My thoughts on LIV golf

As I write this, we are only weeks removed from Jon Rahm deciding to forego his PGA Tour career in favour of the allure of LIV golf. It is fair to say it caused quite a big stir in the golf world as he was a top 3 player in the world and reigning Masters champion in the prime of his career.

When asked for his reasons for joining, Rahm gave a presumably scripted response of ‘growing the game’, ‘growing the game in Spain’ and ‘providing’ for his family. There was no mention of the hundreds of millions of dollars he received in a joining fee or the guaranteed millions he will earn even if he played poorly in every event.

The answers themselves make you quickly lose respect for him and the other players who have joined citing similar reasons. How is paying the richest players in the world more money growing the game? Will this grow the game more than investing the same amount of money in grass roots golf? As for the family reason, are we meant to think he was not able to sufficiently provide for them already? Call me cynical, but I believe some golfers use their families for PR purposes and constantly mention them in order to portray a ‘family man’ image, particularly players in America where this ideal is highly valued. I would ask him whether dishing everything on a plate for his future generations is in itself a good thing.

Putting these absurd justifications for joining aside, the whole LIV spectacle is just a farce. The team names (such as the ‘4 Aces’ and ‘Range Goats’) are a farce, the team uniforms and clothing are a farce and the format of each event is a farce. How has Jon Rahm and others given up playing all of the biggest and best events in the world for this? The pushing of the team element is nauseating and laughable if the powers that be think this is something the general public will ever find compelling.

But the players say, we still really care about the tournaments, and are motivated to win them! I myself have been very fortunate to have played in several swanky pro-ams in Europe where even the last place pro receives a generous prize and I can categorically state that it is not the same as playing in a tournament with a cut or one in which only the top finishers get paid. There is not as much pressure. It is not as important how you play and mistakes do not carry the same penalty. Demanding tee shots or approach shots do not make you feel as nervous as there is not as much consequence.

That the players argue that the LIV format amounts to anything more than an exhibition is imbecilic.

In my opinion the players who have left have all put greed and materialistic values ahead of true sporting achievement and thus have permanently tarnished their reputation. What’s worse, they have created a discourse revolving entirely around money, and a new generation of players who will now view this as their main objective. LIV has already signed a few leading amateurs (Surratt, Ogletree) and how sad it is that they now see their future competing on this Mickey-Mouse circuit as opposed to chasing a legacy on one of the real top-flight main tours.

World ranking points remain a bug bear for those who have chosen to partake in these exhibitions on LIV. The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) continues to deny LIV of ranking points and rightly so. Unlike the PGA Tour, who have already keeled over and admitted defeat by agreeing to a deal with LIV, the OWGR has so far remained morally steadfast and acting in accordance with the old adage of not ‘having one’s cake and eating it’. The players knew at the time of signing LIV didn’t have ranking points, they went anyway, and now must be mature and live with the consequences. I for one am very happy with this decision by the OWGR and sees the majors’ reputation upheld as being reserved for true players who value accomplishment above riches.

In a way, perhaps it is a good thing. LIV is separating the bad apples from the good and conveniently depositing them in an obscure location devoid of any public interest or opportunities to further their career. In my experience, the thoughts which I have outlined above seem to generally be echoed by the golfing public and with most of the people I have spoken to. In all of LIV’s existence, I have met one person earlier this year who is genuinely interested in LIV, although I had to check with him several times that he wasn’t joking such was the rarity of this occurrence.

All in all, LIV is a sorry excuse for a professional golf tour whose main purpose is to take attention away from the woeful human rights record of the depraved country by which it is funded. Despite hundreds of millions of dollars it still lacks significant public interest and here's hoping it comes to an end sooner rather than later!