Men’s golf has suffered a significant amount since LIV Golf’s inception, as it segregated the golf fraternity into two halves. But will bringing the best players to play every week fix this problem? It certainly won’t and only thoughtful actions to reach a deal between the PGA Tour and the Saudi PIF can heal the situation. While, the PGA Tour events have Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, and other top-tier PGA Tour names, they have been missing out on names like Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Sergio Garcia, who have an immense fan following in the golf community.
To help this situation, the PGA Tour has jam-packed the world’s best golfers into limited fields of their signature events. But while doing that, it misses out on giving opportunities to the lower-ranking PGA Tour golfers. A chance for these ordinary golfers will not only hook the audience but also end the monotony of the game. Therefore, will the big field of the Masters Tournament help the situation?
Will the Masters Tournament Become The Redemption For Men’s Golf?
The golf community has witnessed enough golf without top-tier LIV names who were barred from the PGA Tour tournaments after they joined the Saudi-backed league. But finally, the audience will get to watch some good golf at Augusta National, which will host a field full of MVP PGAT and LIV names. Around 13 LIV players have been invited to the loaded field of Augusta National and special attractions among them will be Joaquin Niemann, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and a few others.
While we saw that the signature events had a limited field, that wouldn’t be the case at the 88th edition of the Masters Tournament. Also, a cut will take place after two rounds and this will add an extra thrill to Friday night. Thus, the golf community is eagerly awaiting the first major of the year and expects to watch all their favorites on the same field.
As the Masters welcomed LIV golfers with open arms, it isn’t sure whether other majors will give the same treatment. Also, the 2025 Bethpage Ryder Cup authorities have still not assured whether they’d welcome LIV golfers on teams. But Rory McIlroy desperately suggested including Jon Rahm in the European team and revisiting the Ryder Cup rules for the same. After McIlroy’s softened stance on LIV Golf, it is to be seen whether the entire PGA Tour association feels the same and befriends the league by reaching a deal.
A few days back during the Players Championship, Max Homa reflected on what could make the sport more watchable. Homa stated,
“I don’t know. I do feel like we’re stuck in this age where we’re nitpicking absolutely everything. I’m not going to say I haven’t done that as well in my free time, but I’m kind of getting over it. It’s golf. It’s slower. It’s not football, it’s not basketball.”
But Homa said it’s the Fridays that make golf even more thrilling. Because there’s a cut system, it puts the golfers in an uncertain position. But what Homa stated is a temporary fix to keep eyes hooked, otherwise, a permanent resolution to heal this fragmented situation is still the need of the hour.
