While you could easily argue that golf’s civil war is one issue which never really goes away, the situation has returned to the fore this week off the back of the Presidents Cup and the fact that two of the most important figures in shaping the game’s future will be playing together at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
It has been more than a year since the PGA Tour and the PIF announced the framework agreement which looked set to offer a pathway to bringing the sport back together. However, from the outside, it has appeared that progress has been minimal.
It did not escape anyone’s attention however, that Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan are set to play together during the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this week. While little is likely to be sorted during a round at Carnoustie, it is potentially significant that they are set to play together.
There has rarely been a stronger case for the need for LIV Golf players to return to the PGA Tour fold. The Presidents Cup became a bit of a damp squib as USA secured another victory at Royal Montreal. It is hard to make the argument that the Internationals would not benefit from having the likes of Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann available to them again.
Billy Horschel suggested Cameron Smith should be invited to The Players Championship in 2023
Billy Horschel was asked about potential changes to the event in the future. And he went on to suggest that he has lobbied for the return of LIV players on certain occasions.
“One thing I’ve always done in my career is I’m never afraid to tell people directly what I think and give my opinions. What I may say behind closed doors I also say publicly and I mentioned to Jay that I think, yes, the Presidents Cup could be better. Having these international stars, international players come back and play would be a benefit to The Presidents Cup,” he said.
“But right now, we’ve made a decision that we made two years ago, and you know, whether it’s right or wrong, that we stick by it, we are going to stick by it now but. I do believe when this gets settled, international players like Joaquín Niemann do come back.
“Give you a perfect example, in Maui in 2023 when it was – January 2023 of Maui, I was having breakfast with Jay one morning and we were talking just about a few things, and I decided to bring up The Players Championship. The Masters had come out and said LIV players would be allowed to play and the PGA said LIV players would be allowed to play. And I just mentioned to Jay, I said, Hey, I think if these majors are going to allow these LIV players to play, I think it would be really good if we do allow them as well.
“I do believe The Players is the fifth major. I do believe it would be unbelievable if Cam Smith is able to come back and defend his title in ’23. You know, I said what I – obviously I told him what I felt.
“He gave me a reply, which I figured. They made a decision and they went against the PGA Tour rules. I don’t fault them for his comments. But like I said, I’ve always been very open with the execs at the PGA Tour giving them my opinion and trying to show them what I think or what I feel.”
A lot of anger has now evaporated
It really does appear as though many of the PGA Tour players have simply grown weary of having to answer questions about the game’s divide when they were never the ones to cause any of the problems. Many would have shown absolutely no interest in offering an olive branch in 2022.
Ultimately, the golfing world is going to come back together one way or another in the future. There is likely to be a world where LIV Golf players can be more involved in the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, and perhaps vice versa.
The task is getting the best deal for those who did not jump ship. Those who went to LIV reportedly received significant sums to make the move in the first place, so there is surely no way that they should simply be allowed to have their cake and eat all of it too.
That was seemingly Monahan’s view when Horschel approached him ahead of Sawgrass.
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