The future of golf seems closer than ever to being sorted out after yet more talks involving the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and President Donald Trump.
Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and Jay Monahan were part of a mixed delegation to meet with the president yesterday and it seems things are moving along.
Indeed, LIV stars could even be involved in The Players Championship, such has been the speed at which talks with Trump have taken place.
However, while the talk for the last few years has been of a deal or merger of some sorts between the two tours, there are now suggestions that LIV could actually be ended completely.
Why LIV Golf could be ‘killed off’ as part of PGA Tour agreement
The discussions with Trump are the talk of the golfing world right now, with the president openly keen to get something sorted for the game he loves.
However, according to NBC’s golf analyst Eamon Lynch, there could well be a scenario that plays out where LIV ceases to be its own entity.
“To me the interesting part of this potential conversation today is how it changes the parameters of the deal that has been proposed. Donald Trump has consistently said that he wants to see one tour,” Lynch said.
“That’s exactly the opposite of what the DOJ was telling the PGA Tour over the past year. Because in their mind one tour meant less opportunities for players to ply their trade. So the idea of a merger would have been considered an anti-trust violation, a red flag.”
And going further with his comments, Lynch then suggested that should things go a certain way, then LIV could end up being up binned completely.
“There is a scenario here where it might not simply be a matter of just PIF investment in the PGA Tour, which we have all been talking about. There is a scenario where LIV could move under the PGA Tour’s umbrella if they are willing to approve that, in which case does the PGA Tour have the licence to kill LIV Golf as a failed economic experiment?
“We all know that President Trump has one language which are ratings. He is going to look at LIV and say there is no scenario where that is a brand worth betting on. So if it moves under the PGA Tour’s umbrella there is a scenario in which the Trump administration might have no problem with the PGA Tour saying this is a failed experiment, we are going to move on in a different direction, which doesn’t potentially involve at all.”
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Why PGA Tour players are nervous about a potential LIV deal
While the focus is on LIV and the PGA Tour as a whole, it’s easy to forget that for every Rory McIlroy or Scottie Scheffler at the top of the food chain, there are players scrapping to make a living.
And with fields already being cut from 125 to 100 on the PGA Tour, there’s already plenty to think about on the PGA Tour side of things.
Indeed, some PGA players are nervous about a potential deal, according to NBC reporter Damon Hack.
“There is a great sense of anxiety which I am feeling among the players. We are so close to where they are staying; we are in the same hotel, and I am sharing water taxis with the players from the hotel to the driving range,” Hack said.
“I have been having conversations even before this news came out. There is a sense of stress at the possibilities. I spoke to Joe Highsmith on the boat ride over; he is well aware of the narrowing pathways and the value of a week like this. And knowing that you might play this week and maybe not get to play for a couple more weeks.
“When they are hearing the likes of Rory McIlroy and the best players in the world talk about smaller fields and these elevated signature events and national opens, I get the sense that a lot of the players in this field know that’s code for this does not include you. A week like this can change a lot of these things for a lot of these players. Make no mistake, they know what is at stake this week and how valuable a week like the Mexico Open is for them and their future.”
With things moving quicker than ever, those players will be desperate for some concrete news and more importantly, clarity on how it affects their future.
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