The continued discourse over a potential LIV Golf and PGA Tour deal seems to be dominating again as golf once more looks to the powers that be to resolve key issues.
President Donald Trump is now said to be involved in those discussions, while there’s even been suggestions LIV could be killed off altogether if things go a certain way.
Furthermore, PGA Tour players are thought to be stressed at the idea of having less spots to compete for if LIV players are welcomed back.
All in all, the situation is as messy as it first was when LIV was formed.
However, one potential suggestion is a new team format, which golf journalist Gabby Herzig has suggested has been proposed.
LIV Golf and PGA Tour proposing new format as part of potential merger
Speaking about the potential of a LIV and PGA merger of sorts, Herzig suggested she’d been told by one LIV caddy that a new format could be in the works.
“I was talking to one LIV caddy about ideas that have been thrown around about how to throw this thing together and there was one which I thought was interesting enough to share here,” Herzig said.
“That is maybe creating geographically based four man teams and having the Australian team, South African team, then in the United States having the East Coast team, the West Coast team, South. And then maybe have those teams have their own home tournaments and each team travels and they get to set up the course, like the Ryder Cup teams. I can see that being cool, I just have no idea how it would work logistically.”
However, rather than get behind the idea, former PGA Tour player Smylie Kaufman admitted that he just didn’t see the appeal and ultimately, it wouldn’t be something fans wanted to see.
“Is there an appetite for this? You are either on one side or the other, it feels like. It seems like the general golf fan and viewer has picked a side in this,” Kaufman said.
“That would be my biggest concern if I was the PGA Tour in this. If you make the concessions with the LIV Golf tour and say let’s figure this out, we have a great plan together, partner up and have six to eight team golf events.
“This is the two things that I think. First of all this is going to take away playing opportunities for some players. That is first and foremost as a player, that comes to my mind. And the second thing is, is this going to make a difference as far as ratings go? Do people really buy into this regional, country, rivalry we are trying to think. That’s the big gamble, you might be losing some of your core audience.”
What LIV Golf players are being promised as part of PGA talks
At the moment, everyone seems to be giving their own little snippets of information from different sources to add to the conversation.
However, on interesting point has come to light in the same conversation with Herzig and Kaufman, with Herzig suggested PIF chief Yasir Al-Rumayyan is offering LIV players certain assurances.
“I’ve been trying to think about it, honestly, and it’s really hard to conceptualise because there are so many different interests involved. I think the one thing that I’m struggling to figure out is the team golf idea was Yasir’s baby.
“He’s been promising LIV guys behind the scenes that team golf won’t go away. And I’ve been hearing rumblings of the fact that they might not want to accept a deal of reunification that doesn’t involve team golf,” Herzig shared.
With it looking like things are almost back at square one, there is going to be a point where both sides have to make some sort of compromise.
That is, of course, if there is to ever be any deal at all and golf finally comes back together as one.
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