelson; more than 200,000 audience.)

And you can expect to have a great time while you’re there. At LIV, parties are not limited to the accommodation suites. The day starts with a bang: a man on the microphone gets the crowd pumped and asks, “Are you ready for this, Dallas?” he shouts. aspect Frog-X parachute suit soaring through the sky carrying the flags of different LIV golf teams.

Music is heard throughout the day, throughout the course, even during play. It didn’t stop there either. At the end of the day there was a big concert, as is the case at Formula 1 events. Bailey Zimmerman and Martin Garrix performed, and it felt like a special show due to the intimate venue and small crowd.

When it comes to the tournament, the time you spend on the course becomes shorter. Shotgun teeing allows players to tee off on different holes essentially at the same time. If you want to see Phil Mickelson on the 17th hole and Bryson DeChambeau on the 7th hole, you’ll have to act fast.

Another noticeable difference is the lack of volunteers and trained tournament staff. Compared to the bench strength and well-honed teams running the McKinney and Fort Worth Tour events, it looked a little chaotic at times at Maridoe. It was sometimes difficult to keep track of who was against whom. You really have to know golf to understand what’s going on.

Still, judging by the crowd size and level of enthusiasm, LIV Golf and Huddleston are probably happy with the first match in Dallas. This only makes the local scene more robust. Whether you’re a traditionalist or prefer your golf to be a little less complicated, adding LIV to PGA events guarantees something for everyone. The competing circuits may not get along anytime soon, but at least the competition gives the rest of us plenty to watch in North Texas.