‘Been Sick’: LIV Golf Pro Struggled With the Same Issue That Nearly Cost Jay Monahan His Job

Remember when a bunch of golfers mysteriously withdrew from PGA Tour events? It happened again, and this time, it was ahead of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. The list of withdrawals was impressive – World No. 1 and No. 2 Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Nicolai Hojgaard, Akshay Bhatia, Mackenzie Hughes, Chesson Hadley, Tyler McCumber, Bronson Burgoon, Harry Hall, Ryan Moore, and even 2019 US Open winner Gary Woodland.

So, what was behind these mysterious withdrawals? According to Jason Day, it might have had something to do with the schedule change. With the tournament starting on a Wednesday and finishing on a Saturday, players were facing a quick turnaround from the previous event, the American Express Open. Day expressed his concerns about the grueling schedule, saying that players might not have wanted to put themselves through a mentally grueling week, only to play another three events.

Golf is known to be a sport with a pretty tight schedule and the PGA Tour is notorious for having a packed schedule, which does not leave much time for players to recover in between events.  It seems like many players are starting to feel the strain as it is affecting their health. Even LIV Golf pro, Brooks Koepka, who recently opened up about his offseason struggles, admitted that he’d been feeling the pressure. In a recent YouTube episode of Rick Shiels Golf, Koepka revealed that he’d been struggling with a nasty bout of the flu, which had taken him out of commission for two and a half weeks. “I’ve been sick actually got this flu that everyone had I had it for like 2 and a half weeks and couldn’t shake it I had it, my kid had it, my wife had it and was going to our house”, he said.

Koepka was in Las Vegas during that time for The Showdown, which was his last play before his off-season. After a tough battle with the PGA tour boys, Kopeka returned home the day after which was quite cold and might’ve played added to his already weary body Koepka said, “We got back from the Showdown I think the day after on the 18th I was out there for that was cold yeah that was that was cold.”

Rory McIlroy also weighed in on the issue of player withdrawals, suggesting that the PGA Tour’s packed schedule may be contributing to the problem. As per SportsPro, he noted that the high number of competitions can lead to “fatigue” among golf fans, and proposed that scaling back the schedule could help to create a sense of scarcity and importance around each event. “I think 47 or 50 tournaments a year is definitely too many.” McIlroy said. he believes that the increasing number of events helps in the consumption of the sport by the masses, however, it does not play fair to the sport itself if only entertainment becomes the agenda.

So with how things are going, player withdrawals seem inevitable when playing on the PGA Tour and it seems like Jay Monahan still hasn’t found a solution for it. This problem has also resulted in declining viewership that has been plaguing the PGA Tour. In this context, what does the field for the upcoming WM Phoenix Open look like?

WM Phoenix Open’s field looks weak

The WM Phoenix Open is facing a similar issue, with Viktor Hovland being the latest to withdraw, following in the footsteps of over 15 players who withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open. Hovland’s withdrawal is particularly disappointing, given his recent performance at the AT&T Pebble Beach, where he scored 65 in the first round. However, he had also expressed his frustration with his game, saying “I suck at (golf) right now.” This statement highlights the struggles Hovland is currently facing, and his withdrawal from the WM Phoenix Open is a significant blow to the tournament.

The absence of Hovland, combined with the withdrawals of other top players like Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy, raises concerns about the overall health and competitiveness of the PGA Tour. With the PGA Tour introducing a zero-tolerance rule for fans and struggling to revive its viewership, it remains to be seen whether the event can turn things around. Will the WM Phoenix Open mark the beginning of a viewership revival for the PGA Tour, or will it take another hit? Only time will tell.