The biggest prizes in golf, the legacy events that make the top sponsorship dollars and are recorded in each player’s calendar, are the major tournaments: the Masters Tournament, the US Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship. But none of these four events are governed by a business tour, whether old or new. They are overseen by four distinct entities sometimes described as the four golf families (enter the joke of organized crime here). These organizations are now the mainstay in the battle for the future of men’s professional golf. When the PGA Tour retaliated last week by eliminating 17 LIV Golf-affiliated players, the question was whether the leaders of the major leagues from Augusta National Golf Club (the Masters), the United States Golf Association (US Open) ), The R&A (British Open) and the PGA of America (the PGA Championship) would choose one side. Since they have long allied themselves with recognized tours in the United States and Europe, will they snub the alternative LIV Golf Invitational series and exclude its players from their events? On Wednesday, there was a partial response and could not have comforted famous players such as Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson, who insisted they could still play in the big tournaments while accepting the hundreds of millions of dollars shared by L Golf, whose main shareholder is the Private Investment Fund, the state investment fund of Saudi Arabia. While all LIV Golf-related players who have already qualified for this week’s US Open at the Country Club outside Boston have been welcomed, Mike Whan, USGA CEO, said Wednesday that his organization will consider ways that could make it harder The LIV golfers will compete in the tournament in the future. Whan was asked if he could see a situation in which LIV Golf players would find it “increasingly difficult” to enter the US Open. “Yes,” he replied. Asked to give more details, Whan said: “Could I predict one day? “Yes, I could predict one day.” Whan warned that the USGA would not act hastily, but would undoubtedly “re-evaluate” its eligibility criteria. “The question was, could you imagine a day where it would be more difficult for some people who did different things to get into a US Open?” he said. “I could.” There were other statements from Whan that did not sound like applause for the LIV Golf Invitational series, which kicked off its weekend tournament outside London and still lacks the support of the majority of PGA Tour’s top players. But the split track surprised some of the top players, most of whom had declared their allegiance to the United States-based PGA Tour just weeks or days earlier. “I’m saddened by what is happening in the professional game,” Whan said. He continued: “I have heard that this is good for the game. “At least from the external point of view right now, it seems good to some people playing the game, but I’m struggling with how that’s good for the game.” Whan, who was LPGA commissioner for a long time until he took over USGA last summer, also stressed the need for each of the golf leaders to work consistently in evaluating the role of LIV Golf. “We have to see what happens – is it an exhibition or a tour?” he said. “I’ve said it many times, I’ve seen a lot of things start in the game, maybe nothing with so much noise or so much funding behind it, but I’ve also seen a lot of you not being with us a few years later. “One event does not change the way I think about the future of the sport.” And importantly, when Whan was asked if the suspensions imposed by the PGA Tour would catch his eye when the USGA re-evaluated its criteria for a future US Open, Whan was quick to respond: “They already did. “It caught our attention for this championship.” Whan’s comments come a month after Seth Waugh, CEO of PGA of America, stood firmly behind the PGA Tour, calling the part of what he referred to as the golf ecosystem. “Our statutes say you have to be a recognized member of a recognized tour to be a PGA member somewhere and therefore be able to play,” Waugh said of the PGA Championship.
A quick guide to the LIV golf course
Card 1 of 6 A new series. The new LIV Golf series, funded by Saudi Arabia, with controversy, held its first event in June. But what is it? Who plays it? What is the whole hubbub and how can you watch it? Here’s what you need to know: What is LIV Golf? The series is a pioneering professional golf circuit funded by the Saudi Arabian State Investment Fund. Its organizers hope to place it as an alternative that focuses on the strength of the players on the PGA Tour, which is the highest level of professional golf in almost a century. Who plays it? The 48 players in the original LIV Golf tournament were not exactly who the golfers were and many of the sport’s biggest names, such as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, have been left out. But there were big names and former great champions, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio García. What attracts players? LIV Golf Events are the richest tournaments in golf history. The total wallet of the first tournament was $ 25 million and the winner’s share was $ 4 million. The player who finished last in each match was guaranteed $ 120,000. This is in addition to the show fees and nine-digit sign-up fees accepted by some players. How can I watch the new tour? Despite its top golfers and money support, LIV Golf has not yet secured a broadcasting agreement in the United States and will be featured on streaming services with less follow-up in much of the world. In the United States, this week’s tournament will be available live on LIVGolf.com, YouTube and Facebook. Addressing the LIV Golf tour, Waugh said: “I do not know if it is a league, it is not a league at this point – but the structure of the league is somewhat flawed.” Where does this leave the other two major leagues and their possible answers to the LIV Golf Tour, which will play five games in the United States this year starting June 30 at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, outside Portland, Ore. As with the US Open this week, the leaders of the British Open may find it difficult to exclude players who have already qualified for this year ‘s tournament, which starts on July 14 in St. Petersburg. Andrews of Scotland and will include Mickelson and Johnson. This means that the next, and potentially first, big championship that will be forced into the PGA Tour-LIV Golf will be the Masters. In April, Augusta National president Fred Ridley was asked if players taking part in a rival PGA Tour would be invited to play in the Masters. Ridley said: “Our mission is always to act in the best interest of the game in whatever form it takes. I think this golf is in a good place right now. ” Over the years, Augusta National has honored extremely traditional values and has been reluctant to change. And Ridley no doubt listened to what Whan had to say on Wednesday if the two had not already discussed the matter over the phone. On the eve of the 122nd US Open, will Whan’s statements slow down the exit of players from the PGA Tour, especially after the British Open? It’s hard to say. It will continue to be particularly appealing to the demographic team that was most receptive to the monetary temptations of LIV Golf: senior players spent their first season. But if there was one message in Whan’s answers to Wednesday’s 13 questions about the introduction or invasion of LIV Golf into his sport, it was that he does not see it as usual. He could be unattached to the new tour and dedicate time. Importantly, on the contrary, he suggested that it was not good for golf. This was a typical remark from one of the most powerful bosses of the big golf league families.
