The predictable has happened with the bankers behind LIV Golf, the Saudi Petroleum billions, being merged with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. History buffs would be aware that Greg Norman’s last foray into pro golf tour domination with the World Golf Tour in the 1990s ended up the same way. Doing deals is the modus operandi of these organisers and the split was costing them money and tarnishing reputations. It is a good outcome for those players, like Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, and Brookes Koepka as they can keep the LIV money and return to the fold for majors and bigtime PGA tour events, as members of the PGA Tour.

PGA Tour Sold Its Soul Long Ago

Money speaks louder than anything else in world golf at the pointy end and has for a long time. This is why we no longer have viable national and state open championships, apart from the US and British. Everything else has been gobbled up by rapacious sponsors and the entrepreneurs involved in organising events.

Instead we have the glorious Waste Management Open or the K-Mart Classic. Names like that get the blood rushing and fingers searching for the history books and yearly almanacs.

LIV Golf & PGA Tour Merger

It will be interesting to see how LIV morphs into the existing PGA and DP World golf tours. Whether any of the innovations and modifications will survive the merger? The PGA will get its stars back and the threats of expensive legal action will no longer see the lawyers syphoning off the big money. Oh what a wicked web we weave when first we set to deceive. Greed is at the heart of the mess that was fomented by Norman and his Saudi backers. Greed for power in Norman’s case and greed for even more largesse for the superstar players that signed with LIV Golf.

Rory McIlroy was in many ways the face of ‘the resistance’ to LIV Golf, apparently he feels betrayed by the PGA according to reported sources. Rory is not alone in this, as all those high profile players who did not take the LIV money have every right to feel screwed by the PGA. Simply because in the end the PGA has taken the money and the Saudi’s have bought elite men’s professional golf. How do you feel about that? Do you care who runs the big show? Many golfers at my club who I have discussed the LIV Golf thing with have been in favour of the players taking the LIV money in the first instance. I don’t agree with them, I see that as very short sighted.

Sportswashing amid the hundreds of millions of dollars being funnelled into elite men’s golf by the Saudi regime did not thrill me. Perhaps, this latest merging may take some of the stink off but firms up the real nature of where the state of pro tour golf lies.

Show me the money! American sports business gambled away its soul, if it ever had one to begin with, many moons ago.

The fickle nature of golf itself may be reflected in the lives and behaviours of golfers like Phil Mickelson and John Daly. Easy come, easy go.

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