Alan Shipnuck, the New York Times bestselling author of Phil, returns with a major new work of insider reporting on the battle for the soul of professional golf between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League.
The golf world is at war, and Alan Shipnuck is our most trusted correspondent on the front lines. Following closely on the heels of his bestselling sensation Phil, Shipnuck turns to the conflict that has made Mickelson, and many other top golfers, villainous in the eyes of the public: LIV Golf’s bid to usurp the PGA Tour.
In LIV and Let Die, Shipnuck delivers the inside story in real time, with fly-on-the-wall reporting from the decadent 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 tours, having countless conversations with players, caddies, CEOs, agents, financiers, lawyers, flaks, fans, and Instagramming wives to deliver a no-holds-barred account of the most chaotic moment in golf history. Anyone who has a stake in professional golf is lining up for an interview with Shipnuck because they know everyone else is 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 provides rich portraits of the brand-name protagonists to this sprawling story: Tiger Woods, Donald Trump, Greg Norman, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Dustin Johnson, Jay Monahan, Rory McIlroy, Jack Nicklaus, His Excellency Yasir al-Rumayyan, Pat (and Ashley!) Perez, Brooks Koepka, Patrick (and Justine!) Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, and many more.
Bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, LIV Golf has upended the men’s professional game with vast riches, but Human Rights Watch calls the Saudi endeavor “an effort to distract from its serious human rights abuses by taking over events that celebrate human achievement.” LIV Golf has become a moral and political question, and Shipnuck unpacks the many freighted issues with nuance and expertise. Long known as the most fearless writer on the golf beat, Shipnuck has delivered another hotly anticipated book. It is the definitive account of the one biggest golf stories this century and a lively page-turner that in places reads like a spy thriller.
About the Author
Alan Shipnuck is the author of nine books, including the New York Times bestseller Phil and the national bestsellers Bud, Sweat & Tees and The Swinger (with Michael Bamberger). Shipnuck has received thirteen first-place awards from the Golf Writers Association of America, breaking the record of Dan Jenkins, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. After a quarter-century at Sports Illustrated and Golf Magazine, Shipnuck is now a partner and executive editor at the golf media company the Fire Pit Collective, where all his writing, podcasts, and video storytelling can be found. Shipnuck lives in Carmel, California.
Industry Reviews
‘Shipnuck cuts to the intrigue of an acrimonious story that still twists and turns with snake-like flexibility. . . . You can be sure that the leading figures on all sides will be keen to see what is in his book’
