From Bryson Dechambeau to Bullish Phil Mickelson: LIV Captains Reassure the League’s Future Amid Merger Chaos

Where will the LIV Golf stand when the PGA Tour and PIF’s $3 billion finally become a reality? PIF is the backbone of the Rebel League, and through the merger, there have been ideas proposed to make a global league that will ensure all golfers play together. However, if it does occur, there is a narrow possibility that LIV Golf could be pushed to the side. And Brooks Koepka shared his thoughts. 

Or, from a bigger perspective, LIV might become a secondary league, as opposed to what it started with. But the LIV Golf terms captains, like Brooks Koepka, his teammate Graeme McDowell, HyFlyers GC captain Phil Mickelson, and Crushers GC head, Bryson DeChambeau, believe that regardless of the merger, LIV is here to stay and will only move upwards, and onwards.

Brooks Koepka says LIV Golf will always be a standalone league 

The 54 golfers from the PIF-backed league are currently in Singapore for the seventh event of the year. Before they tee up at the Sentosa Golf Club for opening rounds, four of the star players were asked about LIV Golf’s future amidst the PGA Tour and PIF merger delay. The 5-time major winner, Brooks Koepka, clarified that the merger’s result will never affect LIV Golf. He reiterated what Greg Norman said about how LIV will always be a stand-alone entity.

He further explained, “The merger is also between PIF and the PGA TOUR… It’s not LIV Golf, it’s the PIF and the PGA TOUR. I think that’s something that needs to be well-known.” On being asked about the progress of the billion-dollar merger, Koepka exclaimed that neither league had any idea. And that they were only there to play golf.

He added, “Our job is to go play golf, and that’s it. That’s what we’re here to do. But I think it’s important that the merger is that way.” Weighing on his captain’s opinions, Graeme McDowell was confident that in the next ten years, LIV Golf would not go away. He highlighted the unique team format and how fans usually love it.

Giving an example of LIV Golf Adelaide, how it attracted 94,000 people to The Grange, McDowell said, “I don’t think this product is going anywhere anytime soon regardless of any mergers. We’re very, very happy with what we’re doing and with the product that we’re playing in.” 

Brooks Koepka and McDowell were not the only ones posed with the merger questions and the uncertain LIV Golf future. When the 6-time major winner Phil Mickelson and the 2020 U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau were asked about the future, they also had a positive outlook.

Phil Mickelson predicts LIV Golf will reach a wider audience

LIV Golf is entering its third year in 2021, and every year since its inception, the groundbreaking league has introduced a fresh addition. The recent high-profile players were Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Adrian Meronk, and even Anthony Kim, who made their comebacks. Lefty revealed that in the next 5 to 10 years, the quality of players will rapidly increase, and LIV Golf will try to play outside the US more often and in countries that are “starving for world-class professional golf.” 

Just like their adventure in Singapore, Adelaide, and Hong Kong, the Rebel League will grow the game of golf on a global level. Mickelson explained his universal vision and how it will affect the future of golf. He said, “I think it’s going to inspire more golf courses, inspire more manufacturers selling clubs and equipment, but also inspiring young kids to try to play golf professionally.” 

His partner for the press conference at Sentosa Golf Club, DeChambeau, also shared his thoughts on LIV Golf’s future, which many in the golf world believed wouldn’t exist. The 1-time major champ had three words to explain it in simple words. He said, “It’s going to be here, bigger, badder, and better than ever before.” Why did DeChambeau think that things would turn out for the better? Well, because of its teams and its growing rivalries.

The 30-year-old expressed that through the team championships, people will have an entertaining aspect to hold on to in a more traditional golf scene. He further added, as teams will win the team championships, “I think there’s going to be a lot of rivalries to be produced that you’ll see, and it’s stories to be told I think will be pretty insane over the next five to ten years.” 

Will LIV Golf turn out to be how these players have predicted, or the defectors regret their million-dollar choice? LIV Golf’s future remains uncertain, and it remains to see how things will turn out in the next 5 or 10 years.