In last week’s “It’s Your Honor,” a letter writer talked about how the LIV guys were guilty of betrayal to the PGA Tour that allowed them to make millions (“It’s Your Honor,” April 22 GGP). Greed overtook their sense of loyalty to the tour, the fans and the sponsors. The greed part is true because that’s how big money has changed sports.
Baseball, football and basketball players who are undrafted or low-round draft picks work with coaches through their early years, and many are turned into all-stars. The first chance they get, even though their current team offers them really big money that provides generational wealth, they take more money and jump to another team. Where is their sense of loyalty to their old team and their fans?
Many college football and basketball coaches come to power conferences from smaller schools because athletic directors take a chance on them. Once they have success, they move to bigger jobs with much bigger money. Where is the sense of loyalty to the school that gave them the opportunity to be a major-college head coach?
And now the NCAA, through NIL and the transfer portal, has given college athletes the opportunity to transfer as many times as academically eligible to get more money and playing time. Many of these players were not recruited, but a school took a chance with them. First chance they get, they jump to another school. Where’s their sense of loyalty?
Tour players have often drawn revenue and compensation references to other sports. Don’t blame them for practicing what they preach.
Charlie Jurgonis
Fairfax, Virginia
I was surprised at the number of negative opinions of LIV in your April 21 issue (“It’s Your Honor,” April 22 GGP). From the people I have talked to, as well as opinions regarding LIV on some golf forums, LIV isn’t seen as negatively as the majority of those letters imply.
On another note, the elevated events came into being because of LIV. It makes you wonder why the PGA Tour didn’t offer elevated events before LIV.
Sean Foster-Nolan
Weymouth, Massachusetts
I could not agree more with Jim Nugent’s position on LIV (“LIV’s stunning lack of self-awareness,” April 22 GGP).
Greg Norman is not doing LIV to “grow the game.” He has a deep-seated issue with the PGA Tour from the 1990s, when he wanted to start a new “world tour.” Bribing players with huge amounts of money to jump ship is what it is. Most are players who could see an end to their ability to win on the PGA Tour.
CBS-TV’s Jim Nantz made it a point to acknowledge that the top five finishers in the Masters were all PGA Tour players.
LIV guys should have no issues with the world-ranking system based upon four-round tournaments when they are playing only three rounds. They traded money for world ranking.
Bryson DeChambeau and others can clam up and play their exhibitions with their “team” golf and $4 million winning checks. It is not interesting golf, and LIV has only money on its side.
The endless money pit of the Saudis comes down as a reminder of 9/11, when 15 Saudi hijackers took part in a “death to America” act. How will a merger of the two tours account for the hundreds of millions of dollars that many LIV players collected? That is a big issue to untangle.
Larry Knight
Dade City, Florida
Jon Rahm is showing his true colors and obviously regrets his move to LIV (“LIV’s stunning lack of self-awareness,” April 22 GGP).
Rea Schuessler
Daphne, Alabama
(Schuessler, a PGA of America member, is the director of instruction at the Country Club of Mobile.)
I read John Steinbreder’s article about walking a course/playing golf versus watching it on TV (“Why we’re not watching golf,” April 22 GGP). One comment: I have been a golfer for about 45 years. I love the game and the fun I have playing it. The social interactions are terrific, and trying to best yourself is a great challenge. I am a healthy 74 and look forward to as many years as possible playing the game. But the one thing I have noticed over the years is how much more expensive the game has become.
I live in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the prices here are just outrageous. It is very difficult to see how the game can continue to grow if the prices continue their upward spiral. I am afraid we mere mortals on fixed incomes are going to be a dying breed of golfer.
Sidney Jacobson
Scottsdale, Arizona
I completely agree with John Steinbreder (“Why we’re not watching golf,” April 22 GGP).
I do tend to watch golf every Saturday and Sunday, but it is normally the soothing background to my post-round nap. Golf in the a.m., lunch with the foursome and then home for a brief snooze to the mellifluous tones of Jim Nantz. The perfect weekend.
John Smith
Mendham, New Jersey
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