'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABiAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAQMCBgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwECEQAEBQYSExQVByIxAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBEBAAEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQACAyEiE0Kx/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwCHeP7LEs22uZS4neiL14jnInHROQ4DNz3VHJ9RNNR4DcfuwjP3t43dY1+mVWNSTEzSlVWw4jHZ8Iva1gY1J//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
This year, golf experienced a heated civil war. The newly introduced and controversial LIV Golf series and the PGA Tour were at war with each other. And PGA Tour players Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy were at the forefront, fighting the battle for their league.
Greg Norman is the CEO and Commissioner of LIV Golf. Several big players, including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Sergio Garcia, among others, defected from the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed league.
"I disagree with it" - Tiger Woods on LIV Golf
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have been vocal with their criticism. In July, Woods didn't mince his words when talking about LIV Golf players "turning their backs" on the PGA Tour at the Open Championship in July.
Trending
"I just don’t understand it. I just don’t see how that move is positive in the long-term for a lot of these players. I disagree with it [the players’ decision to join LIV Golf]. I think that what they’ve done is they’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position."
Tiger Woods also defended the PGA Tour and talked about all the things that the league has done for golfers.
"What is the incentive to practice and earn it in the dirt? I know what the PGA Tour stands for and what we have done and what the Tour has given us, the ability to chase after our careers and to earn what we get and the trophies we have been able to play for and the history that has been a part of this game."
Tiger Woods said ahead of the Open Championship that Greg Norman had tried to do it in the 1990s but it hadn't worked then. He added that he didn't understand how LIV Golf was in the best interest of the game.
"I know Greg (Norman) tried to do this back in the early '90s. It didn't work then, and he's trying to make it work now. I still don't see how that's in the best interests of the game."
Tiger Woods said that he disagreed with it and talked about how young players are missing out on the opportunity to play in big events, probably the major tournaments.
"I disagree with it. Some players have never had a chance to even experience playing on one of the tours. They have gone right from the amateur ranks to that organisation and never really had a chance to feel what it is like to play a schedule or play in big events. Some of these players may not ever get a chance to play in major championships."
The biggest highlight of the controversial series is the humongous prize money and cash prizes offered to golfers. Tiger Woods talked about it:
"But what these players are doing for guaranteed money, what is the incentive to practice. You're just getting paid a lot of money up front and playing a few events and playing 54 holes. They're playing blaring music and have all these atmospheres that are different."
Another highlight of LIV Golf was the experimental format employed by the league. This drew ire from golf traditionalists. Tiger Woods also spoke on the format of the 54-hole events.
"I just don't see how, out of 54 holes – I can understand 54 holes is almost like a mandate when you get to the Senior Tour (PGA Tour Champions). The guys are little bit older and a little more banged up."
Tiger Woods added that this format was not good for golfers who directly joined the league after playing in amateur competitions.
"But when you're at this young age and some of these kids – they really are kids who have gone from amateur golf into that organization – 72-hole tests are part of it. We used to have 36-hole playoffs for major championships. That's how it used to be – 18-hole U.S. Open playoffs."
LIV Golf will be holding its second season in 2023, and Tiger Woods was asked about what needed to happen for the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to have an amicable relationship.
He answered:
"Greg (Norman) has to go, first of all. Then the litigation (legal action) against us (PGA Tour) and our counter-sue against them. And then we can talk, we can all talk freely."
"I hate what it (LIV Golf) is doing to the game of golf," - Rory McIlroy
Northern Irish player Rory McIlroy supported Tiger Woods in his views about having an amicable relationship between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.
He said in September:
"I’ve always said there’s a time and place where everyone involved needs to sit down and work together. It’s very hard to do that right now with court cases going on. There’s a natural timeline to let things settle down a little bit. People can go into those meetings with a cooler head. If they want to come to the table and try to play nicely within the sandbox that’s already created, the opportunity is there."
He said that he believed in the game of golf after winning the FedEx Cup in August.
"I believe in the game of golf. I believe in this tour, in particular. I believe in the players on this tour. It's the greatest place in the world to play golf, bar none, and I've played all over."
McIlroy added that he hated what LIV Golf was doing to golf.
"I hate what it (LIV Golf) is doing to the game of golf. I hate it, I really do. I feel strongly, I believe what I am saying are the right things and I think when you believe what you are saying are the right things, you are happy to stick your neck out on the line."
Several prominent players initially pledged their allegiance to the PGA Tour, but later jumped ship. Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson were among them. Rory McIlroy said that he was disappointed in these golfers.
He talked about it ahead of the US Open, according to The Mirror:
"I guess I took a lot of players’ statements at face value. I guess that’s what I got wrong. You had people committed to the PGA Tour, and that’s what the statements were that were put out. People went back on that. It’s disappointing. The players that are staying on the PGA Tour feel slighted in some way. If those guys thought outside of themselves, they would see this is not the best for everyone."
"My opinion is they (LIV golfers) shouldn’t be here," - Rory McIlroy on LIV Golf players taking part at BMW PGA Championship
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have been staunch supporters of the PGA Tour and have voiced their criticism against LIV Golf. They even called a meeting with fellow anti-LIV Golf players in Delaware ahead of the BMW PGA Championship, which resulted in changes on the PGA Tour.
LIV Golf players had participated in the BMW PGA Championship, which angered European players. McIlroy voiced his displeasure with this while speaking to Sky Sports.
"Look, my opinion is they (LIV golfers) shouldn’t be here. They have been paid a lot of money to go and play on a different tour that is trying to buy the game of professional golf, and they are taking places away from players who really need spots this week."
He was furious that these players had taken away places from other European players.
"This is a massive week on the European (DP World) Tour and there are guys that have missed out because of those players, that could have been in and could have kept their cards for next year and kept themselves in a job for next year. These guys don’t have to worry about that stuff."
LIV Golf doesn't have any Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) yet. Due to this, several participants took part in the tournament to earn those points. McIlroy talked about it.
"They are here because their tour does not get world ranking points and this tour does, so my opinion is they shouldn’t be here but the court ruling in July was they can be so until that gets rectified - or not rectified but more in depth - they can play as we can’t really do anything about it."
This has certainly been a dramatic year for golf.
