LIV Golf and PGA Announce New Inter-league Match Play Event

• LIV Golf and the PGA of America have introduced their first inter-league matchplay occasion.
• Twelve gamers from every group will compete at a newly developed coastal golf course.
• A unique format will likely be used every day of the occasion, ending in head-to-head stroke play on Sunday.

(Frisco, TX) At this time in a joint press launch, the PGA of America and the LIV Golf tour have introduced a brand new inter-league matchplay competitors. Following the worldwide success of the Ryder Cup and the President’s Cup, each leagues hope that the brand new Odium Cup competitors will garner the same degree of recognition. The underlying hope is that this new event can even be step one towards bettering relations between the 2 leagues.

The Odium Cup is called after skilled golfer Connor Odium.

Odium was a prolific golfer from the early twentieth century who turned well-known for taking part in on all present golf excursions on the time. Whereas initially from Wyoming, Odium typically described himself as a “citizen of the golf course.”

“We felt that Odium exemplified all the pieces that’s taking place in skilled golf at the moment. We wished to indicate golf followers that the LIV and PGA excursions aren’t fractured, however entire. In the end, this occasion will enable the excursions to cease the arguing, and make an announcement by taking part in with their balls as a substitute.”

-Morgan B. Guile, Odium Cup Event Chair

Event Format

The Odium Cup will likely be performed over 4 days in April 2024, with the format of play altering every day. Thursday’s opening spherical will likely be four-ball. Friday’s spherical will likely be alternate shot, and Sunday’s spherical will likely be a traditional matchplay end. Saturday’s spherical will characteristic a newly developed format, Reverse 2-Man Alternate Shot.

Reverse 2-Man Alternate Shot

Every Odium Cup crew will consist of 1 PGA professional and one LIV professional paired at random. The professionals will play alternate shot, conserving observe of what number of strokes every participant within the crew takes. On the finish of the outlet, the scores for every league crew are scored, and that may determine the outlet.

For instance. On crew 1, the LIV participant tees off, the PGA participant hits the strategy to the inexperienced, and the LIV participant makes the putt. For Staff 2, the PGA participant tees off, the LIV participant misses the strategy, the PGA participant chips up, and the LIV participant makes the putt.

For this gap, the LIV gamers took a mixed 4 strokes to the PGA crew’s three strokes. Which means the PGA crew would win the outlet.

Utterly Novel Methods

Although it appears sophisticated, the event organizers and gamers are very enthusiastic about this new crew format. Gamers are already assessing potential scoring methods.

Reverse 2-Man actually modifications the way you strategy a given gap. Do you try to go low by establishing your opponent for an excellent shot, or do you hit the ball to a spot the place they will take extra photographs? It’s going to take some rethinking to play a spherical the place a gap in a single might lose you the outlet.

-Nameless PGA/LIV Professional

Gear Limitations

The PGA has determined that the Odium Cup is the proper venue to introduce their newly introduced limited-flight golf ball. Consequently, the PGA crew will likely be utilizing the new 15% flight-restricted Titleist No V1. A lot of the PGA professionals welcome the possibility to indicate what they’ll do with a ball that negatively impacts their play, saying that it is going to be that a lot sweeter to win with this extra drawback.

The PGA additionally expects the utilization of the brand new ball to spark shopper curiosity in hitting the ball shorter.

Since LIV Golf was not a part of the ball rollback dialogue, their execs will likely be allowed to play a ball of their selecting. A number of the LIV Golf execs thought of taking part in the No V1 to degree the taking part in area however determined to not after figuring out that the ball “performs like shit.”

Distinctive Course Design

As a concession to LIV Golf’s typical three-day play schedule, rounds will likely be shortened by 25% to 13 holes. Whereas thirteen-hole rounds are atypical in golf, many LIV gamers consider the format to be more difficult.

“It’s not nearly taking part in much less golf for more cash. In a thirteen-hole spherical, you should be centered always because you solely have 13 holes for scores. Give it some thought; you possibly can’t make fourteen birdies as a result of there are solely 13 holes. It’s traumatic. Positive, you get to the clubhouse for a therapeutic massage sooner, however you additionally took fewer swings over the course of the event. If they aren’t good swings, you might lose.”

Kalaallisut Oqalusinnanngilanga Nation Membership

The Odium Cup match will likely be performed at a newly developed 13-hole course in Greenland, seen as impartial floor between Europe and the US. The newly constructed Kalaallisut Oqalusinnanngilanga Nation Membership is positioned on the western coast of Greenland between Upernavik and Uummannaq.

This space was chosen for its lovely coastlines and its present lack of a tour-caliber golf vacation spot. In accordance with the lead architect, constructing a thirteen-hole course in Greenland was a labor of affection however not with out challenges. The course designer had this to say about KOCC.

“Greenland is an untapped marketplace for golf. A lot of the pure sources stay woefully unexploited. The Odium Cup ought to open the door to extra consciousness of Greenland as a golf vacation spot, even when golf appears in battle with the atmosphere. Many individuals, myself included, assumed that based mostly on its title, Greenland was already stuffed with golf-friendly grass.

Upon arriving on the construct web site, I discovered this was not the case. Whereas the Kalaallisut Oqalusinnanngilanga Nation Membership’s land options spectacular ocean views that may justify our exorbitant greens charges, it’s profusely missing in native grasses.

We like to incorporate the native flora each time doable, however this proved particularly difficult at KOCC. Not solely have been the native vegetation not conducive to five-iron strikes, however the soil in lots of areas of the course was strong granite. We initially anticipated to make use of a fescue-Bermuda hybrid, however we rapidly wanted to pivot from that plan after destroying our third backhoe. At that time, we determined to put in artificial turf.”

A Novel Turf Answer

Synthetic turf was the proper possibility for Kalaallisut Oqalusinnanngilanga Nation Membership. Not solely might the turf be contoured to match the incredible pure setting, but it surely makes KOCC one of the vital environmentally pleasant golf programs on the planet as nicely.

By utilizing synthetic turf, designers might rigorously management each aspect of the course structure. All of the tough is precisely 10 cm tall, and greens roll exactly at a stimp of 12.2. Synthetic bushes enable the every day structure to be adjusted to extend or lower the course problem. The tee containers may be bodily moved from everyday as nicely, permitting every gap to play very otherwise over the course of the weekend.

The incorporation of recycled plastics into the turf and the power to roll up the whole course for winter storage are the icings on the cake.

Greenland Climate Contingencies

Understanding the significance of this event to the trendy sport, event organizers have taken a novel step to reduce the adversarial results of poor climate. Ought to the climate flip bitter, the outlet, and even the whole spherical, strikes to an indoor simulator or digital actuality headset.

Many people consider that digital golf peaked with Wii Golf, however the fact is that fashionable simulators present an almost good parallel expertise to taking part in on an precise course. As such, the whole Kalaallisut Oqalusinnanngilanga event course was scanned and uploaded into video simulators ought to that possibility be necessitated by nature.

Discuss on the turf is that the LIV Golf gamers are particularly within the digital possibility. Ending the event this manner would enable them to play from the consolation of the Learjet and to spend extra time with their households.

Odium Cup Participant Choice

Every crew will encompass twelve gamers and two captains. The tour governing our bodies choose their captains, with the gamers chosen per every league’s choice plan.

The PGA Tour has determined to pick the highest twelve gamers based mostly solely on FedEx cup factors on the finish of the 2023 season. The idea is this can give the crew the very best probability to win the Odium Cup the next April.

At present, LIV Golf Has not finalized its choice course of. One proposed concept selects the highest three LIV crew rosters for the Odium Cup. Upon choice, the three crew names mix into the brand new crew’s title. Utilizing present rankings, that might be the 4Aces Fireball Crushers.

Utilizing participant likability for choice may be the route LIV takes. Nevertheless, early polling signifies this strategy could not produce a full twelve-man roster.

Event Purse

Naturally, a event of this magnitude wants a big money purse. The 2024 inaugural Odium Cup’s whole payout to the profitable crew will likely be $120,000,000. It is a winner take all occasion, with the dropping crew taking dwelling solely despair sprinkled with defeat. Photocopies of dropping gamers’ present financial institution accounts will likely be supplied as grief counseling.

One And Accomplished, Or a New Custom?

So, what are your ideas on the Odium Cup? Do you assume this can assist mend the fences between the excursions? Will this additional stoke the rivalry flame? Clearly, the antagonistic relationship between the excursions and the gamers is unsustainable. Maybe this occasion is a primary step away from the bifurcation {of professional} golf.

Regardless, I anticipate an excessive amount of hype and dialogue main as much as the event subsequent yr. One yr from at the moment, April 1, 2024, we must always have some thrilling golf to look at.

Discover out extra in regards to the event and get your tickets at TheOdiumCup.com