While golfers at the highest level appear to be playing for unprecedented riches on the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, it does appear that the current situation is unsustainable with the interest of golf fans on the wane.
Golf has been divided for almost three years now, with LIV Golf poaching a number of the bigger names from the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.
While the framework agreement was announced in June 2023, golf fans are still awaiting a deal between the PGA Tour and the PIF that would see the game back on the same page.
Understandably, LIV Golf has largely been painted as the villain in the story. There are definitely justified reasons to criticise LIV, with the PIF the group behind the league. But the PGA Tour has certainly done its best to throw away the moral high ground.
Butch Harmon hits out at the PGA Tour
Jay Monahan upset many when the framework agreement was announced given his apparent reasons for hating LIV in the first place. And it seems fair to say that many have grown frustrated with the inability of both sides to thrash out a deal which will end the game’s civil war.
Speaking on Fairways of Life, Butch Harmon certainly pointed the finger of blame partially at the PGA Tour, and insisted that something has to give in the near future.
“When you turn on the TV on Saturday and Sunday and you look at the leaderboard and the novice golf fan sees these 10 names and he has no idea who any of them are. Cause it’s not any of the superstars, that to me is wrong,” he said.
“The business side – it’s at the worst it’s ever been. If the commissioner had have taken Yasir’s phone call four years ago we wouldn’t be in this place.
“I think the arrogance of the PGA Tour – thinking they were the best game and only game in town and that nobody was gonna come in and do anything about that, well, we’ve seen what’s happened.
“All you and I want and all golf fans want is when we turn on the TV on Sunday we wanna see the best players playing against each other. That’s all we want. And we only get that four times a year now, at the majors. And for me, that has to change.”
How The Showdown showed fixing golf’s problem is not a simple one
Golfers have always played for a lot of money. But there is something particularly unpalatable about how the last few years have played out.
There was a little more respect for those who jumped to LIV and immediately admitted that the money was too good to turn down. However, it would have been disappointing to see, when many of the players spent so much of their careers talking about the prestigious events that they can no longer play in.
Perhaps the best coming back together will solve things. However, the poor ratings from The Showdown showed that simply pitting the likes of Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka against each other will not work.
A lot of fans feel let down and uninspired by the current product. Perhaps therefore, the situation is damaged beyond repair.
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