The first 323 pages in Alan Shipnuck’s report on the LIV Golf experiment’s rise and continuing rise are not something I would encourage you to skip. The ship has left port, and the facts have been etched into the Earth’s rotation. I suggest you start at the bottom, at the paragraph on page 324. The paragraph begins Among all the pontificating and speculating…, and ends with three simple words: forever changed golf. It’s a little complicated, but I want you understand what you are taking on for as long as it takes you to finish this book. It is a worthwhile story, but not a fling. This story will bring you back to feelings that you forgot to hide away.
Many of the more savvy followers of professional golf saw LIV as the second coming Covid-19. However, the victims were mainly interested in golf. Many of those who were less informed clung to words such as betrayal Isolation and Sportswashing in order to better understand the professional game of golf. There were countless questions, opinions and accusations on social media about a league which had snatched away some of the top male tour professionals from the PGA Tour.
The massive We seemed to be getting more and more confused with every passing minute. Alan Shipnuck is a great golfer. Shipnuck, like all great writers of the four-lettered sport who came before him, relentlessly pursues a tale that isn’t important for a second. Shipnuck pursues a tale that defines an age, reveals a character and translates lingo not accessible to most people. Otnarepse is the language of those who are the wealthiest in the world. Esperanto is a language that very few people speak (or have an interest in learning). Otnarepsa, on the other hand, is a language available to even fewer. Shipnuck is one of them.
The story of LIV and let die is a factual account of how the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia became interested in golf after an unforgiving former fan of the PGA Tour sparked the interest. The story is about how an English attorney’s idea of collaborative golf on the highest level was, at best, copied; at worst, stole in the dark, and manipulated into something powerful. This story is a collection of characters that includes many names you may not recognize, even some that are long deceased.
I bought my copy of LIV & Let Die in advance on Wednesday and finished it Sunday morning. I would have finished it sooner because I was so transfixed by the revelations, but I had to drive 9.5 hours across the USA and then return home. Shipnuck seems to switch sides, then not, then change, and then switch back. Both his research and writing are well-balanced and try to fit as many aspects of the story as possible into the front cover.
In certain moments, I find myself wondering how Shipnuck manages to get such access to the people who continue to shape the story. Some people demand inclusion and coverage because of their huge egos. Others admit that their story should be told but only by someone who is able to write volumes and do accurate, thorough research.
Alan Shipnuck’s commentary is direct and to the point. He is not afraid of controversy and I often wonder how he manages to avoid bodily harm. He can bruise, cut and snap with his words, but he is never off-target or fraudulent. It is a great addition to the golf writing from two centuries ago.
LIV and Let Die traces an arc from Greg Norman’s return to the world of golf, to the first 48 golfers who left the PGA Tour to the announcement that the Saudi PIF will work with the US PGA Tour and European PGA Tour to continue “evolution” in professional men’s sport.
Live and Let Die has a unique style of reading. The rear of the dust jacket displays “A small sampling of the bitching and bombast found within,” rather than a collection of quotes by fawning supporters and admirers. Shipnuck uses both anonymous and public sources to help straighten out the story tentacles. You will probably find yourself re-reading sections and I recommend that you keep a highlighter on hand to take notes. It’s not a college class, but the time spent reading is worth it to acknowledge the author’s efforts.
