Golf’s Top Official Remain Baffled by PGA Tour/LIV Golf Talks
BRADENTON, Fla. – The atmosphere is more intense and the camaraderie is evident in the big event, which aims to capture the spirit of the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup in a three-team senior competition. But rather than all the fear and rhetoric surrounding the World Cup, there are concerns about the game and where it is going.
With less than a month until the “Master Deal” that brings peace to the game, there’s no telling how things will turn out if things don’t go according to plan. Those concerns grow as speculation continues that Masters champion Jon Rahm will move from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour to LIV Golf.
“We’re walking into these troubled waters again,” said four-time major champion Ernie Els, who criticized the framework agreement announced between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s state investment fund. June 6. The capital can come with other partners (private investments). Maybe PIF or Aramco (a rich Saudi Arabian oil company). But I don’t know what PIF stands for or what their goals are in golf. I know they have a lot of money. But now something must be done. They need to get to a point where they can come together more.”
Els, 54, leads the international team at The Concession Golf Club, playing against a European team led by Darren Clarke and an American team led by Jim Furyk. The competition starts on Thursday and is an attempt to bring past stars together for a team event.
As a winner of 19 PGA Tour events and more than 70 global titles, Els sees the value PIF brings to golf, but wonders how we got to this point. Els attended the deal negotiated by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, board members Jimmy Dunn and Ed Herlihy and PIF president Yasir Al-Rumaian: “I’m very upset that this all happened without anyone knowing,” he said. . “What do they mean when they say they’re one?” Why didn’t they use another word? Why are there no comments? It was not a merger. “It was just a meeting where we agreed not to sue each other and they agreed to discuss and see what timelines there might be for the different organizations. “The men felt bad because everything they said was weird,” he said.
Els was unhappy this summer. He called LIV “circus golf” in an interview with Sports Illustrated at the British Open and said Monahan lost his job “just in time”. “I know Yasir and I know a few Saudis,” Els said. “They like games. But LIV is circus golf. I’m not there. “Team golf doesn’t work. You can have a happy season for two or three months. Gather these people to form a team and play around the world. But (then) play real golf.”
That’s what it all boils down to. I was proud of that. Like Tiger (Woos) and some guys. It’s that kind of golf. Entering the profession. And grinding.
Nobody knows if these guys (PGA Tour Management) are going to go out and do what they do and make deals as board members. The commissioner will be the one leading our tour. These board members conduct trades or transactions without player involvement. It’s a total mess. I care. He still is. Now, four months later, there is no indication that the deal will close in December. 31 period. And what will it look like when it’s completed? What does this mean?
Els didn’t directly address the possibility of Rahm joining LIV Golf, but it’s the main conversation in the game, along with golf ball backspin, and no one on the outside seems to know what it means. “I’m not a player anymore,” PGA Tour champion Steve Stricker said with a smile. “So I don’t know anything. It will be a shame to see Rahim go, but where do we go? None of them know. Are these players (LIV) coming back and playing next year? Or are you playing next year? There are many unknowns. It’s hard to talk about it.
“If LIV is going to continue, there has to be a middle ground. As a player, you want to compete against the best players in the world. It’s also important for sports fans.”
This is certainly one of the big questions. It seems like there’s a lot to learn before making a deal. What does a successful new company look like? How do I participate in LIV Golf? How often do players compete against each other? “I was very disappointed with the whole process,” Els said. “I have lost relationships and friends because of this incident. I don’t think the trip was perfect. There are good people who went to LIV, Louis (Oosthuizen), Branden (Grace) Charles (Schwartzel). Dean Burmester won the South African Open and is at LIV.
“I’m happy for them and I think we’re doing well. But everything is strange. I want to end it all, but there is no answer.”
