***2023 Masters Thread***

ClonesFTW

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Brooks has had a good few weeks. Let's see if he can hold up. DJ is not a top 10 player in the world anymore. Hell I'm not sure if he's a top 20 player in the world right now. Cam Smith is about the only one you'd miss and he didn't play well last week.
I'm sorry but your Dustin Johnson claim is absurd.

Dustin Johnson finishes 2022: (how is this not a top 20 player in the world?)

Players: 9th
Masters: 12th
The Open: 6th
US Open: 24th

Cam Smith 2022:
Masters: 3rd
PGA: 13th
The Open: 1st

Koepka in 2021 before knee surgery:

US Open: 4th
The Open: 6th
PGA : 2nd

These are 3 of the best 15 golfers on the planet. If they aren't there you are playing against some of the best - not all of them.
 
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Clonefan32

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I'm sorry but your Dustin Johnson claim is absurd.

Dustin Johnson finishes 2022: (how is this not a top 20 player in the world?)

Players: 9th
Masters: 12th
The Open: 6th
US Open: 24th

Cam Smith 2022:
Masters: 3rd
PGA: 13th
The Open: 1st

Koepka in 2021 before knee surgery:

US Open: 4th
The Open: 6th
PGA Champ: 2nd

These are 3 of the best 15 golfers on the planet. If they aren't there you are playing against some of the best - not all of them.

DJ was announced to LIV on June 1, 2022. At that point he was ranked 15 in the OWGR. Since then he's had a MC in the PGA, T24 at the US Open , T6 at the US Open and T48 at the Masters. This year in LIV he's had a 7th, 13th and 37th finish. So explain to me what about that makes him a Top 20 player?
 

Cyclones_R_GR8

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It's going to be real interesting to see what happens going forward with LIV players and the Masters. With the Masters, if you look at the exemptions for guys playing obviously Phil, Louis, Bubba, Schwartzel, Sergio, DJ and Reed have lifetime exemptions. Beyond that:

Bryson has 2 years left on his US Open exemption, which is the only way he's qualifying now. Ancer and Varner got in because he ended last year in the Top 50 but will be out soon. Koepka's only there on his US Open and PGA exemptions which run out next year. Looks like unless you win a Major you're going to lose you spot pretty soon.
Pretty sure a Master's top 10 finish automatically qualifies you for the next year
 

ClonesFTW

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DJ was announced to LIV on June 1, 2022. At that point he was ranked 15 in the OWGR. Since then he's had a MC in the PGA, T24 at the US Open , T6 at the US Open and T48 at the Masters. This year in LIV he's had a 7th, 13th and 37th finish. So explain to me what about that makes him a Top 20 player?
Can you name 20 golfers you feel would be better than DJ over the course of a full season? (No pun intended) I'll give you Rahm, Scheffler, Rory, JT, Homa, and Spieth to start.
 

isucy86

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Can you name 20 golfers you feel would be better than DJ over the course of a full season? (No pun intended) I'll give you Rahm, Scheffler, Rory, JT, Homa, and Spieth to start.

Yes I could name 20 golfers better than DJ in 2023. Just look at the top 20 money list on the PGA tour and add a couple guys on the LIV tour.

DJ is 38 years old and will be 39 in a couple months. As good as DJ has been for the last decade- odds are his days of being a top 20 golfer are over. Sure he may have a big win in the future, but being great week-to-week his body won't allow. My guess is that is why he took the LIV money and a tour where he only needs to play 10-15 weeks a year.
 

clonedude

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I envy you, I admire you. You don't consume any products where Saudi Arabia has invested money.

What's wrong with golf having guys to root strongly for and against? Isn't that a critical element to most forms of entertainment? Sports, movies, books, etc.

Can you not read? I never said I don’t consume any Saudi products, but that isn’t a good justification for consuming more.

If I have a choice…. I will consume the non Saudi product…. so I have never watched a minute of LIV, and never will.

And I hope none of their tour members get rewarded by getting to play in the PGA either.

They left for the blood money…. fine…. but you shouldn’t get that money AND be allowed to play in the PGA too. If you get both, then every player might as well leave.
 

ClonesFTW

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If you get both, then every player might as well leave.
Let the free market work itself out. These guys are independent contractors, they aren’t employees. If they can sell their service to multiple tours why not? Fans certainly can make the choice to not watch/support LIV for various reasons so if LIV can’t make money in two years it’s going to dissolve anyways.
 

ClonesFTW

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Yes I could name 20 golfers better than DJ in 2023. Just look at the top 20 money list on the PGA tour and add a couple guys on the LIV tour.

DJ is 38 years old and will be 39 in a couple months. As good as DJ has been for the last decade- odds are his days of being a top 20 golfer are over. Sure he may have a big win in the future, but being great week-to-week his body won't allow. My guess is that is why he took the LIV money and a tour where he only needs to play 10-15 weeks a year.
Disagree - Keegan Bradley is top 20 PGA earner, he is not better than DJ. Hoge definitely is not.
 

isucy86

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Disagree - Keegan Bradley is top 20 PGA earner, he is not better than DJ. Hoge definitely is not.
What what has DJ done in the last 6 months?? Golf is a head-to-head sport and ability can be fleeting. So citing tournament results from even a year ago is not significant, especially for a 38 year old golfer.

Sure DJ as a brand is stronger than Bradley or Hoge, but is he a better golfer in 2023? He didn't show he is still a top golfer at the Masters. He hasn't dominated the LIV Tour. Let's see how he does at the other majors. You might be right that he still top 20, but if I was a betting man, his best days are behind him.
 
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MeowingCows

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LIV was lucky this weekend that late surges by Phil and Reed kept their only headline from being Brooks collapsing to a fat L.

That said, at a comp level, I don't think LIV has a talent issue. They have a "product sucks" issue compared even to the PGA, but that part is forgotten when they're all in the same tournaments together.
 
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isucy86

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Can you not read? I never said I don’t consume any Saudi products, but that isn’t a good justification for consuming more.

If I have a choice…. I will consume the non Saudi product…. so I have never watched a minute of LIV, and never will.

And I hope none of their tour members get rewarded by getting to play in the PGA either.

They left for the blood money…. fine…. but you shouldn’t get that money AND be allowed to play in the PGA too. If you get both, then every player might as well leave.

So you selectively choose your outrage where it least inconveniences you? Not going to watch on TV, but OK to buy Saudi gas or buy that Starbuck's Latte.

My comments while directed at you, aren't really. Just pointing out how this whole topic of sportwashing is selective in targeting an aspect of our consumerism that is relatively easy to give up. But would people be willing to give up other products that they love that the Saudi government is also invested heavily in!
 

BillBrasky4Cy

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It's going to be real interesting to see what happens going forward with LIV players and the Masters. With the Masters, if you look at the exemptions for guys playing obviously Phil, Louis, Bubba, Schwartzel, Sergio, DJ and Reed have lifetime exemptions. Beyond that:

Bryson has 2 years left on his US Open exemption, which is the only way he's qualifying now. Ancer and Varner got in because he ended last year in the Top 50 but will be out soon. Koepka's only there on his US Open and PGA exemptions which run out next year. Looks like unless you win a Major you're going to lose you spot pretty soon.

The guys that run the Masters are a bunch of hypocrites. If there are big names outside of the PGA they will find a way to get them into the field.
 
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Clonefan32

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Can you name 20 golfers you feel would be better than DJ over the course of a full season? (No pun intended) I'll give you Rahm, Scheffler, Rory, JT, Homa, and Spieth to start.

There's an easy 17 that are better than him:

Rahm
Scheffler
Rory
Cantlay
JT
Homa
Morikawa
Spieth
Schauffelle
Zalatoris
Hovland
Burns
Cam Young
Fitzpatrick
Im
Cam Smith
Koepka

In his recent form, I'd put him pretty similar to guys like Hatton, Tom Kim, Matsuyama, Theegala, Hoge, Jason Day, etc.
 

ClonesFTW

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There's an easy 17 that are better than him:

Rahm
Scheffler
Rory
Cantlay
JT
Homa
Morikawa
Spieth
Schauffelle
Zalatoris
Hovland
Burns
Cam Young
Fitzpatrick
Im
Cam Smith
Koepka

In his recent form, I'd put him pretty similar to guys like Hatton, Tom Kim, Matsuyama, Theegala, Hoge, Jason Day, etc.
If you think Sam Burns is better than Dustin Johnson I think its best we just move on from this topic.
 
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