birchi:
They were a great competition where you had to bring your absolute A-game because they are rare (once a month), so most top players give it a try, are single play and only paid out the top 3, so you better play a near-perfect round with the one chance you get.
What I can't come to terms with, if all those players love the game so much, why has there got to be something big at the end of it? Anyone who loves the game so much could bring their A-game to any match or tournament whether there are prizes or not - that is the whole idea behind amateur sport. If I was the best in WGT (and I'm not by a long way, but on my day I can beat anyone, just like many others can), I would want to play in the big tournaments, even if it cost me to enter and there were no prizes at the end of it except a handshake, a virtual trophy, and a "well done lad!". For those who play real golf, and real golf competitions - you turn up, you pay your entry fee, you play your round, and at the end if you win you might get a small commemorative trophy... that's it! Even in real (amateur) open golf competitions, prizes (non-monetary) have been cut and formats changed because of players who would 'protect' their handicaps purely to go play in these competitions for no other reason than to win the big prizes (and that's what WGT have done to try kerb restarters doing the same). That's not love of the sport, that's just pure greed! But like I said, I have seen real competition formats changed to combat this, and even seen players disqualified (without getting their entry fee back either) for trying such stuff.
So I'll ask the question, why all the fuss over winning huge amounts of credits (incidentally by people who already win loads anyway!) by supposedly players who 'love the game'?
I too would agree that if players want these big-payout tournaments, they should be self-funded by entry fees, split into prizes as they wish, and WGT taking either nothing or a very small percantage (they would still get ball hits and maybe the odd lost ball once a year).
JSmithers:
Might be slightly off topic but why all the dislike for players in Cobra Kai?
Is it just blind dislike or has someone offended you? I'm confused
at how many people dislike people they don't know or know anything
about.
JSmithers:
Please be specific and don't hold back because I'm left scratching my head on this.
I wasn't going to reply to this, but I will...
I did say in my original post that the naming of Cobra Kai and where it came from was just my oberservation, and yet one or two players took that as me calling them cheats, which I did not do! And like you, because no one has replied specifically to that part of my observation, I'm still scratching my head as to why someone would call their CC that name given the background, and even more perplexing why anyone would want to be a member of it considering what it stands for. If you had called it "Karate Kids", for example, no one would have batted an eyelid, and you would probably have had 5 times more friends. But to call it Cobra Kai does nothing but put doubts in everyone's minds as to who you all really are, and possibly even what your intentions are within WGT. And seeing that the first 3 posts in this thread were all CK members, I would hazard a guess you had already discussed it in your own CC forum, or discord, or whatever medium you use for your discussions. And xAT did actually say a few posts later that... "Someone I know did reach out to WGT about it", meaning you didnt get the answer you wanted, so you are now going to storm the forum to get what you want. Unfortunatelely that didn't seem to work out either, and really does nothing to improve your image.
Is it too late to change the name now (obviously you can't do that, you'd have to start a new CC)? Probably, but only because those same members would already be tarnished with a rotten brush and it might take some convincing that you aren't what a lot might suspect you are. But it's not impossible, time would tell.
There, I've answered your question, hopefully in a polite, well-constructed and constructive way.
And finally, back on topic, having looked at a few profiles of winners of the tournaments in question (we've already heard from PrimerLance), I wonder if Bel0wabove would like to give his take on the subject?
https://www.wgt.com/players/bel0wabove/default.aspx
A very 'aspiring' Tour Pro. Not in Cobra Kai, but maybe a connection of some sort, or even a future member? Again, if either of those two things are/become true, it does nothing but sour CK's image even more.
Don't worry, the lower ranks are swarmed with players like this who seem to have been born with the skills to do well on WGT with their 'first' click of the mouse. This is why restarting has to be abolished.
EDIT: JSmithers - I've just noticed it is your CC, I didn't know that. Maybe you'd like to explain why you called it Cobra Kai so that everyone has a clearer understanding?