LIV Golf is dead – or at least in hospice – and no one but very close relatives will be attending the funeral. In the golf world, LIV was the annoying relative who must be tolerated at family gatherings but whom no one looks forward to seeing. The average golfer around the Chicago District despised LIV. How do I know? Many conversations with golfers over the last few years. Little of it had to do with the Saudis’ supposed “sportswashing” and numerous human rights violations. The product simply did not come close to the hype.
So much for the fever dream of Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), who poured billions of dollars of Saudi oil riches into poaching high-profile PGA Tour “stars” (such as they were) and helped Phil Mickelson make up for his enormous gambling debts to people not named DraftKings or other corporate gambling outfits. Supposedly, Yasir’s motive was part of Saudi’s larger strategy to diversify the Kingdom’s economy so that when its oil wells run dry, it’ll have other ways to feed its population. But reports that Yasir also was angling for an Augusta National membership were so widespread that perhaps his personal aspirations were the root cause of it all? So many of my conspiracy theories turn out to be true.
Recently, the PIF announced it will pull its funding of LIV at the end of the 2026 season, perhaps sooner. This following the departure of CEO Greg Norman, who used his position to channel his latent hostility toward the PGA Tour, which, incidentally, provided the Australian with the opportunity to earn millions of dollars as a star player.
So, now that LIV is dead, what’s the future of the PGA Tour? You’ll probably recall that not long ago LIV truly was an existential threat to the Tour. Rumors were rampant about which Tour star would be the next to take LIV’s millions and bolt for 54 holes, shotgun starts, short pants, disco music and an overall feeling of a company outing. “Less golf, more money,” sayeth wise man Dustin Johnson, who reportedly got $125 million to defect.
At the time, the Tour didn’t have much choice but to adopt LIV’s business model: $20 million purses and no-cut events even though it meant draining much of its cash reserve. Suddenly, “Signature” events of 50 or so players began to populate the Tour. Anything to prevent the likes of Spieth, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and/or Patrick Cantlay from defecting to LIV. Then-Commissioner Jay Monahan simply reacted to the problem, having fumbled it in the first place.
That’s all over now, yet the Tour is moving forward as if it’s not.
Last year around this time, the Tour Policy Board – including Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Home Depot founder/Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and a host of other business people you’ve likely never heard of – hired No. 2 NFL executive Brian Rolapp (a specialist in media rights) to be the Tour’s first CEO. A sharp guy, Rolapp admits to knowing little about golf and doesn’t play. Maybe that’s good; maybe he’ll be able to see the business in a clear-eyed analytical way minus the love of the game that has colored decision making over the decades.
So far, some good news. No-cut tournaments have been eliminated. Way to go, Tiger. Looks like maximum field size will be cut to 140 from 156 players. Unfortunate for the 16 players who would’ve teed it up, but positive for pace of play.
More controversial is talk of the Track 1 and Track 2 schedule. Track 1 would consist of the “big name” guys, such as Rory, Scottie, Xander, J.T., Hideki, Fitz and Fleetwood. Cameron Young and Chris Gotterup, too. Repeat the governing mantra: “the best players in the world teeing it up as much as possible against one another” makes for a richer TV rights deal. Though LIV is now gone, purses aren’t coming down; they’ll remain at $20 million – or go even higher for Track 1 events.
Track 2 tournaments could suffer greatly. Under one proposal, Track 1 players would be forbidden or greatly discouraged from playing Track 2 tournaments. This means that Track 2 fields could start to resemble Korn Ferry Tour events. With no star attractions, it’s a guarantee that potential ticket buyers, potential corporate hospitality customers, TV golf viewers and golf fans in general just might find something else to do.
Meanwhile, charity? With Rolapp’s crew now essentially charging each tournament a rights fee for the first time in PGA Tour history, charities inevitably will suffer. Don’t forget the PGA Tour now is a for-profit operation with investors to re-pay.
Yes, the threat of LIV is gone. But with the Tour having embarked on its brave new world, the past is likely to be only sweet nostalgia.
