For all of the back and forth between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour over the last few years, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that the two tours do share some common issues when it comes to certain behaviours.
‘Team LIV’ and ‘Team PGA’ has been a constant talking point ever since the Saudi backed tour came on the scene to disrupt the game we all love.
Of course, both sides have arguments for why their product is the better and both sides have star power in abundance in terms of players.
However, while those star names are crucial to the audience for both the PGA and LIV, there is a worrying trend of behaviour emerging from these star players across both sides.
The common issue shared by LIV Golf and the PGA Tour that is a disgrace to golf
Over the years, golf has always been a game of calm and while tempers can flare and boil over at times, we are seeing a worrying surge in what can only be described as shocking behaviour on the course.
A few weeks back we saw Rory McIlroy unleash his fury at The US Open as he hit an errant tee shot and decided to smash one of the tee markers in a small moment of rage.
While this is not common for McIlroy, it was unacceptable and worryingly, we’ve seen more of this recently.
Stephen Jaeger smashed up the tee by repeatedly hitting the surface at this week’s Rocket Classic, while over on LIV Golf, Brooks Koepka has been at it as well.
Koepka took his frustration out on the tee box, much like McIlroy and Jaeger, before withdrawing from the event in Dallas due to illness.
For top stars like McIlroy and Koepka to be getting involved in such acts is simply not acceptable.
These are stars of the game who have millions of people looking up to them, many of whom are children.
Put simply, it’s petulant, childish and frankly, unacceptable. Both LIV and the PGA have got to get a grip on it before it becomes commonplace.
PGA and LIV need to punish players for bad behaviour
At the end of the day, golfers are human beings and it goes without saying that there’ll be moments of frustration.
However, that does not excuse what we have been seeing more and more in 2025.
We’ve seen other examples with the likes of Sahith Theegala and others this season, with clubs being thrown – something Rory McIlroy also got involved with not long back – and it needs cracking down on.
In the most simple terms, the PGA and LIV need to be introducing harsh penalties for players who smash up the property.
Indeed, even a disqualification from an event wouldn’t go amiss and it would soon nip the behaviour in the bud and hopefully, prevent further happenings.
Right now, we seem to be in a period of golfers doing what they want without any repercussions.
Until they’re stopped in their tracks with actual punishments, it will only continue.
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