PGA and LIV, from traumatic divorce to marriage of convenience

A breakup with a clean slap and a slammed door followed by a completely unexpected reconciliation. Such was the turbulent relationship between PGA Tour and LIV Golfwho, after starring in a conflict that split the golf world in two, now seeks to strengthen ties both in competition and in business.

Golf fans in the US woke up to a bombshell Tuesday: an agreement between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the controversial Saudi LIV Golf to unify the sport on a planetary scale.

“After two years of disruption and disruption, this is a historic day for the sport we all know and love,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan.

The agreement, conducted in the utmost secrecy – something that PGA Tour players did not like at all – includes the creation of a new entity, management of a joint calendar, closure of all pending legal cases and the intention that players who fled to LIV loaded with money can regain their affiliation with the traditional circuits.

There are many compelling stories surrounding this unlikely idyll, including the clash between the tradition that the PGA Tour claims to represent and the 21st century golf that LIV claims to reflect.

But in this reconciliation, as in the breakup, something without sentimental value played a key role: money.

ACCOUNTS

With a huge financial power behind it that broke all previous golf schemes, LIV this year promised $4 million to the winner of one of its tournaments and $3 million to the winning team.

A very important aspect is that there is no weekend break in LIV, so with to set foot on the field requires at least $120,000 as agreed.

The gusto with which LIV started signing checks left and right forced the PGA Tour to increase its prize pool, but without reaching the LIV rankings.

So, only the Players Championship (4.5 million) exceeds the PGA Tour’s 4 million.

Another sample of the huge amount of zeros flowing out of Saudi countries is reflected in the list Forbes 2023 of the ten highest paid athletes in the world (technically, from May 1, 2022 to May 1, 2023).

Along with soccer players like Leo Messi or NBA stars like LeBron James, two LIV Golf representatives snuck in in an incredible way: Dustin Johnson in sixth place with $107 million and Phil Mickelson in seventh place with $106 million.

“Johnson wasn’t even among the 50 highest-paid athletes in 2022,” noted Forbes of his phenomenal jump in the rankings.

By the way, the first in this relationship also had ties to Saudi Arabia: Cristiano Ronaldo, with a total of 136 million, of which 75 from the annual salary in Al Nassr.

Back to golf, the demise of LIV has left the PGA Tour in particularly awkward situations, such as the one that occurred in May when Koepka streams he was declared PGA Championship champion (players on the Saudi tour were forced to withdraw from the second rounds but could compete in the ‘major’ tournaments).

Koepka, who received 50 million to go to LIV, became the first ‘defector’ from the PGA Tour to win a ‘major’.

But it hardly affected his bank account as he won 3.15 million for the PGA Championship when he earned a total of 72 million thanks to LIV last year (18th highest paid athlete of the year according to Forbes).

ABOVE MONEY

The general feeling is that the PGA Tour reluctantly gave up on this alliance, although there were also things in LIV that didn’t quite add up.

For example, his media exposure and publicity is much less, his wins don’t count towards the world golf rankings, his lack of tradition is not quite in keeping with a sport that prides itself on its history, and stars like Tiger Woods have refused to change jerseys despite dizzying offers that he could take between 700 and 800 million in the new round.

“Would my family’s lifestyle change if I made 400 million? No, I wouldn’t change anything,” commented Spaniard Jon Rahm, another PGA Tour believer, last year.

“The truth is I could retire now and have a very happy life without playing again. I have never played golf for financial reasons. I play for the love of the sport and I want to play against the best in the world. I have always been interested in the history and heritage of golf, and right now the PGA Tour has that,” he asserted.

The disputes between the PGA Tour and LIV have ended like many divorces in the courts and now it remains to be seen whether there is love that can heal and forget the monopoly complaints against the PGA Tour and the accusations against LIV that it is just a distraction to cover up the violations human rights in Saudi Arabia.

In any case, what was announced this week is only an agreement in principle, and the voices of PGA Tour players who suddenly find themselves arm-in-arm with the likes of LIV that they swore they would never date are likely to be heard loudly in the coming weeks. .