LIV Golf Debuts Today in London, But What Does It Mean for the PGA Tour? (By Marissa Kasch)
Speed bump? Detour? Road block? Dead end? The range of outcomes for the way the LIV will affect the PGA Tour are infinite. However, if you’re a fan of the PGA, there is plenty of reason for optimism. In a game rooted in tradition and almost stoic in its approach to change, it might be difficult for a new tour to make headway quickly, if at all.
The LIV tour has been a hot topic recently for good reason. The controversial Saudi-backed league is pulling players from the PGA Tour and offering a whopping $25 million purse for each tournament, starting with today’s season opener at the Centurion Club outside London. The inaugural event’s press conference made headlines throughout the week. For reference, the average PGA purse is $9.1 million. Yes, you read that right; The LIV purse is nearly three times that of the PGA. The LIV Tour’s payout for the winner of the event is an astounding $4 million.
Aside from the grand payouts, there is another very interesting and controversial aspect of the LIV Tour: The schedule overlaps with the PGA’s. The LIV Tour has eight events between June and October, with many of these falling on the same week as scheduled PGA events. The LIV is making no attempt to hide their intention to pull players from PGA events with the lure of more money. It’s also nearly impossible for players to play on both tours with the exception of the majors.
The Players Joining LIV
The LIV Tour has already pulled Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Kevin Na, and most notably, Phil Mickelson. On Wednesday, the trio of Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler also committed to the LIV Tour. Many golf fans watch anxiously to see if more of their beloved golfers will “join the dark side” or if they’ll stay with the current face of golf. The rise of the LIV is unprecedented, but we’ve seen this before in the sports world with the likes of the USFL and other “rival” leagues.
The Format & Team Names
Here’s where things get really interesting. A total of 48 players will be broken up into 12 teams of four to play a 54-hole format. Everyone tees off at the same time and there are no weekend cuts. There is no TV deal yet, but golf fans can watch the event on LIVGolf.com as well as Facebook and YouTube broadcasting services. Some of the team names includes 4 Aces, Niblicks, Majesticks, Punch and Fire Balls. Yikes.
LIV vs. PGA — Who Wins?
Sure, money talks, but does it speak as loud as tradition? There is a key difference between a US-based tour and a Saudi-based tour: In America, we measure athletic success by achievement. Tom Brady is widely considered the greatest of all time. Is he the most talented quarterback? That’s up for debate. But you know what he does have? Rings. 7 of them to be exact. In golf, success is measured by the number of Green Jackets, Wanamaker Trophies, or Ryder Cups one has. All of these trophies are rooted in tradition. So, the question is: Are viewers going to be more excited to watch a tour that awards millions of dollars or one that awards the Claret Jug? Only time will tell, but when we’re talking about golf, my bet is always on tradition.
LIV Golf Season Opener
Today (9:00 am ET)
Additional Storylines
CBS Sports: What Is LIV Golf? List of Players, Tour Schedule & More
Yahoo! Sports: Bryson DeChambeau & Patrick Jump to LIV Golf
Golf Digest: The LIV Golf Team Names Are In and They Are The Worst Things You Have Ever Seen
FTW: The 8 Dumbest Comments Made at Tuesday’s LIV Golf Press Conference
ESPN: What We Know & Still Don’t Know About LIV Golf, The Circuit Challenging the PGA Tour
