If there is one thing that has remained constant over the past two years in the golf world, it is the chaos. The inception of LIV Golf has brought about a conundrum that is yet to be resolved. As time has gone by, this feud between LIV and the PGA Tour has only escalated. Gary Player recently shared his views regarding the ongoing state of the golf world, and it was harsh but real. 

“I think we made the mistake in the beginning when the Saudis said all they wanted was five tournaments to put in $20 million a tournament. Think about that. And they were turned down, and that was the start of the war,” said Gary Player. In 1994, Norman famously clashed with the PGA Tour over its refusal to grant him the freedom to play in other events outside the Tour’s calendar. He felt the PGA Tour’s monopoly was limiting his earning potential and personal freedom. Norman’s frustration led him to propose the idea of a World Golf Tour, which would eventually evolve into the concept of LIV Golf years later. In 1994, he also created his event, the Greg Norman International, which only deepened the rivalry. “He’s had a personal vendetta against the PGA for ages. So it started off badly, and it’s not gotten better,” added Gary.

As we all know, a few of the best golfers of this generation like Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, and others play in LIV Golf, and others like Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and many more play on the PGA Tour. The best is divided. Player pointed out the same, “And now when you win a tournament, can you honestly say, ‘I’m beating the best in the world? We have played; we wanted to beat the best, and let me tell you, you had Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Lee Trevino.”

With the $ 3 billion merger still hanging, the future of the sport is uncertain. The fans are getting frustrated and are tuning in less to watch the events. This puts the legacy and brand of the sport in jeopardy. And of all those as well who came before today’s generation legends like Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus, “I don’t know what’s going to happen. How are they gonna look after people like myself and Arnold, who’s gone?” he added. He also concluded that he has no idea of what the future truly holds for golf and is also unsure if there is ever going to be a merger where all the players can come together and play throughout the year, just like they used to earlier.

 

The proposed $75 million in equity grants would be distributed to 36 players deemed

“instrumental to building the PGA Tour, based on career performance.” Among these, Jack Nicklaus, at 84 years old, stands out as a prime candidate. In 1968, Nicklaus, alongside Arnold Palmer and Gardner Dickinson, helped lead a pivotal break from the PGA of America, which ultimately resulted in the creation of the separate entity now known as the PGA Tour. Nicklaus’s legendary career, which includes 73 PGA Tour victories and 18 major championships, combined with his role in founding and hosting the Memorial Tournament, solidifies his place as a natural recipient of such an honor.

His contributions to the Tour, both on and off the course, make him a central figure in its history. Taking to this, he also added,

“They have taken $75 million, they put it there for 36 guys, the guys who won the most Majors, made the most cuts, played the most tournaments. They get a certain amount of money. That money is now put into an investment company and it might not do well and you might not get anything and the first payment we are gonna get is when I’m 91. Will I be alive, I hope so.” Furthermore, ringing the bells about the current situation Player also said, “Everything is a mess.” But as it turns out, this time, he managed to pull up the criticism on himself, instead of praise.

The golf community does not agree with Gary Player

In the 1990s, the prize purse for a major tournament like The Masters was around $1 million—with the winner earning $500,000. Fast forward to 2023, and The Masters’ total purse has increased to $18 million, with the winner now taking home $3.24 million. In comparison, LIV Golf’s events in 2023 feature $25 million purses per tournament, significantly outpacing even the top PGA Tour events. For example, in 1997, when Gary Player was still active, a player had to consistently win or place high to make significant money.

Today, players like Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson can earn more from LIV’s signing bonuses and guaranteed money than entire PGA Tour seasons used to offer. The shift from a focus on legacy and skill to money-driven incentives is stark: in the 90s, it was about major wins; now it’s about securing the bag. Taking to this, one of them wrote, “Money talks, Gary… not the way it used to be, Player…”

Be it the PGA Tour or LIV Golf, the entire game has seen a rapid drop in the viewership rates of the matches. Take the Masters, for example. The final round of the 2024 Masters averaged 9.59 million viewers in the US, with broadcaster CBS reporting a 20 percent drop in viewership compared to the tournament’s climax last year. Taking to this, one of them even wrote, “Professional golf, except the majors and the Ryder Cup, is dead and buried. Neither tour/league is worth wasting any time watching.”

Some of them simply criticized Gary Player’s entire speech. Gary Player is often criticized for his perception of self-importance. While he is one of golf’s greatest legends, some believe that Player often makes his accomplishments and opinions the central focus, overshadowing others. He pretty much did the same in this as well. The 24X PGA Tour champion had more focus on how the players were best back in his time and not today, taking to this while one of them wrote, “Whole bunch of yapping.”.

Another was taking to the fact that someone else was holding the mic for Player as he spoke. Mocking him on this, one of them said, “Never trust a man who can’t hold his microphone.”

LIV Golf has a fixed purse for all its events, that is, $20 million. As for the PGA Tour, The Players Championship had the biggest purse of the 2024 season ($25 million), and the biggest winner’s share for the 2024 PGA Tour season is $4.5 million at The Players Championship. LIV Golfers get a whopping $4 million on every event win. And not to forget the lumpsum sums they were given to join the tour. Taking to this, one of them wrote, “PGA could learn a lot from LIV when it comes to putting on an event… the fan experience is night and day.”.

What are your thoughts on what Gary Player has to say? Let us know in the comments section below!