It’s that time of year again when numerous PGA Tour players are being linked with moves to LIV Golf.
LIV Golf spearheaded a seismic shift in the professional golfing landscape when their Saudi-backed funders formed a new golf league in 2022.
Numerous high-profile PGA Tour players jumped ship to LIV, including the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka.
Then a year later, European Ryder Cup stars Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton joined them.
A merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour apparently will not happen anytime soon, so there will be numerous players switching ranks until a deal can be struck between the two entities.
It has been claimed that two PGA Tour stars are in discussions to join LIV Golf right now.
While it remains to be seen who those players are, it’s very clear which golfer the Saudi-backed outfit should be targeting.
Why Jason Day is perfect for LIV Golf
While LIV Golf may be changing their recruitment strategy from making blockbuster signings to targeting younger players with higher ceilings, they still need to make a statement addition during the off-season.
And Jason Day is the perfect man for the job.
A 13-time PGA Tour winner, the Australian is one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour among the fans.
Day won the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits and he really should have more major titles to his name, given his talent.
The 37-year-old’s deal with Malbon would be huge for LIV Golf, given the brand’s popularity among younger golfers and athletes in general.
Could LIV even consider offering Malbon the chance to run and operate a new team, with Day captaining the side?
It’s certainly not outside the realms of possibility.
Day may not be at his best right now, but a 14-tournament schedule should suit him perfectly, given his continual struggles with injuries.
However, he is still ultra trendy and somewhat of a fashion icon. Day, and indeed Malbon, would be great for LIV’s image, and they should be going all out to sign him up over the course of the next couple of months.
Why Jason Day should jump at the chance to join LIV Golf
Now, Day is a real PGA Tour stalwart, with 13 wins to his name.
It would be a big shock if the 37-year-old were to jump ship and join LIV.
However, it’s definitely something he should consider doing, if he is indeed offered a deal during the off-season.
Day has experienced horrendous injury problems over the past decade and he still suffers with vertigo – something that caused him to collapse during the US Open at Chambers Bay in 2015.
The Australian once described suffering from back and wrist injuries as ‘dark times’.
He said: “It felt like a chore,” Day continued.
“It didn’t feel enjoyable to me to play golf, not only injured, but to play golf for the wrong reasons.
“There was no love and passion, I was thinking, ‘Am I finally getting close to racking up the clubs?’
“If I didn’t make the changes body-wise and swing-wise, I think there would be potential for me not playing again.
“When you’re in dark times in golf, you can get very negative and have a lot of negative self-talk. It can get pretty dark.
“During those times of being hurt and injured, it got pretty dark and I wasn’t feeling great, not only mentally but physically, and it was hard for me to push through.”
Since 2013, he has only played more than 20 events during a season on four occasions, so he would undoubtedly benefit from a lighter schedule.
Just like Brooks Koepka did in 2022, Day joining LIV Golf would be a calculated move based on the insurance he’d receive from an upfront, big money contract.
There’s no telling how many years Day has left competing at the very highest level, as his injury problems continue to rumble on.
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