LIV and Let Die (eBook)

';A terrific historygossipy as hellthe writing is classic Shipnuckhe will never bore you.' Golf Digest The New York Times bestselling author of Phil and ';master of both the art and science of sports journalism' (Sports Illustrated), delves into the heart of the golf industry controversythe battle for the soul of professional golf between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Leaguein ';his best book yet' (Golfweek).In recent years, professional golf has been at war, and Alan Shipnuck has been our most trusted correspondent on the front lines. Now, Shipnuck turns to the conflict that made Mickelson, and many other top golfers, villainous in the eyes of the public: LIV Golf's disruptiveand belligerentstorming of the professional golf world. (LIV's unofficial motto, immortalized on hats gifted at a staff party: ';Fuck 'Em All.') In LIV and Let Die, Shipnuck delivers fly-on-the-wall reporting from the yachts where LIV was hatched and within the corridors of power as the PGA Tour flailed to fend off the threat. Shipnuck has traveled seamlessly between both tourshaving countless conversations with players, caddies, CEOs, agents, financiers, lawyers, flaks, fans, and Instagramming wivesto deliver a no-holds-barred account of the most chaotic moment in golf history. Anyone who has a stake in professional golf lined up for an interview with Shipnuckbecause they knew everyone else was talking to him, too. The disruption to an old, proud sport was largely conducted in the shadows, but LIV and Let Die delivers numerous revelations about what really happened, and why. Shipnuck's unparalleled access and award-winning reporting chops provide rich portraits of the brand names at the center of this sprawling tableau: Greg Norman, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Jay Monahan, His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Donald Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Dustin (and Paulina!) Johnson, Pat (and Ashley!) Perez, Patrick (and Justine!) Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, Jimmy Dunne, and many more. Bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf has upended the men's professional game with vast richesblatant ';sportswashing,' from the mouth of Mickelson himself. The bitter feuding (and trolling) between the PGA loyalists and the LIV camp made the battle between the tours deeply personalbut for the top leaders of the two tours it was strictly business, and in a series of secret meetings they reshaped the future of the sport. LIV and Let Die provides the previously unknown background and crucial context to understand what happened between the tours that shocked the world in June 2023. Long known as the most fearless writer on the golf beat, Shipnuck has delivered the definitive account of the biggest (non-Tiger) golf story this century and a lively page-turner that in places reads like a spy thriller.