Jon Rahm, who stood against the format and the playing structure of the PIF-funded league, came up all blooming in his LIV Golf jacket after making the switch. With the shock of another one of the PGA Tour’s star players getting grabbed by the Saudi-backed league, LIV definitely has an upper hand now given that top-tier golfers like Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Phil Mickelson have already joined the league over the past two years. This war between the two tours might be exciting to follow, but the only ones losing are the golf fans. They are constantly in a dilemma: to either choose the traditional sport of golf or their favorite golfer. Doing both cannot be done in an ever-changing scenario. Let’s compare how the fans fare amid this tussle between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
In Deep Waters of Suffering: the PGA Tour and LIV Golf
The PGA Tour’s format is somewhat baffling, like the FedEx Cup format, which changed a lot. After the Saudi-backed league jumped into the golf scene, the PGA Tour made several changes and introduced new format, in attempt to compete with LIV Golf. It named the designated events as signature events, giving the top players more money to play more often. Canadian professional golfer Mackenzie Hudges stated on Friday,
“Men’s professional golf is in a sad place. The direction it’s headed right now isn’t healthy or good for the sport”.
Given that the PGA Tour underwent a setback after Rory McIlroy resigned from the policy board. The only safe haven to fall back to was their calling card – Tiger Woods, who was appointed as the savior, who could only do whatever was possible from the chair. Given that his career days are almost near ending.
When it comes to LIV Golf, the league has been suffering in terms of viewership and is investing heavily in advertising as well. But the problem persists; even though it has been signing big names, which might look like it would add to its viewership, that isn’t the case. Several golfers are barely known, with a handful of renowned faces that they use for brand marketing. They are going to use Rahm to get a better audience, but how far? Will the non-LIV audience suddenly change their taste? He’s a top golfer, but that wouldn’t help much. LIV has always struggled to get recognition due to a lack of legacy, which the PGA Tour has. Jon Rahm even said:
“There’s meaning when you win the Memorial. There’s meaning when you win Arnold Palmer’s event at Bay Hill. There’s a meaning when you win, LA, Torrey, some of the historic venues”.
American pro Colt Knost thinks money has created a division in golf.
“Money can change everything. The divide in the professional game…To see possibly half of the best players in the world playing somewhere and half of the best playing another place”.
The majors will have all the top players, but for signature events, Rahm won’t be back. With the framework agreement still undergoing changes, a lot is yet to be figured out. Whether there will be peace between the two or not? Only time will tell. But Rahm could definitely act as a bridge, given that he has never openly critcized LIV Golf and remains a fan favorite given his stellar performances this year.
For now, the tournaments on weekends will suffer. If the dates collide, it’s up to the golf enthusiast to prioritize the favorite golfer or an event. For now, the fans are the ones who will have to make the difficult choice of choosing between player and tradition, and here is where the sport loses its essence.
