We are within a couple of weeks of The Masters – the Holy Grail of golf to me – and it seems like golf is in the news more than usual, but for all the wrong reasons.
Phil Mickelson makes some ill-advised comments regarding the Saudi-backed golf league, loses most of his sponsors, takes a leave from the game and now is not playing in The Masters.
The LIV Golf Invitational Series – one of the new golf leagues that have been announced – made news that it will have its debut in June at a course near London.
The Premier Golf League (PGL) tried to get in the conversation as well by launching a campaign on social media that, ‘hey, we are still around as well.’
Interesting times to be sure.
First, let’s look at Mickelson. His announcement that he is not playing in The Masters came with no reason and when that happens, speculation will run rampant. Did The Masters committee dis-invite the former champion from playing in the tournament?
If they did, you could hardly fault them. They want each Masters to be about golf in the moment at hand. Mickelson shows up there this year and it will be all about Phil, which is something that will not sit well with the Green Jackets.
Did Mickelson realize this and decided not to play? Once again, we do not know. All we do know is no Mickelson and that’s a loss for the sport. Like him or not – and plenty do – it will be weird not seeing Lefty teeing in up at Augusta. I believe it to be the right move no matter who made the decision, but it is sad to see it happen.
Now, look at the two proposed new high-money, limited field, golf series.
The PGL is dead in the water, and for the most part I think the LIV is as well.
Both groups took the wrong approach. There should have been meetings with the PGA Tour before either were ever announced.
To be blunt, without the blessing of the PGA Tour, they are not going to succeed. If they did indeed meet and the PGA Tour was against the plan, they were foolish to move forward. One big problem with the LIV is that even with obscene amounts of money being planned for the purses, they have struggled to get any of the top-tier, currently relevant players to officially commit.
A number of the top ranked players have publicly announced their support for the PGA Tour. Whether it’s the possible banning from the four majors, as well as the team competitions, the bottom line is these players are doing just fine financially on the PGA Tour so why rock the boat?
To me, the other big problem for the LIV is Greg Norman, who appears to be at the helm. Norman is extremely arrogant and his threatening tone he takes with the PGA Tour about the LIV is not winning any favors with the players. His latest proclamation that the LIV is not going away is a true sign of his inflated ego.
It seems like most players who have expressed interest in the LIV proposals are players that are on the back nine of their careers. If they charge ahead with the plan, it appears the LIV will end up with fading pros and a slew of minor league golfers playing for millions.
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour will cruise along with great fields, great TV contracts, and will still have the moniker of the best golf tour on the planet.
Personally, I can’t wait for the Masters because with the control The Masters committee has over what’s broadcast, it is going to be an enjoyable four days without the off-course drama.
Hopefully by the end of this year, the LIV and PGL will be in our review mirrors and Norman can go back to whatever it is he does the rest of the year.
By Dennis Miller