The PGA Tour should be seeing clear benefit to merging with LIV Golf following the first two days at the Charles Schwab Challenge

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While all seems a touch quiet on the PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger side of things right now, if ever the TOUR needed an example of getting things back together, it’s this weekend at Colonial Club.

The Charles Schwab Challenge is the latest PGA Tour event taking place and so far, it’s been very much underwhelming.

A lack of initial star power in the field – the likes of Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and Collin Morikawa all opted not to play – means that interest was already going to be waning.

However, with world number one Scottie Scheffler only just making the cut and ten shots back of the leaders Matthias Schmid and Ben Griffin, things have got even worse.

• READ MORE: Charles Schwab Challenge 2025: How to watch, prize money, picks and everything you need to know

Of course, that is not disrespecting the level of golf that Griffin and Schmid have produced so far.

But from the outside looking in, this is very much an event that highlights how much some sort of merger is needed between the PGA and LIV.

Lack of star power at the Charles Schwab Challenge proves a PGA Tour and LIV Golf deal is needed

While the PGA Championship is a different kettle of fish to an event like the Charles Schwab, it also highlighted just how good golf can be.

Going into the final day, we had superstar names like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Scottie Scheffler all jockeying for position.

Within that mix we had seasoned regulars like JT Poston, Matt Fitzpatrick and even LIV’s Joaquin Niemann all not too far away. It made for an exciting finish, albeit Scheffler did win comfortably in the end.

Now, with the Charles Schwab highlighting a distinct lack of star power for the PGA Tour outside of the signature events and majors, it just proves further how much those big names who defected to LIV are missed.

Indeed, even Rory McIlroy has opted against playing in The Memorial next week – a signature event – which in itself represents another problem for the TOUR.

• READ MORE: Scottie Scheffler names his favourite ever golf course on the PGA Tour, ‘It’s one of the best tests’

What’s the latest with a PGA Tour and LIV Golf deal

While things have gone a touch quieter in terms of media reports on a LIV/PGA deal, it feels like we’re at a stage now where Donald Trump seems to be a key player in getting things done.

Indeed, Trump apparently told Saudi leadership just last week that the PGA Tour would be doing a deal on their teams, effectively saying they do not need LIV.

Quite how that went down or how that pans out, remains to be seen.

But whatever the outcome, it’s abundantly clear that golf needs events that see the very best and biggest names go up against each other. Seeing it just four times a year is not good enough and while that naturally creates excitement, fans want more.