LIV Golf arrived via cannonball. 2022 was never the same

Remember once we thought a pandemic season two years in the past was loopy? Man, 2022 had all of it. The return of Tiger Woods, the founding of a controversial golf league, the disappearance (and reappearance) of one among golf’s most beloved figures and a lot extra. But now let’s take a breath. Here, we’ll look again (and look forward) at the 10 most memorable moments of 2022.

No. 10: Nelly Korda’s rollercoaster yr ended with promise for 2023
No. 9: How Tom Kim stole the present at the Presidents Cup
No. 8: How Lydia Ko rediscovered her sport in 2022
No. 7: Rory McIlroy was an absolute power
No. 6: Scottie Scheffler is a serious champ
No. 5: Cam Smith’s breakout (and tumultuous) yr
No. 4: What occurred to Phil Mickelson?
No. 3: This yr’s Tiger Woods comeback was nothing like the others

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No. 2: LIV Golf arrived via cannonball. 2022 was never the same

The temper had quieted on the LIV entrance, and rightfully so. In mid-May, the upstart tour promised a subject was coming. And promised, and promised and promised. But in actuality, all we had have been rumors.

Greg Norman introduced the subject would characteristic former world No. 1s. Nineteen of the Top 100 gamers in the world signed up. The PGA Tour refused to grant media releases, and Norman responded with “Surely, you jest.” At this level, the conflict between excursions was actually only a disagreement. Until Tuesday evening, May 31.

At 8:20 p.m. on the East Coast, the e-mail lastly arrived, and in all caps: GLOBAL FIELD TEES OFF NEW ERA IN GOLF FOR INAUGURAL LIV GOLF INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Dustin Johnson was in. Sergio Garcia, too. Talor Gooch was in — that’s attention-grabbing! Phil Mickelson’s title was nowhere to be discovered, however there was nonetheless house for him to affix. But if he did, it might be alongside…Blake Windred? Wade Ormsby? Oliver Fisher? For each large fish LIV Golf landed, there have been tiny, unknown minnows included as effectively. All of which begged the query — LIV had made a splash, however how large would its ripples be?

Now we all know…sorta. But as we glance again on 2022 and acknowledge that LIV Golf was the story, it’s price remembering that the week it launched was maybe the weirdest story of all of them. 

There was the lavish draft get together, held at RD Studios in Central London, with its punchy seafood hors d’evours. There was the hype reel — narrated by Dennis Quaid of all folks — which included clips of Bubba Watson and Matthew Wolff, two rumored-but-uncommitted gamers. This was the pure evolution of the sport, Quaid stated. Mickelson’s administration cooed about it on the driving vary. There have been the dozens of London black cabs employed simply to drive gamers to their beginning holes, giving cabbies the greatest deal of their yr. They made extra money standing round all day than they might have driving round Kensington. 

There was the “immersive fan village,” the place no expense could be spared. See: the outdated London bus tricked out right into a bar and bedazzled occasion workers wooing you into an arcade to play LIV Golf video video games. “Welcome to the future,” they stated. 

Claude Harmon surveyed these atypical golf grounds on Day 1, two baggage of 4 Aces gear in hand. But Day 1 actually wasn’t Day 1. There was the authentic Day 1, the place we realized a former press secretary of George W. Bush could be overseeing press conferences. It didn’t go very easily. There was the second day of press conferences, the place Mickelson spoke for the first time in the most un-Mickelson method we’ve ever seen. He adopted it up by carrying a vest the subsequent day bearing an Augusta National emblem, a mini-controversy that lasted for just a few hours till larger controversy arrived: PGA Tour suspensions. 

It is essential to recollect simply how a lot information was created that week in June. Ian Poulter was requested if he’d think about taking part in an occasion organized by Vladimir Putin. Mickelson admitted to having battled a severe playing drawback. Seventeen gamers in the subject have been suspended for a number of months by the PGA Tour. When Ian Poulter discovered, he promised he would enchantment (and he did!). 

The world was launched to Cleeks GC and the Crushers, in addition to the goofy ideologies behind all 12 franchises. Thirsty followers stormed down the fairway of the 1st gap behind Mickelson, Johnson and Scott Vincent. Later on, Johnson clarified his LIV contract was for 4 years. Get comfy with it, people. Patrick Reed joined the broadcast to announce he was becoming a member of LIV. Bryson DeChambeau adopted go well with. Then Pat Perez. (That broadcast, by the method, confirmed extra pictures than we have been all used to seeing. A victory for these at dwelling!)

Charl Schwartzel received the occasion, his first victory in six years and the greatest prize of his life. He wouldn’t name it the most essential victory, although. The governor of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, congratulated him and put what we thought was icing on the cake for the weekend, saying if any participant shot 54 in a single spherical — the excellent 18-hole rating — that LIV would pay them $54 million. 

But in fact, that was not the icing on the cake. 2022 has been a big train in Newton’s Third Law. Every motion from one aspect prompted an reverse and equal response. And for all that LIV Golf had carried out throughout its launch, its first occasion ended on a Saturday in England. The PGA Tour’s occasion that week, overshadowed each single day, was set to complete on Sunday in Toronto. 

Who would have the final phrase? On Saturday evening, Greg Norman trumpeted, “They couldn’t squash us.” At virtually the precise same time, Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo talked about “betrayal” on CBS. Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau performed as a threesome atop the leaderboard at the Canadian Open, and delivered one among the greatest finishes of the yr. 

With a mic thrust in entrance of him and the consideration of the complete golf world, McIlroy placed on his petty hat and famous that his twenty first PGA Tour win was exactly yet another than Greg Norman had throughout his profession. “That gave me an extra little bit of incentive today,” McIlroy stated. 

Golf’s civil conflict was formally off and working. 2022 would never be the same.