The LIV Golf League recently gathered most of its players in Miami for a “Teams Week,” focusing on promotional activities and preparations for the upcoming season, starting in just two weeks. This low-key event brought some news, including the official announcement of Matt Jones rejoining the all-Australian Ripper team.
While not officially announced but now widely known, LIV Golf is introducing a 13th team this season, led by Jon Rahm and named Legion XIII. Rahm subtly promoted the team while appearing on The Jim Rome Show, sporting a team logo hat. Simultaneously, Phil Mickelson made an appearance with Pat McAfee, among other media engagements for various players.
There’s a strong belief among those involved with LIV Golf that it’s here to stay and that an agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf’s Saudi Arabian backers is both important and within reach.
Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 U.S. Open champion and captain of the Crushers team, is particularly optimistic about LIV Golf’s future and the reunification of the golf world. He echoed Rory McIlroy’s sentiment that the golf community needs to find a way to coexist and floated the idea of adding a team element to PGA Tour’s elite events.
DeChambeau acknowledges the complications in the PGA Tour-LIV divide, attributing some issues to ego clashes. He is among those who hope for a resolution that allows the best players to compete together again. Although understanding the PGA Tour’s stance, he expressed a desire to support and play in PGA Tour events alongside LIV Golf tournaments.
The path to reconciliation remains complex, with questions about PGA Tour Enterprises, how the best players can compete across both tours, and how to balance the PGA Tour’s identity with LIV Golf’s existence.
DeChambeau sees potential in integrating a team dynamic to the sport, believing it could attract new fans and create additional revenue streams. This concept, he argues, could bring a new dimension to the sport, akin to Tiger Woods’ individual impact but on a team level.
To align both sides, compromise is necessary, possibly involving a shared event system between the tours. This could mean adjusting the number of required events for both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to make schedules feasible for top players. Currently, the combined total of 15 PGA Tour events and 14 LIV Golf events seems unmanageable for most.
DeChambeau acknowledges the complexity of integrating schedules and gaining approval from all involved parties. He remains curious about the future integration of LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, emphasizing LIV Golf’s stability and long-term agreements extending beyond 2030.
In his view, both LIV Golf and the PGA Tour will continue to exist, but how they merge remains uncertain. DeChambeau believes in a solution that respects the interests of all players and stakeholders, ensuring a cohesive and prosperous future for the sport of golf.
