Life Lessons from the World of Professional Golf
Over the past few months, there have been some interesting developments in the world of professional golf that have given us some real life lessons, far beyond the scope of golf or sports. In short, some players have left the PGA Tour, which has been the highest level of pro golf for nearly a century, for a new Saudi Arabian-backed golf tour called LIV Golf. LIV rhymes with “give”; it stands for the number 54 in roman numerals—each event is 54 holes (3 rounds x 18 holes as opposed to the traditional 4 round tournament) and if a player got a birdie on every hole on a traditional par 72 course they would shoot 54 (something any amateur or professional dreams about). The PGA has exclusivity in its agreements with players so by playing in a LIV Golf event, a player is suspended by the PGA Tour.
An interesting point is that the four “Major” tournaments--The Masters, US PGA, US Open and The Open Championship (formerly known as the British Open)--are not “owned” by the PGA Tour…they are each independent events. So a player can play LIV Golf events and still play in the four majors.
Why would a player opt to play LIV Golf instead of on the PGA Tour? Some say they like the schedule better--LIV has only 8 events this year and plans to expand to 10 next year—and a tournament is only three days as opposed to four and there are only 48 players. But another reason is money—LIV Golf events are the richest tournaments in golf history. The total purse of the first event was $25 million with the winner earning $4 million and the last place finisher guaranteed $120,000. There are also appearance fees and signing-on payouts that individual players have accepted. Phil Mickelson is being paid $200 million to play for four years and Dustin Johnson’s payout is said to be $150 million over the same timeframe. In a traditional PGA Tour event, there might be 156 golfers and about half of those “make the cut” after two rounds to play the final two rounds—those that miss the cut earn nothing.
The PGA Tour makes hundreds of millions in television rights fees thanks to the star power of top players. Some of the biggest stars think that their earnings should be more commensurate with their status in the game, and they have pointed out how the best players in other sports earn far more than golfers do. The money the players make is primarily through prize money, although sponsorships and endorsements can multiply those earnings—quite significantly for the top players. For a lot of fans (like me), this format is what makes pro golf exciting. Players are literally competing for their paycheck every week—it is dramatic, to say the least!
The lead up to last month’s US Open was filled with press conferences that could not stop bringing up LIV Golf. What was interesting was that those players who have signed on with LIV Golf mostly looked uncomfortable answering questions…questions like “How can you justify taking money from a regime with the human rights violations that exist in Saudi Arabia?” Most talked about how they are not politicians and are just golfers and they are trying to “grow the game.” How they grow the game while taking players away from the PGA Tour is debatable. Only one player I saw said that it was about the money…Bryson DeChambeau said that he “made a business decision” that was in the best interests of his family and his schedule.
The most prominent opponents of LIV Golf spoke very eloquently about why they were sticking with the PGA Tour. Rory McIlroy has been very outspoken against LIV Golf, saying, “Decisions you make in your life purely for money don’t usually end up going the right way.”
Justin Thomas, one of golf’s great young stars, has repeatedly said he loves the PGA Tour because he gets to battle against the best players every event.
John Rahm gave a very thoughtful answer when the topic came up:
“I do see the appeal that other people see towards the LIV Golf. I do see some of the — how do I put this delicately — points or arguments they can make, towards why they prefer it. To be honest, part of the format is not really appealing to me. Shotgun, three days is not a golf tournament, no cut. It's that simple. I want to play against the best in the world in a format that's been going on for hundreds of years. That's what I want to see.
Yeah, money is great, but when (my wife) Kelly and I, this first thing happened, we started talking about it and we're like, 'Would our lifestyle change if we got $400 million?' No. It would not change one bit. Truth be told, I could retire right now and I could live a very happy life and not play golf again. I've never really played the game of golf for monetary reasons. I play for the love of the game, and I want to play against the best in the world.
I have always been interested in history and legacy, and right now the PGA Tour has that. There's a meaning when you win the Memorial Championship. There's a meaning when you win Arnold Palmer's event at Bay Hill. There's a meaning when you win LA, Torrey, some of these historic venues. That to me matters a lot. After winning this past U.S. Open, only me and Tiger have won at Torrey Pines. Making putts on 18 — that's a memory that I'm going to have forever that not many people can say.
My heart is with the PGA Tour. That's all I can say. It's not my business or my character to judge anybody who thinks otherwise. And for a lot of people, I'm not going to lie, those next three, four years are worth, basically, their retirement plan. It's a very nice compensation until they retire and sail off into the sunset.”
Through the first two rounds of the US Open, the best position by a “LIV player” was 31st place. As Golf Channel commentator Brandel Chamblee said, “Those who couldn’t be bought are contending for the US Open…there is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience.”
There were 14 LIV players that competed in the US Open. Ten of them did not make the cut (and did not qualify for the last two rounds or any prize money) and the other four finished in 24th, 43rd, 49th and 56th place. It was a good week for the PGA Tour loyalists on one of the biggest golf stages of the year.
I admire those players who are forgoing the large paydays of Saudi money for the tradition of the PGA Tour. If the four major tournaments decide to “pick a side” in this battle, the consequences for choosing the money over tradition will be even more impactful. How this situation plays out over the next few months and years is going to be interesting to watch.
-Gary Weiss, July 2022
