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Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.

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Speaker 2: It is your first month on the job, so I

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Speaker 2: just want to start off by asking you, how are

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Speaker 2: you going to do things differently from your predecessor.

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Speaker 1: I'm not sure it's about doing things differently, but I

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Speaker 1: will tell you that we have this motto we've been

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Speaker 1: talking through. It's long Live Golf, and we are celebrating

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Speaker 1: the game of golf. We're celebrating the opportunity that we're

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Speaker 1: in a business that's growing, with a fandom that's actually

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Speaker 1: growing and increasing, which is incredible and inspiring. We have

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Speaker 1: this kickoff right here or tee off to our season

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Speaker 1: in Riad, which is a showcase of showcases. We have

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Speaker 1: the best golfers in the world. We have the Backstreet

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Speaker 1: Boys playing tonight. It's about as fun as it can

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Speaker 1: possibly be on a golf course.

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Speaker 2: So talk to me about why you brought the tournament

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Speaker 2: to Reod. This is the actual first tournament, live tournament

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Speaker 2: to end redd you mentioned Backstreet book, But how is

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Speaker 2: this going to appeal to the broader audience?

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Speaker 1: Well, first off, live is very different from a golf

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Speaker 1: tournament that you might have experienced and may have known.

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Speaker 3: We bring the fund to the game.

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Speaker 1: And so if you were here with us, which I

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Speaker 1: hope you are next year, you would find an incredible

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Speaker 1: fan zone which is teaming with families and interactive VR

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Speaker 1: and AR games. There's a bit of a carnival. We

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Speaker 1: have incredible food trucks, there's music in a stage where

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Speaker 1: you have incredible DJs and bands like the Backstreet Boys

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Speaker 1: coming on tonight. And then you have the best golfers

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Speaker 1: in the world, and so we want to bring them

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Speaker 1: to the four Corners of the world.

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Speaker 3: And in Riad you.

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Speaker 1: Have one of the most important cities in the world.

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Speaker 3: And so this is the center.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and we're thrilled to be here.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, many of our viewers watching this interview will

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Speaker 2: be interested to see where the discussions with the PGA

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Speaker 2: are going. And we know that the PGA Tour Commissioner

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Speaker 2: actually did go to the White House yesterday. He had

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Speaker 2: a meeting with President Chump and on the back of

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Speaker 2: that meeting he did say that Trump has brought PGA

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Speaker 2: closer to a deal with Live. Well, well, speaking to

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Speaker 2: you right now, what is the status of those conversations.

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Speaker 2: How close are we in reality.

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Speaker 3: To a deal?

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Speaker 1: You know, we have been four of and about growing

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Speaker 1: the game of golf, and there are so many new

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Speaker 1: and exciting leaders. If you look at Derek Sprague at

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Speaker 1: PGA of America and Mark Darbin at the RNA, and

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Speaker 1: I'm new at Live and I know the PGA is

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Speaker 1: looking for a new executive as well to work alongside Jay,

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Speaker 1: and I think that provides an opportunity for us all

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Speaker 1: to take a step back, appreciate where we are in

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Speaker 1: this moment of time, and move forward. The fact that

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Speaker 1: the leader of the free world, the President of the

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Speaker 1: United States, thinks that golf is this important that he

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Speaker 1: can engage makes us really happy and validates how important

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Speaker 1: this game is. And I still believe it's one of

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Speaker 1: life's great teachers and just as important as we could

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Speaker 1: possibly find today and bring this game together. So any

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Speaker 1: news that brings us closer to that, I think is

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Speaker 1: really welcome news for all the golf founds around the world.

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Speaker 2: Have you spoken to the President directly yourself?

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Speaker 3: I have not known.

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Speaker 1: In a few weeks, we'll be in Miami playing at Doral,

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Speaker 1: which is a trump course, and I imagine he'll make

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Speaker 1: an appearance there. But you know, in these first thirty days,

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Speaker 1: I've had the time of a life time in my

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Speaker 1: life getting to know these incredible stars like Brooks Koepka

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Speaker 1: and Dustin Johnson and Bryson d. Chambeau. We have the

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Speaker 1: best players from around the world. That's been an experience

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Speaker 1: getting ready for this incredible events season kicking off in

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Speaker 1: riod and getting our feet under us and planning for

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Speaker 1: the future.

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Speaker 2: Now, I know you're not in position to give us

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Speaker 2: the contours of the deal, but is it your expectation

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Speaker 2: that if a deal does come to fruition, that it

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Speaker 2: would allow for more coexistence between live players and the

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Speaker 2: PGA Tour. Is it your expectation that ultimately live players

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Speaker 2: could participate in the PGA Tour without being penalized.

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Speaker 1: You know, our focus right now is on making sure

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Speaker 1: we put the take the best players in the world

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Speaker 1: to the best locations in the world. It's a deal

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Speaker 1: and a construct that we've all been working on for

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Speaker 1: some time, and we're all focused on the same goals

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Speaker 1: and objectives, and that is to grow this game, put

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Speaker 1: as many of the greatest players on the biggest stages

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Speaker 1: of the world. And while I'd love to walk chapter

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Speaker 1: and verse into the deal, I will tell you that

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Speaker 1: anything that's good for this game is good for live

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Speaker 1: and we're thrilled that there's progress being made.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I want of recent developments. Earlier this week at

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Speaker 2: the US Open, became the first major to actually create

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Speaker 2: an exemption for live goal players. Do you expect other

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Speaker 2: majors to follow suits as well?

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Speaker 1: You know, very appreciative of Mike Wan and his leadership

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Speaker 1: at the us GA.

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Speaker 3: We heard today.

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Speaker 1: From Mark Darbin, who runs the RNA and the Open Championship,

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Speaker 1: and they will be following suit, and at least the

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Speaker 1: early conversations with Derek Sprague at the PGA of America

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Speaker 1: are are very.

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Speaker 3: Positive as well.

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Speaker 1: So it seems as if the headwinds are becoming tailwinds.

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Speaker 1: There seems to be this incredible arc of momentum. And

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Speaker 1: whether that's you know, our deal with Fox in the US,

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Speaker 1: or our deal with I t V in the UK,

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Speaker 1: or all the incredible partners we've had. Madden is our

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Speaker 1: title partner here and Barri just came on board as

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Speaker 1: well and Ros So we're starting to get momentum in

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Speaker 1: terms of the entire business. So it's it's it's it's

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Speaker 1: quite expected in terms of where we're heading.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you mentioned some of those broadcasting arrangements and obviously

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Speaker 2: the p IF have have put in billions into live revenues.

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Speaker 2: A big question mark from here onwards to what extent

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Speaker 2: do you think those types of broadcasting, those arrangements are

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Speaker 2: all going to be additive to your future revenue flow.

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Speaker 1: You know, I'm here for one reason, and that's because

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Speaker 1: spending time with his Excellency Yasser al Romayan is a

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Speaker 1: man of vision and compassion, passion for the game of golf.

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Speaker 1: He's got incredible love and understanding of what's to come

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Speaker 1: and the investment to put this many incredible star players

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Speaker 1: together will result in an incredible business. And so the

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Speaker 1: foundational years have been built and now we're ready to

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Speaker 1: grow this business. So it's a it's a really special

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Speaker 1: moment in time right now.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, beyond broadcasting arrangements, what are your priorities for growth

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Speaker 2: from here onwards?

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Speaker 1: Well, there are different parts of the business. You know,

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Speaker 1: we're a bit different from a traditional golf and that

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Speaker 1: we have teams and so Bryson D. Chambeau, for example,

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Speaker 1: has a team called the Crushers. Kopka has a team

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Speaker 1: called Smash.

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Speaker 3: Phil Nicholson has the high Flyers.

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Speaker 1: So you have different teams, Dustin Johnson, the Aces. So

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Speaker 1: for us, one part is how do we build value

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Speaker 1: in those teams, and a lot of that will be

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Speaker 1: driven through sponsorship and merchandise. On the league side, it's

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Speaker 1: a pretty traditional model. You know, it's broadcast and sponsorship

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Speaker 1: and then event revenue, which are ticket and hospitalities. So

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Speaker 1: it's a pretty similar business to what I'm accustomed to

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Speaker 1: in the US sports and we're looking to build on

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Speaker 1: the foundation that we have already.

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Speaker 2: And on the talent side, do you have any plans

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Speaker 2: to bring in any new star players to the Live League?

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Speaker 1: Well, we have a bit of a constellation of stars.

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Speaker 1: Now I mentioned a few before, but Waco'neman is another one.

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Speaker 1: Terrll Hatton might be the hottest golfer in the world,

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Speaker 1: and we signed three of the top five talented players

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Speaker 1: in the world to come on this year. So for us,

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Speaker 1: we have a constellation of stars. You don't have to

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Speaker 1: look too much further than our leader board to see

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Speaker 1: what's happening.

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Speaker 3: And it's a very special time.

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Speaker 2: I want to ask you about other jurisdictions. Obviously we

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Speaker 2: started off the interview speaking about the PGA, but I'm

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Speaker 2: curious to see whether you've set your sights on expansion

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Speaker 2: in Europe as well. A couple of months ago, Bloomberg

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Speaker 2: reported that you were considering a partnership or a tie

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Speaker 2: up with the DP World Tour. Can you elaborate on that,

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Speaker 2: or at least on some of your European expansion goals.

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Speaker 1: I very much appreciate your homework and your questions and

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Speaker 1: your diligence. It's very difficult to, as you can imagine,

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Speaker 1: to talk about ongoing negotiations or not in all of

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Speaker 1: these leagues or aspects DP World Tour. It's been well documented.

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Speaker 1: We have some work to do together, and we'll work

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Speaker 1: on that and make sure we make good headway. In

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Speaker 1: the meantime, you know, we have an incredible event at

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Speaker 1: Valderrama which will be amazing in Spain, and then at

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Speaker 1: JCB in the UK, and so we're well entrenched in Europe.

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Speaker 1: And how we all figure out how this ecosystem coexists

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Speaker 1: and how these puzzle pieces fit together. I think we'll

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Speaker 1: unfold over the next twelve to eighteen months.

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Speaker 3: Well, let me just.

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Speaker 2: Put the questions to you then. If we were having

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Speaker 2: this interview in a year's time, what would you deem

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Speaker 2: as a marker of your success. What are the achievables

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Speaker 2: that you would like to get to over the next

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Speaker 2: twelve to eighteen months.

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Speaker 1: I imagine you don't mean just a good night's sleep

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Speaker 1: and a happy smile, but that'll be the result of

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Speaker 1: a lot of positive momentum going forward. We have a

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Speaker 1: wonderful team here working very hard, so I would certainly

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Speaker 1: like to see increases in our viewership in the US

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Speaker 1: and around the world. We actually are in almost eight

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Speaker 1: hundred million homes around the world in eight hundred countries

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Speaker 1: and territories, and so how we're penetrating that how many

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Speaker 1: viewers is very important.

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Speaker 3: I'd like to see the game of golf continue to grow.

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Speaker 1: That's one of our core attributes in terms of how

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Speaker 1: we and KPIs how we look at this is can

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Speaker 1: we help grow the game of golf? And then from

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Speaker 1: a revenue standpoint, I have some very aggressive goals and

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Speaker 1: targets that we are very focused on in terms of

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Speaker 1: sponsorship and tickets, and so i'd imagine if a year

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Speaker 1: from now, I imagine I'd be having a big smile

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Speaker 1: after a very good night's sleep talking about some very

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Speaker 1: successful wins.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, do you think the world of golf is doing

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Speaker 2: enough to attract the younger audience these days, Well.

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Speaker 1: You don't have to look too much further than our events.

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Speaker 1: I mean, it is so much fun to come here,

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Speaker 1: so I think I do. Our teams and our stars

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Speaker 1: are so engaged in the communities. We put so many

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Speaker 1: incredible events on to engage the local community around the world.

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Speaker 1: But more importantly, if you cannot help but have fun

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Speaker 1: when you step on site. This is not like walking

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Speaker 1: into a library. This is quite more like going to

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Speaker 1: an event with your friends. There's music, and there's action,

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Speaker 1: and there's there DJs. It is just an absolutely integrated

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Speaker 1: experiential and emotional upswing