Whatever you think of LIV Golf, you cannot deny that some of those who decided to jump ship to the breakaway tour have expressed some very legitimate concerns about the PGA Tour over the last three years.
Of course, it is rich for any player who jumped to LIV Golf to complain about the criticism that they have faced for their decision to join the PIF-backed tour while also hitting out at the PGA Tour. Ultimately, most of the players on LIV have simply hidden when it comes to answering the difficult questions, and have simply waited until journalists have grown weary of asking.
Some have been honest in admitting that LIV made them an offer they simply could not refuse, while others genuinely appear to embrace the format and see the long-term potential. Of course, there were reports recently that Jon Rahm would happily return to the PGA Tour if given the chance.
And in truth, it would be naive to pretend that many walked away from a flawless product in the PGA Tour. Ultimately, LIV’s formation has given the PGA Tour a kick up the backside it desperately needed.
Jason Kokrak shares what he believes the PGA Tour is really getting wrong
One of those who believes that things need to change on the PGA Tour is Jason Kokrak, who left for LIV back in 2022 alongside Brooks Koepka. Kokrak had won three times on the PGA Tour between 2020 and 2021 before moving to LIV.
Speaking on Fairway to Heaven, the 39-year-old shared his concerns about the schedule on the PGA Tour, believing that they are in danger of burning their biggest names out.
“I mean, I always say this because I’ve been at the top – I haven’t been number one by any means – I’ve been down at every level of this game, and for a guy to have opportunities, I want guys to have opportunities as much as possible. And I think the PGA Tour can absolutely do that, it’s just I think they’re not doing it in the right way, in my opinion,” he said.
“But then again, I’m not making the business decisions for the PGA Tour, nor the LIV tour, but I’ve made my bed where I’m at, I’m super happy about it. But yeah, the PGA Tour seems to be trying to elevate their players that they have, the Xander Schauffeles, the Jordan Spieths, the JTs, all these guys, incredible players in their own right, and Scottie Scheffler‘s done some insane stuff the last few years, it’s really fun to watch. Nonetheless, they’re trying to make those guys play more and more to make their product look better for the TV contracts, viewers, whatnot.
“But they’re playing a lot of golf, and I think you’ll see like you saw with Rory, not quitting, but wanting a break. I think there’s so much play around certain times of the year, you want to have a break. I think LIV does a good job of that, couple weeks on, couple weeks off. But the PGA Tour just seems to never end.”
PGA Tour cannot simply focus on fighting LIV now
There are plenty of problems for the PGA Tour to address in the coming years, particularly as it does not appear that LIV is going anywhere – and they obviously have the means to bring more names across.
Perhaps that is part of the issue, with the PGA Tour so desperate to showcase their big names while keeping them happy, that they have overlooked some of those looking to knock on the door and force their way into the signature events. And if they do not create new stars, they are going to have real problems in the coming years.
There is absolutely no question that it makes life very convenient for those on LIV if there are obvious issues on the PGA Tour, but that does not mean that Jay Monahan and those in charge of the tour can be at all complacent while it seems that their star players are largely happy.
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