“LIV Golf has made people a h*** lot of money” – PGA Tour veteran appreciative of LIV, says two tours can co-exist

LIV Golf’s hefty prize purse was among the top reasons why golfers defected to the series. Many golfers even publicly pointed out that the money tempted them to join the Saudi-backed league.

PGA Tour legend Lee Trevino has now reaffirmed the same and said that LIV’s paychecks are too good for golfers to turn down.

Speaking on Wednesday at a Lone Star Legends luncheon at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Lee Trevino said:

“I may not know much, but I know that LIV Golf has made people a h*** of a lot of money… I look at my friend Pat Perez who made $8 million this year and I think, I came along too early [in my career]. Not only the people who made money from LIV Golf but the $20 million dollars they will be playing for on the PGA Tour — everybody has made more money.”

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Lee Trevino said it's "wonderful" that players are earning big from LIV Golf

Lee Trevino has 29 PGA Tour titles and a half-dozen majors to his name. The golfer earned a sum of $3,478,328 throughout his career. In today’s terms, it seems less for a legendary golfer. The golfer has now addressed the same and said that LIV Golf’s rise and the PGA Tour’s own hefty bonus boosts have made it easier for modern-day golfers to earn.

The legendary golfer was respectful of the tours and the players while making comments on the paychecks. The golfer said that it was a good time to be an elite professional golfer. He also named LIV golfer Pat Perez as an example to make his point.

The veteran golfer also went on to name others like Harold Varner, who chose LIV's paycheck. He said that it felt “gratifying” to see players from humble upbringings like him make money off such a move in the sport.

He added:

“I think that’s wonderful. I do. I can’t answer what would have happened if I had that. I don’t know… I devoted my entire life to the game, day and night. I still hit balls daily or practice 1,000 putts on my carpet at home, still play some. I had nothing else to fall back on.”

It is pertinent to note that Lee Trevino wasn’t always sure about the golfers’ move to LIV Golf. Speaking to golf instructor Michael Breed on his SiriusXM show, Trevino had earlier expressed his doubts over the rebel series. The veteran questioned LIV’s long-term prospects.

Speaking to Breed on his show during the onset of LIV Golf, Trevino had said:

“I don’t think it’ll last. Eventually the sails, I think, are going to break on that ship.”

However, he has now accepted the series and even compared its growth to that of the PGA Tour back in the 1960s. Unlike other PGA Tour pros like Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Trevino said that the two tours can coexist. He said that the PGA Tour didn’t lose its audience due to LIV and that it was fine to have two significant sets of fanbases.

However, Trevino said that he didn’t tune in to watch the controversial rebel series as it was streamed on YouTube. The ace golfer said that he uses a flip phone and it is hard for him to navigate through modern technology.