U.S. Open in L.A. promises to push aside the PGA Tour-LIV talk for a few days | KEN WILLIS

Golf — the historic and often wonderful world of golf, bless its heart — is trying mightily to take your attention off the moneyed mess.

This past Sunday delivered one of the greatest images we’ve ever seen in professional golf — slowly developing over the course of an entire afternoon and into early evening — when Nick Taylor, carried along by what seemed like all of his native Canada, became the first homeboy in 69 years to win the Canadian Open.

In a playoff.

Fourth hole of a playoff.

With a 72-foot eagle putt.

It was just a tad premature for a Hollywood ending, since everyone this week focuses on the 2023 U.S. Open at a brand new Open venue, the historic and historically private Los Angeles Country Club.

Say what you want about ultra-private clubs and the bluebloods who wine and dine at such places, but you gotta love one of the LACC’s long-standing adherences to exclusion: “No Hollywood types.” Standards, you know.

OPEN-BOUND NSB's Austen Truslow beats tall odds, now faces more at this week's U.S. Open | KEN WILLIS

TESTING LIV'S WATERS It doesn't exactly prepare you for Masters week | KEN WILLIS

Early-week course reviews indicate viewers — especially fans of such things — are in for a treat the next four days. The unique layout, complete with stunning greenery and native flora and fauna, will seem far removed from its neighboring clamor — not unlike Augusta National or, given this week’s locale, Jed Clampett’s backyard.

And as a bonus to us East Coasters, modern Left Coast majors bring prime-time TV coverage. Clock out on Thursday and Friday, you still have five or six hours to watch. Same deal on the weekend, when you can enjoy your Saturday and Sunday afternoon and spend the evening in the recliner, wondering why Scottie can’t make a putt and Rory can’t stiff a wedge.

So, enjoy, and if you’re a golf fan, let it take your mind off the other stuff for four days. But before that, and after letting it marinate for a week or so, let’s review this dramatic peace agreement that has so many people fighting-mad. Maybe by the weekend, the questions and commentary will let up, but until then …

For some (or many?), the initial uproar from the anti-LIV constituency (including many PGA Tour pros) seems to have modified into a sense of acceptance. Not the warm variety of acceptance, but similar to one reserved for the universal truths about death and taxes — “whaddaya know, money still carries the day.”

If standards and beliefs paid all the bills, the demographics would change dramatically in the alleyways of Brooklyn and, say, the men’s grill at L.A. Country Club. Bottom-lining this thing, yes, eventually every explanation streams its way from the big gushers of cash the Saudis were spending happily and the Tour reluctantly.

But might as well poke around the edges and include a couple observations and one underrated question.

● Even before the Tuesday night announcement of Jay Monahan's health issue, and after letting the initial fallout subside, you could be excused for feeling some sympathy for the PGA Tour commissioner. Someone had to be the face of this capitulation, which was given the obvious label of hypocrisy after the merger (of sorts) was announced, and it had to be Jay.

Many headlines erupted from pejoratives aimed at the commish by some within his own golf league, and that’s just the nature of the beast, despite much of it being unimaginative and cliche. At least in hindsight.

● The 9/11 families obviously have the biggest right to be angry about everything related to LIV and now this partnership. But for them, the PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson and others join a long list of Americans — some in the highest of places — with whom they have righteous disagreements.

● The U.S. Congress and Department of Justice will have a say, and as for Congress, there will be much posturing — Surprise! In normal times (remember them?) you’d expect the threats and cable news fodder to eventually give way to a stamp of approval.

But in these days of the unthinkable becoming downright commonplace, who knows?

● Finally, a question. If Tiger Woods’ potential golfing future was showing any positive signs, would this have played out differently?

Even in convalescence, Tiger is the game’s biggest star. Right or wrong, Tiger practicing wedge shots in his backyard, live on a competing network, would give NBC and the U.S. Open serious ratings competition.

Over the past year, Jay Monahan and the PGA Tour could still play the Tiger card, given Tiger’s refusal of LIV millions and his public ridicule of everything LIV stood for in professional golf. With a healthy or even semi-healthy Tiger, you have the guarantee of network and corporate riches raining down as they have for the past 25+ years.

Without the Tiger leverage, and with millions in reserves being siphoned off by lawyers and new commitments to several $20 million purses, the rules change.

So you just remove your hat, clear your throat, and concede to the harsh realities of human nature and the modern world.

At least it pays well.

— Reach Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Can U.S. Open in L.A. drown out golf's LIV, PGA Tour controversy?