Question of the week [July 25-July 31]: The majors are a wrap for 2022, but there remains five months of golf to be played. What do you believe will be the biggest storylines for the remainder of this year?
We can only expect LIV Golf vs. the PGA Tour to remain in the headlines for some time to come, but also hope that the story becomes less rancorous and more one of how do they coexist. If — and it seems to be a big "if" for the PGA Tour — they can all look for a workable solution, it could make golf not only better for the short term, but also in the long run.
A compromise could consist of:
- Shared monies with the lesser PGA tournaments to attract players
- No more suspensions — let the players play where they want to (or qualify)
- Safeguard the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup
- Make the scheduling such that it’s not competitive between the PGA, DP, and Champions tours
- Change the LIV format — no shotgun starts; 50 players who would be ranked by points; no cuts still; either 54 or 72 holes
- Get the political aspect out of it. No more sponsor shaming, quit involving U.S. political figures, and the PGA Tour and its supporters — especially TV announcers — need to stop bad-mouthing LIV
This is just a start, but the PGA Tour should understand it is not doing themselves any favors with players or fans with their 'holier-than-thou’ take. Accept that my-way-or-the-highway doesn’t usually work out.
Ron Ariana
Chicago, Illinois
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As the FedEx Cup Playoffs are held, who moves from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf after elimination from the FedEx events? Examples: After the Wyndham Championship, will a player or two who misses the FedEx St. Jude Championship jump ship? Same after the BMW Championship and Tour Championship. Unfortunately, LIV will get headlines for accepting and paying mediocre professional golfers. The storyline should be who wins the FedEx Cup and how that person fits in the year-long race. So, maybe the big storyline will be who stays with PGA Tour despite the bribe money from Greg Norman and his oil rich friends.
Jim Pomeranz
Cary, North Carolina
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1. How will the Masters treat LIV Golf members next year. Will LIV members be invited to play? Will past champions be invited to the Tuesday dinner or will they have their own table?
2. How will the PGA Tour, USGA and R&A independently decide on whether LIV golfers receive official world golf ranking points?
Mark Kazich
Darien, Illinois
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LIV is offering pretty much guaranteed money to all players, win or lose. Should LIV ever get a TV contract, who in their right mind will want a watch a bunch of already well-off pros basically just play for show. Where the heck is the competition in that? How will we even know who is really trying when they are all financial winners before a match even starts. Trash golf. Think watching the new USFL ... another dud.
The PGA Tour may have created its own void for the creation of LIV, but the obscenity of the money involved has soured my and many of my friends interest in LIV and a good number of its players.
Clay McKay
Dundas, Ontario
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The story that will slowly appear will be the hypocrisy of the PGA Tour in expelling LIV Golf players.
It is OK for PGA Tour members to play in European Tour (now DP World Tour, whatever that means) events, Asian, Australian, South African Tour events, etc. But when some serious competition appears its does a turtle act and retreat into a shell. Professional golf is all about competition and the PGA Tour is foolish to run from it. Some lawyer is working on a lawsuit in the near future, I suspect.
Tom Curtin
Clifton, Virginia
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