The PGA Tour sent out a memo informing any player – former, current, or future – that participates in the LIV Golf Series will be suspended indefinitely.
That led to 17 players being suspended indefinitely from all PGA sanctioned events. The list of players includes high-profile golfers such as Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, and Dustin Johnson.
“These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons,” PGA commissioner Jay Monahan wrote in the memo.
“But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities, and platform as you. That expectations disrespect you, our fans, and our partners. You have made a different choice, which is to abide by the tournament regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA Tour card and – more importantly – to compete as part of the preeminent organization in the world of professional golf.”
Golf legend, Greg Norman, who spent 331 weeks as the #1 golfer in the world during the 80s called the move “vindictive” (and it is). Norman was named CEO of the LIV Invitational in 2021.
While the words of Monahan sound personal, it is understandable when you think the LIV Golf Series events conflict with those of the PGA, and they are proud to be competitors of the old-fashion structure.
The LIV Golf Invitational Series is different from the traditional PGA Tour. It features 48 players broken down into 12 teams playing 54 holes (3 rounds) with a shotgun start – all golfers play at the same time. The series spreads across eight events in eight different cities, starting in London this weekend and capping off in Miami for the team championship.
The fun and team-style play are not what swayed golfers, it was the record-breaking purses. For each winning team, they will receive $25 million, with $4 million going to the best golfer of the weekend.
Fewer events a year and more money sound like a sweet deal.
“I want to be around as a dad,” 42-year-old Matt Jones said. “I mean, I’ve been out here for 15 years. I’ve missed a lot of what goes on in my kids’ life. I was raised with a mom and dad that were always there for me. They were there at every sporting event, every schooling event, and that’s something I’d like to try and do for my kids.”
For other older players like Jones, with families, the LIV invitational gives them more time with their families and less time on the road. And of course a chance at a higher purse.
The PGA Tour has prestige and legacy. For over 90 years, the PGA Tour has been the standard in the sport of golf. Monahan is confident that because of that history and lineage, their partners will side with them in the new age of “golf beef”.
And he might be right. Rocket Mortgage terminated its sponsorship deal with Bryson DeChambeau after he committed to playing in the LIV Invitational. According to ESPN, DeChambeau is expected to play in the second event, hosted in Portland Oregon, on June 30. As the weeks go on, it’s not certain how many more golfers will lose their sponsorships.
“I’m as curious as you are to see how the tournaments will go and what the presentation will be like, if it will be similar to golf tournaments that we’re used to seeing on TV, or if it will be something totally different, and only time will tell,” Patrick Cantlay said last week. “I’m interested to see what that product will be compared to what the product is right now that we are all used to.”
The LIV Golf Series has already proved they have the money to compete with the PGA Tour but the one thing that could halt their poaching ambitions is whether or not the Major championships side with the PGA Tour. The Masters, U.S Open, and PGA Championships governing bodies have yet to decide if they will ban players from their competitions. Many players hope that they will still be allowed to participate in Majors but like the rest of us, they’ll have to watch this situation play out.
BSL Analyst
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