Jay Aaron

“Anthony Kim is not who you think he was — HE’S BETTER! + My Dad & Golf’s Ability to Heal” by Pro Golf Critic (@progolfcritic) @progolfcritic/anthony-kim-is-not-who-you-think-he-was-hes-better-my-dad-golf-s-ability-to-heal-804e08c9b623" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@progolfcritic…

Official @livgolf_league OWGR updates after Singapore🇸🇬: 🇺🇸 Bryson: 41 ➡️ 33 🇨🇦 Richard T Lee: 210 ➡️ 145 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Lee Westwood: 1044 ➡️ 466 🇨🇱 Joaquin Niemann: 182 ➡️ 150 🇪🇸 Jon Rahm: 36 ➡️ 34 🇪🇸 Jose Ballester: 198 ➡️ 175 🇧🇪 Thomas Pieters: 270 ➡️ 223 🇦🇺 Cam Smith: 223 ➡️ 203 🇺🇸 Matthew Wolff: 774 ➡️ 573 🇺🇸 DJ: 704 ➡️ 581 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tyrrell Hatton: 26 ➡️ 27 🇺🇸 Talor Gooch: 1620 ➡️ 974 🇿🇦 Dean Burmester: 208 ➡️ 195 🇺🇸 Brendan Steele: 1681 ➡️ 992 Thomas Detry finished 15th (no points) and went from 61 to 63. Needs a top 2 finish in 🇿🇦 for Top 50.

Solid week in 🌎 golf this week with 2 events with major exemptions on the line - notables in each event below: South African Open🇿🇦 (@TheMasters & Open exemptions for🏆, Top 3 Q for @TheOpen): 🇺🇸 Patrick Reed 🇿🇦 Dean Burmester 🇿🇦 Branden Grace 🇿🇦 Charl Schwartzel 🇿🇦 Jayden Schaper 🇿🇦 Ernie Els 🇫🇷 Martin Couvra 🇿🇦 Hennie Du Plessis 🇿🇦 Dylan Frittelli 🇿🇼 Kieran Vincent 🇪🇸 Angel Ayora 🇮🇹 Matteo Manassero 🇩🇪 Freddy Schott 🇿🇦 Casey Jarvis 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Alex Fitzpatrick 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ben Schmidt 🇨🇳 Wenyi Ding 🇹🇭 Kiradech Aphibarnrat New Zealand Open🇳🇿 (Open exemption for 🏆): 🇦🇺 Lucas Herbert 🇺🇸 Kevin Na 🇳🇿 Ben Campbell 🇺🇸 John Catlin 🇺🇸 Chase Koepka 🇺🇸 Nick Watney 🇺🇸 Kyle Stanley 🇰🇷 Luke Kwon 🇳🇿 Nick Voke 🇳🇿 Daniel Hillier 🇳🇿 Steven Alker 🇺🇸 James Piot 🇯🇵 Kazuki Higa 🇦🇺 Jed Morgan 🇦🇺 Wade Ormsby 🇦🇺 Harrison Crowe 🇭🇰 Taichi Kho 🇩🇪 Max Rotluff 🇳🇿 Ryan Peake (defending 🏆)

Enjoyed this dialogue between @TrevorImmelman & @TigerWoods about the intricacies of putting well on Poa Annua greens. Gotta have confidence & be committed. The strategy adds up over 72 holes. ✅

If @PGATOUR fans acknowledged all the innovations that @livgolf_league has pioneered & then integrated that into the PGAT viewing experience, their minds would be blown. I’m reminded of this any time I try to watch a PGAT event. I mean you literally CANNOT watch most of the actual golf tournament outside of some of (not all) of the leaders on Sat/Sun, it’s insane! 🤦🏽‍♂️

I know I haven't written a long form column in a while. But I was waiting for the right time & inspiration. AK winning provided both. I find a way to weave in AK's story with my Dad & our Golf story with the CGM somehow.😂 It's my best work. 15 min read. @progolfcritic/anthony-kim-is-not-who-you-think-he-was-hes-better-my-dad-golf-s-ability-to-heal-804e08c9b623" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@progolfcritic…

This does not seem real yet. 🤯🤯🤯 In the words of @arlowhite, I need a lie down. 😂. Congrats to AK! You got me, I was just waiting for the right time to post my story. After this, it’s the right time! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽@AnthonyKim_Golf

I’ve said this before - people forget all the time that #golf is supposed to be a FUN, recreational activity that is great for our mental/physical health. Most of us are not professionals. When playing or being a fan stops being fun/healthy, you should prob find something else.

I watched the @PGATOUR for 30 years. I enjoyed it for the most part. But @livgolf_league is SO much more compelling week to week (even with its flaws). The way it’s structured actually makes sense (particularly with the updated points). And what happened today - Young Gun Elvis outlasting Rahm + all the intrigue down the leaderboard (OWGR/year long points) + golf presented in a new way (night golf, team golf, etc) - this is what makes it better. I really don’t need to convince anyone of this - it’s MY opinion (albeit extremely sophisticated opinion) as someone that has consumed pro golf since the 90s, watches it & thinks about this stuff constantly. I’m honestly only tweeting this because people ask me all the time. And if you think the current over-sanitized & over-corporatized PGAT model is better: ➡️ Not knowing the names of most events week to week (minimal identity); ➡️ Not knowing who’s in the fields week to week (no consistency, so the points are skewed); ➡️ Watching courses you’ve seen for decades (most of which aren’t good/interesting); ➡️ And you actually like the way it’s presented; ➡️ Or “just like watching because it’s on and that’s your routine.” When I hear “legacy” this is what I think. If you honestly think that’s more compelling and not because someone else tells you it is, that’s really your personal preference. But that’s just not compelling to me anymore (now), no matter who tries to convince me. Or if you watch for “legacy” then how do you square watching new events without any legacy or an event with a new name of a company you didn’t know existed before? Doesn’t make sense to me either. If most people were open minded and thought about this, you’d realize what model makes more sense. It’s why the PGAT has been quietly moving towards the LIV model for 4 years (predictable fields, smaller fields, no cuts & a tighter schedule). Even teams with TGL: and the PGAT having a vested interest in it. But none of it is done as well as LIV, because their “legacy” structure doesn’t allow it. But it all seems inevitable to me and just makes more sense for what they’re trying to accomplish now (investor-driven products) - why they’re doing it. Not hard to see. BTW, LIV didn’t go to 72 holes because it’s better - it’s solely because the establishment demanded it (either OWGR or thinking it’s better major prep is immaterial - both are the establishment), and they caved. 🤷🏽‍♂️ Any of the 54ers just need to get over this - myself included. I don’t think it’s made LIV better - if anything it’s fragmented the fans/players, and the league isn’t as strong. But it’s still compelling week in/out. The best & most compelling model probably is combining elements of all tours (mostly the LIV model explained above) with all the best players guaranteed in a top level series across the 🌎 in a variety of formats. But given many 🇺🇸 based players don’t want to or need to do this, and PGAT has no interest (yet), and the 🇺🇸 media defends/protects this, that may not happen. So LIV is the most compelling product & model for now even without all the best players - “all the best” really is not necessary from an entertainment perspective to be the most compelling with 57-60 players. It would be additive ofc, but if you’re honest with yourself, how many players do you follow in any given event? How many does the broadcast even show? 🤔 But yeah, music, shotgun, yada yada whatever. 😂

I’ve thought a lot about what a Global Series partnership btw @livgolf_league & @DPWorldTour could look like (sponsored by @ROLEX ofc!) 1️⃣: 4 Rolex Series (Dubai, Scottish, BMW PGA, Abu Dhabi) 2️⃣: 6 National Opens+: Australian🇦🇺 (now co-sanctioned AT/DP), Spanish🇪🇸, Irish🇮🇪, South Africa🇿🇦, HK🇭🇰 (also co-sanctioned), Dunhill Links🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. 3️⃣: 10 LIV (minus 2 Open locations: HK, Sing, -1 Intl, -1 USA) can rotate on/off years. 4️⃣: 4 majors. That’s 24 total events for most players. 5️⃣: 5 Bonus events for those not qualifying for the majors, or DPWT players or IS players qualifying into top events or looking for extra events: DPWT Final @ Jumeirah, India🇮🇳 (DP/AT co-sanctioned), French Open🇫🇷, Singapore🇸🇬 Open (co-sanctioned), AT Final @ Saudi🇸🇦 International (co-sanctioned). That’s now 5 co-sanctioned events between the DPWT & Asian Tour International Series. Strengthening all of those events. When contracted by LIV, you’d be required to play in 18-20 minimum non-majors. 10 LIV, 10 DPWT (this includes 2 International Series now co-sanctioned, with the option of adding the other 3). I’m leaving some wiggle room for flexibility based on the player. Yes, I know I just reduced the LIV events from 14 to 10 in this scenario. But those 4 can be rotated between LIV (premier event) vs full field open events every other year so you’re not losing locations. Or those could be a match play option. DP is already doing this with the Dubai Invitational & Hero Cup rotating each year. That way, those locations get exposed to LIV (“grow the game”) and still have the traditional event - just bigger every other year. Maybe you settle on 12 LIV (now with 2 additional match play events + 2 Opens. I don’t think Singapore & Hong Kong necessarily need both every year. Flexibility here too. LIV is already requiring players to play 16 now (14 LIV & 2 AT IS). But this play basically locks in all top players in this series to play in the @AusOpenGolf & @TheHKOpen at minimum - helping to return those 2 events to their past glory. No, it actually makes them better than they’ve ever been. Who says no? But no, I haven’t thought about this at all. 😂 Food for thought. PIF & the investors in LIV have always envisioned a Global Series of events which involves LIV & other big events. That’s always been their goal/plan from the start - not just LIV. You can ask Yasir if you talk to him 😂. My hope has always been the 🌎 golf establishment would see this and set this plan in motion. If the DPWT follows through on their pending agreement with the LIV players, that’s a big domino to bring this vision to life eventually. 🤞🏽

I’m planning on attending a @DPWorldTour event sometime in the next year or so. I’m curious, which one do you think is the best one to attend? 🤔

Never forget most in the CGM said Brooks was “done” when he went to LIV. I didn’t. Then he was done after missing 3 major cuts in 2025. I didn’t. Now they’re making an exception to welcome him back & doing emergency podcasts bc he’s so great. 😂 Which is it? MY opinion has not changed - @BKoepka is one of the all time greats & will be successful wherever he goes with the right plan/focus. THEIR stance changes day to day bc they’re hypocrites, have LIV Derangement & they’re paid actors. How much evidence is needed at this point? Even Stevie Wonder can see this.

Here’s @PhilMickelson on the @HyFlyers_GC roster and the excitement that comes with recruiting & mentoring young, promising players. It’s a proven model that works on @livgolf_league. P.S. I can confirm the 4th is NOT @GrantHorvatGolf 😂

What’s hilarious is the Anthony Kim story is one of the best stories of my lifetime in pro golf, and the @PGATOUR can’t even acknowledge it now because of their own dumb, draconian rules. That makes me 😂. Just one of the great own goals of all time. 🤷🏽‍♂️

This is a 🔑 quote from @MattVincenziPGA interview w/ Lucas Bjerregaard. Victor Perez said similar things. @livgolf_league really is a family environment even outside each team. THAT’s what the @PGATOUR propagandists don’t want you to know & why Akshay & Koivun need to jump! 🏃🏾😂

Like I said on @GLUgolfclub, Bryson’s status is a huge variable right now with new signings for a variety of reasons. If @livgolf_league loses Bryson - which may become more & more likely every week/month that passes in 2026 & that could be a ☁️ all year - it doesnt mean LIV is ☠️ & it’s not “over.” BUT the expectation of the league completely changes forever. He’s a top 2 salesmen you have. He’s one of the handful of rainmakers you have. If you lose him, you lose what it could be, and you can’t just get that back. Pivotal moments. #Momentum, aka Uncle Mo.

Closing thought re today: I get how ppl think this 54 > 72 hole change helps OWGR. Maybe. But compromising the integrity of the league on a hypothetical w/ OWGR staying silent seems like a big risk. Basically your whole legacy rides on this 1 decision that could go either way. Not a risk I would take - especially with an organization with as little integrity/credibility as them. 🤷🏽‍♂️

2026 is almost here.👇🏽👇🏽 😂

An update from Trevor Immelman on @livgolf_league’s status with the Official World Golf Rankings.

While I think it’s generally a net positive trying *anything* new in golf, this @GolfChannel Games thing just shows you the 🇺🇸 golf establishment continues to go in the WRONG direction. Rory/Scottie have no rivalry. They have no chemistry. They barely have any history so there’s no context. They’re just trying to plug & play the 2 best @PGATOUR players together in the Tiger/Phil mold but it doesn’t work. Tiger/Phil worked because they had a legit rivalry. They had history. They had some level of animus & Phil could carry the dialogue. Rory/Scottie are great players but they can’t carry that. Rory has animus with Bryson, Patrick Reed, Phil, Cam Smith. Scottie doesn’t have it at all. Why aren’t we actually leveraging real rivalries? Even the Showdown kinda misses the mark there a bit. Pro golf looks a lot like Boxing did for decades. And ironically enough it took an outsider to start giving Boxing fans fights they actually want. I’ll let you research that. Hint: non-American with deep pockets. 😂