The world of professional golf remains divided right now, with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf still no closer to reaching any kind of merger agreement.
LIV Golf have genuine superstars like Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka amongst their ranks but the PGA Tour is still streets ahead of the Saudi-backed league in almost every way.
It was actually recently claimed that a merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour will never happen.
It’s definitely fair to argue that the PGA Tour don’t actually need LIV Golf anymore.
DeChambeau recently called for ‘major’ action, with unification between the two Tours now an urgent matter according to the two-time US Open champion.
What should be the punishment for LIV golfers who want to return to the PGA Tour?
However, it seems like that simply won’t be happening anytime soon.
If the two Tours don’t actually manage to reach an agreement within the next year or so, some LIV golfers may well be tempted to return to the PGA Tour, albeit with their tails between their legs.
How PGA Tour should punish Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka if they want to return
Kevin Kisner‘s playing days may be winding down but he’s still very much an important member of the PGA Tour.
Kisner was speaking on the Trey Wingo Podcast this week, and he responded when asked how he would facilitate LIV players returning to the PGA Tour.
“The interesting part of that is, like, the guys that are the superstars that you would want back on the Tour have just about played so long over there that they’re not gonna have status on our Tour, even if we let them back yet, right?
“Like, the time gap, I thought, in my little brain in South Carolina said, you know, ‘if LIV goes away in two years, it doesn’t sustain, then Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, they’re still going to be exempt on our Tour. They could probably pay a fine and still be right back to where they were.
“But now that that time’s gone so far, like, what do you make them do? Do you tell Bryson DeChambeau to go to tour school and try to earn his way back? I don’t know.
“I’m not smart enough to figure it out, but if the equity programme that the Tour has unveiled really takes off, then the guys that have made so much money in that can’t complain about the money that those guys took at LIV, because now they’re owners of the PGA Tour, which these guys are not.
“So, maybe you tell them they can never be equity owners, or never gain shares from their performance because of what they did, and they come right back.
“It’s just a thought to throw around. I think that would be a way to allow them back.“
Kisner actually makes a great point here. After SSG’s huge investment into the PGA Tour, the players who remained have been extremely well-compensated for their loyalty.
The players are all equity owners in the PGA Tour now, so not allowing any players who want to return from LIV to be a part of that seems like a reasonable way forward.
Brian Rolapp shared his true feelings on Bryson DeChambeau and LIV Golf
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp spoke about a wide range of topics during a CEO Forum last week.
Rolapp was asked whether he believes the PGA Tour would be better with DeChambeau on board.
He said: “I think I think Bryson is a star in he’s an amazing golfer.
“He’s also amazing for what he does off the golf course, in that, you know, the bulk of his consumption where people see him is on YouTube, by the way. I mean, they don’t see him on television because the other league doesn’t really draw a lot of viewers.
“Yeah, I think everybody wants to see the best golfers compete. But I will say, there’s a complete misconception about the sport of golf that I think is that any given tournament or competition matters, if there’s the same three or four people in it.
“You want to see the same three or four people in it, but if you look at the depth of talent of the PGA Tour, that competitive parity aspect of it is unrivalled, and there’s no tour on Earth that has the deeper amount of talent than the PGA Tour has. And every sport has stars, but what really makes sports work is also the middle class.“
It’s hard to argue that DeChambeau wouldn’t add to the PGA Tour’s product as a whole.
However, as Rolapp said, LIV Golf just aren’t in a position to make any kind of demands to the PGA Tour right now.
The PGA Tour hierarchy are clearly very comfortable with where they’re at right now, and that won’t be changing anytime soon.
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