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Good Morning! This is the Birdie Brief. We’re like that friend talking into your ear through a wire so you can sound smart on a date. We’ve got your back.

Here’s what we got for you today:

  • 🏁JT & Sainz Win the Netflix Cup, then Immediately Break It

  • 😲Rory’s Resignation

  • 💼PGA Tour Enterprises: Equity, Investments, and the Future of Professional Golf

  • ⚓RSM Classic: Sea Island Golf Club Set to Cap off PGA Tour's Fall Schedule

Words of Wisdom Wednesday: our weekly mental nuggets to shift your perspective and mindset towards lower scores.

🚦Beautiful Chaos at the Netflix Cup

We should of saw this chaos coming by colliding these 2 worlds. Chaos started from the get-go at Wynn Golf Club Las Vegas – golf carts zooming, balls flying, and more questions than answers. Who's driving that cart? Why is Squid Games on the green?

The first hole? Picture this: a starting grid, lights flickering like an F1 race, a golf cart dash to the hole, and no clue who clinched the win or why. And that's just the kickoff. But hey, speed of play? Lightning-fast, the PGA could take some notes.

Last minute, Morikawa withdrew due to a back injury, and had to sideline his anticipated match with Alpine driver Pierre Gasly. Despite the setback, the show must go on, and the organizers swiftly roped in six-time PGA Tour winner Tony Finau to fill Morikawa's shoes.

Justin Thomas and Carlos Sainz emerge victorious, claiming the inaugural Netflix Cup. The trophy presentation? Well, let's just say it added its own flavor of chaos to this event.

Morikawa stepped out, so Sainz could step in…

🏃‍♂️Rory McIlroy resigns from PGA TOUR Players Policy Board

In a move driven by “personal and professional obligations”, Rory McIlroy has stepped down from his position as a Player Director on the PGA TOUR Policy Board.

After serving two years in this role and three on the Player Advisory Council, McIlroy's tenure was marked by golf's response to unprecedented challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of LIV Golf.

Moving into 2024, McIlroy, a three-time FedExCup champion, faces not just his usual global playing schedule but also new responsibilities with the debut of TGL. The remaining Player Directors will soon elect a successor to complete McIlroy's term ending in 2024.

Given McIlroy's active role in recent discussions, the timing of the move raises questions and suggests there might be more to this resignation than meets the eye. 🤔💭

Or maybe it isn’t that deep and Rory just has a lot on his plate at the moment, with permenantly moving back to London, TGL - Boston Common GC, and testing out the new Qi10 LS Driver.

Or Perhaps instead of voting in favor of progressing PIF talks and the PGA Tour Enterprise restructuring, he resigned?

As a (former) board member of the PGA Tour, McIlroy held a unique position on the ongoing negotiations, particularly the 'Framework Agreement' with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The bid to secure additional funding and ward off the threat posed by the Saudi-backed LIV.

Here’s Jay Monahan’s email:

What’s your take on Rory’s move?

🧑‍💼Distressed PGA Tour's Financial Limbo: Private Equity Sharks, Outside Investments, & Player Programs

The PGA Tour finds itself in shark-infested waters, with private equity circling as the organization grapples with financial challenges. The "Friends of Golf": finance bros and billionaires are lining up to invest and aim to preserve the Tour model. Brace yourself for months of money talk—capital infusion, equity for star players, and promises of "growing the game."

Fans want to know if this dance with private equity signals the Tour's failure to reconcile with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Led by Yasir Al-Rumayyan, he offered to invest and make an uncomfortable deposition vanish.

Amidst this chaos, the PGA Tour shrinks its global footprint, shedding the WGCs and silencing the European Tour. Media partners face existential threats, and Comcast, the Tour's major partner, slashes spend with Golf Channel.

Two years of incessant money talk have eroded the likability of pro golfers for all. Former player and current broadcaster, Frank Nobilo even declared golfers are "overpaid compared to every other sport."

These guys find themselves inclined to respectfully differ on this matter:

As the PGA Tour twirls in the money tango, fans and players eagerly await answers to pressing questions and wonder if the dance will lead to a brighter or darker future for the sport.

How much capital will be infused into PGA Tour Enterprises? What slice of the pie will the players receive, and how does this bode for the future of purses and the broader mission of "growing the game"?

🎬RSM Classic Preview

As the curtain falls on the 2022-23 PGA Tour season, the RSM Classic takes center stage at Sea Island Golf Club. Last year, Canada's Adam Svensson waltzed away with the trophy after a stellar six-under par final round. While he aims to defend his title, the competition is heating up.

With a purse of $8.4 million up for grabs, including $1.512 million for the winner, the RSM Classic isn't just about the dough, but also securing a spot in the top-125 of the FedEx Cup standings. The battle for access to next season's full-field events and The Players Championship.

Reigning Open champion Brian Harman headlines the field, bringing star power alongside two-time major champ Zach Johnson and former Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III.

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