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“I fully accept the sanctions”: LIV Golf pro suspended after positive drugs test

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LIV Golf

LIV Golf pro Graeme McDowell has been suspended and fined from one tournament after he tested positive for a banned substance. 

McDowell took to X on 11 August to confirm he had used a ‘generic’ Vicks nasal decongestant ahead of LIV Nashville after struggling to sleep.

The golfer didn’t realise that it was on the list of prohibited substances, he said.

Graeme McDowell suspended for violating LIV Golf's doping policy

READ: Rory McIlroy reaches unwanted career milestone

The 45-year-old said he did not think to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) because of the ‘over the counter nature’ of the medicine.

In his statement, McDowell said he ‘deeply’ regretted the oversight and he fully accepted the sanctions imposed by the breakaway tour.

He also appeared to hit out at the PGA Tour by saying that LIV, ‘Unlike other tours’, enforces rules rigorously.

The former European Ryder Cup star appeared to confirm he has been banned from competing in one LIV event.

McDowell said he looks forward to getting back into action at LIV Chicago over 13-15 September.

It means that he won’t be in the field at The Greenbrier next week and explains why he withdrew from last week’s Asian Tour event.

McDowell and his LIV peer Ian Poulter were expected to headline the International Series event at Foxhills in Surrey.

But both players pulled out. Poulter cited the recurrence of an ankle injury whilst McDowell did not give a reason.

“Ahead of LIV Nashville, I was struggling with severe congestion that was affecting my sleep,” McDowell said in a statement.

“In an effort to manage it, I used a generic Vicks nasal decongestant without realising it might be on the banned list.

“As a professional golfer, I understand the importance of checking all medications and the option to apply for a TUE.

“Unfortunately, I did not think to do this due to the over the counter nature of the medicine, and I deeply regret the oversight.

“I fully accept the sanctions imposed by LIV.”

He continued: “LIV’s Anti-Doping Policy is designed to be thorough and transparent.

“Unlike some other tours, LIV enforces these rules rigorously, which made this situation particularly challenging for me.

“However, I respect the rules and penalties – they are essential for maintaining the integrity of the sport.

“I’m proud of my 22-year career and the way I’ve conducted myself throughout it.

“Now, I’m focused on moving forward and getting back on the golf course.

“I look forward to seeing everyone at LIV Chicago.”

McDowell's statement on X

It has been reported that McDowell has been fined $125,000 (£98,000) for the offence.

The results of McDowell and his team from LIV Nashville will be disqualified following his suspension.

McDowell was among the first wave of players to join the controversial, Saudi-backed league in June 2022.

He resigned his membership with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour 30 minutes before the first tee shots were hit in LIV’s inaugural event at Centurion Club.

McDowell is currently a member of Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC.

He spent the first two campaigns as part of Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks outfit.

McDowell has not played in a major championship since the 2020 U.S. Open, when his 10-year exemption for winning the tournament expired.

He has since tumbled to 972 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

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GOLF

‘Did Everything I Could..’: Phil Mickelson Revives Feud With Jay Monahan & Exposes Own Mistreatment by PGA Tour

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Phil Mickelson Jay Monahan

Phil Mickelson doesn’t want to leave any doubt over his contribution to the PGA Tour. 

Lefty in a recent conversation, spoke of his involvement in various sponsorship deals that the PGA Tour landed. Mickelson revealed he was ‘brought in’ to resolve a few stalemates.

His words, which are worth quoting in full, read: “For 30-plus years I did everything I could to help build the PGA Tour brand, and I would be brought in to help close the deal with many CEOs when they were on the brink of potentially signing a deal, whether it was Bob Diamond at Barclays, it was Rick Waddell at Northern Trust, it was the guys at Shell, Marvin Odom (sic). There were about seven to 10 times that I would come in and try to close the deal. That was my way to help trying to build the PGA Tour at that time. I’m no longer part of the Tour.”

READ: Rory McIlroy’s Marriage Story Taking an Unexpected Turn as PGA Fans Floored

It’s not clear in what capacity Lefty was involved. The PGA Tour signed a deal with Barclays Capital, the London-based multinational investment bank, in 2004 to host ‘The Barclays’ in Westchester Country Club, New York. The original deal ran through in 2010, and the next year, the Tour decided on an extension for another five years. The tournament was the first of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

It should be noted that Phil Mickelson also sported the Barclays logo on the right side of his polo shirt. He was one of the biggest draws at the Barclays event each year. However, they parted ways in 2017, with Mickelson moving to Intrepid Financial Partners, which, interestingly, was founded by former Barclays executive Hugh “Skip” McGee.

On the other hand, the Northern Trust succeeded Nissan as the Los Angeles event sponsor. Lefty notably played with the CEO, Rick Waddell, as recently as the 2017 Northern Trust Pro-Am. Reportedly, Waddell waited for Mickelson as his rented private jet got delayed due to fog. The Riviera event is now a Tiger Woods-hosted signature event, Genesis Invitational.

Whereas, the PGA Tour signed Shell Oil as a sponsor of its Houston event in 1992. For 25 years, the Houston stop was known as the Shell Houston Open, which Phil Mickelson won in 2011. Lefty was also a common face seen around the greens on each occasion. Interestingly, in 2011, the Tour also signed a six-year extension with the London HQ company.

From the timeline, it seems Phil Mickelson’s involvement in the sponsorship deals came under former commissioner Tim Finchem’s tenure. Jay Monahan succeeded Finchem in November of 2016. Mickelson has hinted that he tried to ‘build’ the PGA Tour even then, but Monahan torpedoed his proposals.

Mickelson refused to accept Monahan’s claim that he was the best leader to guide the PGA Tour. The 54-year-old accused Monahan of ‘strong-arming’ LIV golfers. The 45-time PGA Tour winner supported calls for Monahan’s ouster in the wake of the PGA Tour’s feud with LIV Golf. Mickelson further claimed he proposed an idea similar to the Signature events, which the Tour commissioner outrightly rejected.

The six-time major winner tweeted last year, “Before I left I brought a $1 billion commitment from a current PGATour partner to have 8 elevated events and give equity and ownership in these events to the players. JM’s quote was “ I don’t believe the league is going to happen so we won’t be doing that.” No vote, no discussion.”

It appears Mickelson wants to remind everyone that he has done whatever he could’ve for the betterment of the PGA Tour. But with Monahan at the helm, the relationship perhaps soured, and Mickelson saw an opportunity at LIV that he wanted to grab.

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GOLF

Rory McIlroy’s Marriage Story Taking an Unexpected Turn as PGA Fans Floored

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Rory McIlroy Erica Stoll Amanda Balionis

There is nothing “un-complicated” about the concept of divorce and the necessary steps it takes for one to get to the final decision of it. But rarely do you see an entire retraction of the filing…except for the famous Northern Irish PGA Pro Golfer, Rory McIlroy, in the last few weeks. What a wild ride he must be on, and just days away from the 2024 Paris Olympics.

When first diving behind the complex decisions Rory has made for his heart over the years, one would almost assume the worst. Back in 2013, McIlroy, about to tie the knot to Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, had just sent out official wedding invites but to no avail. After just a 5-month engagement, Rory broke Wozniacki’s heart over a 3-minute phone call while on tour, where we can only assume cliche lines like “it’s not you, I just need to focus on my career” were given.

The tennis star was left shattered and led to believe that McIlroy wasn’t prepared for the idea of marriage, as he confirmed with US Weekly reporters at the time. However, he was suspiciously reportedly not only seeing his now-wife, Erica Stoll, just months after but was wedded to the former PGA employee in 2017.

Amanda Balionis shares cryptic message after Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll make Olympics statement - The Mirror US

READ: Amanda Balionis cryptic message after Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll spotted at Olympics

To give you a little background on the love story between the Irishman and Stoll, the two met on the PGA tour in 2012 while McIlroy was clearly still engaged to be married. Stoll, a New Yorker socialite and former PGA Manager of the Championship Volunteer Operations since 2011, found herself swept by the charm of the champion and shortly left her position after they married to travel the world with the golfer.

Though it seemed like the two couldn’t possibly find any reason to detach, as she is known to accompany the athlete on many tournaments, Stoll reportedly claimed to US Weekly recently that she “felt lonely in the marriage” and that “Rory was a hard person to be married to.” The two share a 3-year-old daughter, Poppy.

Now, one can argue that deep down Rory knew Wozniacki was not “his person,” and just simply dragged his feet on ending it with her. Honestly, not an uncommon choice made by many scared people on this planet.

However, due to recent filings, McIlroy seemed to be more of a creature of habit rather than a man with a plan. In June this year, McIlroy officially filed against wife Erica while on tour claiming the marriage was “irretrievably broken,” enforcing his prenup and requested joint custody over daughter Poppy. Just days after Mother’s Day, the filing came out of nowhere. Even worse, reports came out that he was seen getting cozy to yet another reporter, CBS personality Amanda Balionis. Stoll shared that she received papers coldly from a private investigator at their Florida home while McIlroy was away at a tournament.

While filming Netflix BTS docuseries Full Swing, in which the platform goes into the personal and professional lives of the men on the PGA, Balionis and McIlroy seemed to be getting “closer.” As Balionis is one of the main voices for the show, the two spent quite a bit of time together while filming and some reports even stated that the two were already dating as paparazzi photographed the two “hugging” on many occasions. The road for the married couple seemed ominous based on the facts, and, as we know, history tends to repeat itself…

But here’s the real kicker… despite the rumors of the two PGA love birds, the bad habits of the star and an official filing, McIlroy shocked the world with a statement on camera.

“Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning,” said McIlroy. A notice of voluntary dismissal was filed in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday, June 11. McIlroy chose to end the divorce plans, per documents obtained by Us Weekly, and the filing was reportedly closed out the same day.

Leading us to wonder if Rory had a change of heart for several reasons… the timing of the U.S. Open so close ahead at the time, a change of heart, their daughter’s well-being, Rory’s repetitive “bad boy” image… or all of the above?

All we know is that the two have yet to be photographed together since and we are all on pins and needles waiting to see if we will see Erica by Rory’s side representing Ireland in the 2024 Paris Olympics. McIlroy came up short at the U.S. Open without Stoll by his side, however, he was reported to have flown directly home to his wife and daughter following the loss.

Now, the question is: will his decision to continue his marriage to Erica work in the favor of Ireland in the Olympics? Only time will tell.

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GOLF

Is Tiger Woods Still the Richest Pro Golfer? 2024 Net Worth Explored

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Tiger Woods PGA Tour

The Man, the Myth, the Legend, Tiger Woods, is known for his jaw-dropping golfing skills.

The golfer has proven to be one of the best to ever step foot on the greens having several wins under his belt, 82 PGA Tour wins, and 15 majors to be precise. Well, being the one with the highest Tour wins is not the only accolade he has earned as a golfer. Woods is also the first billionaire golfer in history!

As per Forbes, Woods is worth a whopping 1.3 billion dollars in 2024. For the whole of his career on the PGA Tour, the golfer has earned $120,999,166 in prize money, which makes him the leader of the all-time career earnings list of the Tour. In 2022, Woods officially joined the billionaire athlete club alongside LeBron James when Forbes declared his net worth to be at least $1 billion. If that was enough to blow your mind, read this. Despite turning down a lucrative offer from LIV Golf, and we’re talking a lot of numbers here, roughly around $700 million, Woods is the richest golfer.

After major letdown, Tiger Woods confronts one tough truth

READ: ‘Not Technically the Strongest Field’: Scottie Scheffler’s Olympic Gold Not Enough Doubts

However, you’ll be surprised to know that less than 10% of Woods’s income comes from his golf wins, as most of his career earnings come from his sponsors and endorsements. The 15-time major winner’s sponsors in 2024 are Gatorade, TaylorMade, and Rolex. Nike was also on the sponsorship list until early 2024. It came as a shock to everyone when, earlier this year, Woods said goodbye to his $500 million deal with one of the most popular shoe brands in the world.

“Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world,” Woods wrote on X.  Nike in response wrote, “It was a hell of a round, Tiger.” With billions of dollars to his name, Tiger Woods certainly knows how to make smart use of his wealth, especially with the kind of businessman he is!

Tiger Woods is more than just a golf legend; he’s a successful entrepreneur and a savvy businessman. Over the past 20 years, he has expanded his brand into various ventures, including charity work, golf course design, restaurants, apparel, and other golf-related ventures like TGL and Popstroke. Established in 1996, the TGR Foundation supports children and allows them to pursue their dreams. He has also hosted several charity events, including the Tiger Jam and Hero World Challenge, to raise funds for his foundation.

Woods has also made a name for himself in golf course design. With projects like El Cardonal in Mexico and Bluejack National in Texas, TGR Designs has a bright future ahead of itself. He also has his own restaurant, The Woods Jupiter, in Florida, which opened back in 2015. His latest ventures are TGL with Rory McIlroy: a league that will go live in January 2025, T-Squared with Justin Timberlake, and Sun Day Red in collaboration with TaylorMade that has been garnering a lot of backlash for one reason or another since its launch.

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