As talks between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the PGA Tour rumble on, Padraig Harrington believes he’s found the perfect solution.
Over a year has passed since a groundbreaking framework agreement was announced in a bid to end the banishment of LIV Golf players from regular PGA and DP World Tour events.
Rory McIlroy wants an agreement that would allow the world’s best players to compete regularly, not just in the major championships.
Harrington is the latest player to tackle the issue, and the Irishman has mapped out his solution amid the latest conversations between the PGA Tour and PIF.
Padraig Harrington maps out PGA Tour and LIV Golf solution
Speaking ahead of this week’s Irish Open at Royal County Down, Harrington suggested each PGA and DP World Tour event would be allowed four LIV Golf invites and vice versa.
Harrington explained: “So, ideally, I would suggest that every PGA Tour and European Tour event should have four invites for LIV players and four invites for an International team. That way, we have enough crossover that we can get Jon Rahm to play the European Tour and Abraham Ancer to play the Mexican Open.
“If four PGA Tour guys come over, it’s not like they are going to be welcomed with open arms, so that creates buzz at their events.”
The Irishman added: “Like if we had four LIV players this week, they would be focused on them, and people would be watching it. Some people would be wanting them to do well and some people would be wanting them to do badly.
“But that would create a bit of a buzz and vice versa if four PGA Tour players or four international players turned up at a LIV event, they wouldn’t want that team winning, they wouldn’t want the outsiders, so that creates a bit of a buzz for them. That’s the only solution I see.”
Harrington’s LIV Golf solution makes a lot of sense
Once a resolution is found, it won’t look too dissimilar to Harrington’s suggestion. The idea of free travel between all three tours feels unlikely, but allowing invites is a viable route to head down.
Allowing four LIV players onto any PGA event would provide excitement, which is desperately required.
Fans would have a player they want to root for and definitely against. And it would be a similar scenario if PGA Tour stars appeared in sporadic LIV Golf events.
It’s engaging, interesting, and precisely what the game of golf needs after two extremely turbulent years since Greg Norman’s venture emerged at the Centurion Club.
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