Overview

"""A terrific history...gossipy as hell...the writing is classic Shipnuck...he 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 controversy--the battle for the soul of professional golf between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League--in ""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 disruptive--and belligerent--storming 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 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 lined up for an interview with Shipnuck--because 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 riches--blatant ""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 personal--but 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."

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9781668020012

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Reviews

"""A terrific read . . . Shipnuck takes you inside the rooms where decisions were made. . . . His reporting is exhaustive, his attention to detail fresh and unfrivolous, but what makes this publication so appealing is its pace. It sticks and moves like a young Cassius Clay, covering the angles without getting ponderous or cumbersome."" --John Hawkins, Sports Illustrated ""Alan Shipnuck's latest book, LIV and Let Die, may be his best book yet--which is saying something. . . . This book, which provides a history lesson on the last fifty-plus years of the professional game, will be enjoyed by casual and non-golf fans alike but there's so much new reporting and colorful, fresh anecdotes for even the most ardent golf fan and industry lifers. . . . A page-turner."" --Golfweek ""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."" --The Times (UK) ""There are good writers who can't report and terrific reporters who can't write, but Alan Shipnuck is a master of both the art and science of sports journalism. A workhorse who doubles as a wordsmith in a medium compromised by so many factors in recent years, Shipnuck's ninth book, LIV and Let Die, is a comprehensive chronicle of the most scurrilous conflict in golf history--a slugfest full of blood, sweat and fears since it invaded public consciousness in the spring of 2022."" --Sports Illustrated PRAISE FOR PHIL: ""Thoroughly engaging."" --Gene Wang, The Washington Post ""A robust, comprehensive, bald-faced foray into the gigantic life of a man now living in an oversized kettle of hot water. . . . Shipnuck's nose for the truth takes the reader into some dark and disconcerting places. He provides frequent and fully anecdoted references to Mickelson's gambling. . . . He also addresses the minefield of rumors loosely connected to Philly Mick's personal life, unveiling stories that have circulated for more than two decades. That's another thing about Shipnuck. He has a big pair, especially for a golf writer. And they're both made of brass. He also has an appropriate sense of what is journalistically fair, and this book doesn't come close to crossing the line. . . . The salacious stuff gets most of the attention, but the product in its entirety is engaging, addictive and impressive."" --John Hawkins, Sports Illustrated ""A rollicking good time . . . Who is Phil? Shipnuck presents both the good and bad and leaves it to the reader to decide where they come out in the end. . . . I suspect Phil's fan base will find reasons anew to adore him even more while his detractors will find fresh ammo to argue that he's one of the all-time phonies."" --Adam Schupak, Golfweek ""Alan Shipnuck didn't know his biography of Phil Mickelson would become the most anticipated and newsworthy release of a golf book since his 2011 collaboration with Michael Bamberger, The Swinger, a work of fiction that was a thinly disguised version of Tiger Woods. . . . The big difference is that Phil is true--difficult as it may be to believe some of the exploits, stories, and anecdotes packed into the book. . . . Shipnuck vividly tells the story of a walking, talking, shot-making contradiction."" --Gary Smits, Florida Times-Union ""Riveting . . . When people get their hands on a book billed as a 'rip-roaring' account, they will be buying a rip-roaring good time celebrating and illuminating the (golf) genius Mickelson has long been. . . . The book captures the often perverse ways Mickelson always needs something to play for. Endlessly. Exhaustingly so. And the stories come almost entirely from named sources. The total package that is Shipnuck's Phil is also combined with plenty of incredible stories of generosity, making for an entertaining read that gives golf fans a much-needed book to talk about."" --Geoff Shackelford, The Quadrilateral ""Sports writing is often the best writing, a fact well known to those who read about sports and inconceivable to those who don't. For a vivid reminder, look no further than this unauthorized biography. . . . Phil is well researched, bracingly written, and full of previously unreported color; Mickelson emerges as a mercurial and charismatic figure whose record-setting golf game is possibly the least interesting thing about him."" --James Tarmy, Bloomberg Businessweek"

"PRAISE FOR PHIL: ""Thoroughly engaging."" --Gene Wang, The Washington Post ""A terrific read . . . Shipnuck takes you inside the rooms where decisions were made. . . . His reporting is exhaustive, his attention to detail fresh and unfrivolous, but what makes this publication so appealing is its pace. It sticks and moves like a young Cassius Clay, covering the angles without getting ponderous or cumbersome."" --John Hawkins, Sports Illustrated ""A robust, comprehensive, bald-faced foray into the gigantic life of a man now living in an oversized kettle of hot water. . . . Shipnuck's nose for the truth takes the reader into some dark and disconcerting places. He provides frequent and fully anecdoted references to Mickelson's gambling. . . . He also addresses the minefield of rumors loosely connected to Philly Mick's personal life, unveiling stories that have circulated for more than two decades. That's another thing about Shipnuck. He has a big pair, especially for a golf writer. And they're both made of brass. He also has an appropriate sense of what is journalistically fair, and this book doesn't come close to crossing the line. . . . The salacious stuff gets most of the attention, but the product in its entirety is engaging, addictive and impressive."" --John Hawkins, Sports Illustrated ""A rollicking good time . . . Who is Phil? Shipnuck presents both the good and bad and leaves it to the reader to decide where they come out in the end. . . . I suspect Phil's fan base will find reasons anew to adore him even more while his detractors will find fresh ammo to argue that he's one of the all-time phonies."" --Adam Schupak, Golfweek ""A thoroughly readable portrait of a man who, for good and ill, shatters every stereotype of golfers as personality-deficient cyphers."" --Bill Ott, Booklist ""Alan Shipnuck didn't know his biography of Phil Mickelson would become the most anticipated and newsworthy release of a golf book since his 2011 collaboration with Michael Bamberger, The Swinger, a work of fiction that was a thinly disguised version of Tiger Woods. . . . The big difference is that Phil is true--difficult as it may be to believe some of the exploits, stories, and anecdotes packed into the book. . . . Shipnuck vividly tells the story of a walking, talking, shot-making contradiction."" --Gary Smits, Florida Times-Union ""For years, in all the better press tents, there's been a debate: Is there a writer BIG enough to capture Phil? Turns out, there is. Alan on Phil! Shipnuck's latest win is no ordinary event. It's a major."" --Michael Bamberger, New York Times bestselling author of Men in Green and The Second Life of Tiger Woods ""I devoured every win, wager, and ounce of Mickelson mischief in this unflinching portrayal of golf's most complicated character. Hero? Gentleman? Jerk? Shipnuck's masterful reporting is packed with inside information (the legal sort) that lets the reader decide. Thumbs up, indeed."" --Tom Coyne, New York Times bestselling author of A Course Called America and A Course Called Ireland ""Riveting . . . When people get their hands on a book billed as a 'rip-roaring' account, they will be buying a rip-roaring good time celebrating and illuminating the (golf) genius Mickelson has long been. . . . The book captures the often perverse ways Mickelson always needs something to play for. Endlessly. Exhaustingly so. And the stories come almost entirely from named sources. The total package that is Shipnuck's Phil is also combined with plenty of incredible stories of generosity, making for an entertaining read that gives golf fans a much-needed book to talk about."" --Geoff Shackelford, The Quadrilateral ""Sports writing is often the best writing, a fact well known to those who read about sports and inconceivable to those who don't. For a vivid reminder, look no further than this unauthorized biography. . . . Phil is well researched, bracingly written, and full of previously unreported color; Mickelson emerges as a mercurial and charismatic figure whose record-setting golf game is possibly the least interesting thing about him."" --James Tarmy, Bloomberg Businessweek"

"PRAISE FOR PHIL: ""Thoroughly engaging."" --Gene Wang, The Washington Post ""A robust, comprehensive, bald-faced foray into the gigantic life of a man now living in an oversized kettle of hot water. . . . Shipnuck's nose for the truth takes the reader into some dark and disconcerting places. He provides frequent and fully anecdoted references to Mickelson's gambling. . . . He also addresses the minefield of rumors loosely connected to Philly Mick's personal life, unveiling stories that have circulated for more than two decades. That's another thing about Shipnuck. He has a big pair, especially for a golf writer. And they're both made of brass. He also has an appropriate sense of what is journalistically fair, and this book doesn't come close to crossing the line. . . . The salacious stuff gets most of the attention, but the product in its entirety is engaging, addictive and impressive."" --John Hawkins, Sports Illustrated ""A rollicking good time . . . Who is Phil? Shipnuck presents both the good and bad and leaves it to the reader to decide where they come out in the end. . . . I suspect Phil's fan base will find reasons anew to adore him even more while his detractors will find fresh ammo to argue that he's one of the all-time phonies."" --Adam Schupak, Golfweek ""A thoroughly readable portrait of a man who, for good and ill, shatters every stereotype of golfers as personality-deficient cyphers."" --Bill Ott, Booklist ""Alan Shipnuck didn't know his biography of Phil Mickelson would become the most anticipated and newsworthy release of a golf book since his 2011 collaboration with Michael Bamberger, The Swinger, a work of fiction that was a thinly disguised version of Tiger Woods. . . . The big difference is that Phil is true--difficult as it may be to believe some of the exploits, stories, and anecdotes packed into the book. . . . Shipnuck vividly tells the story of a walking, talking, shot-making contradiction."" --Gary Smits, Florida Times-Union ""Alan Shipnuck has spent his whole career writing about and thinking about Phil, and that palpable fascination for his subject has fueled a superb biography. Anecdotes fly off the page, made rollicking and weighty by engaged and perceptive sources. Mickelson's golfing genius, charisma, and foibles are tracked with a high-wire blend of irreverence and dispassion. For all of that, it's Shipnuck's unflinching pursuit of Phil's complexity that will most endure."" --Jaime Diaz, Golf Channel commentator and #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor (with Hank Haney) of The Big Miss ""For years, in all the better press tents, there's been a debate: Is there a writer BIG enough to capture Phil? Turns out, there is. Alan on Phil! Shipnuck's latest win is no ordinary event. It's a major."" --Michael Bamberger, New York Times bestselling author of Men in Green and The Second Life of Tiger Woods ""I devoured every win, wager, and ounce of Mickelson mischief in this unflinching portrayal of golf's most complicated character. Hero? Gentleman? Jerk? Shipnuck's masterful reporting is packed with inside information (the legal sort) that lets the reader decide. Thumbs up, indeed."" --Tom Coyne, New York Times bestselling author of A Course Called America and A Course Called Ireland ""Riveting . . . When people get their hands on a book billed as a 'rip-roaring' account, they will be buying a rip-roaring good time celebrating and illuminating the (golf) genius Mickelson has long been. . . . The book captures the often perverse ways Mickelson always needs something to play for. Endlessly. Exhaustingly so. And the stories come almost entirely from named sources. The total package that is Shipnuck's Phil is also combined with plenty of incredible stories of generosity, making for an entertaining read that gives golf fans a much-needed book to talk about."" --Geoff Shackelford, The Quadrilateral ""Sports writing is often the best writing, a fact well known to those who read about sports and inconceivable to those who don't. For a vivid reminder, look no further than this unauthorized biography. . . . Phil is well researched, bracingly written, and full of previously unreported color; Mickelson emerges as a mercurial and charismatic figure whose record-setting golf game is possibly the least interesting thing about him."" --James Tarmy, Bloomberg Businessweek"

Author Information

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.

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