ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Are we asking the right people what to do about LIV?
The joke among journalists is that when a player wins an event, they are suddenly tidy with special knowledge and have magical insight into any topic posed to them.
If they become world number 1, they are much smarter than anyone on Tour and their opinion is needed when writing on any golf related issue and sometimes even non-golf related topics.
The theory being that if they find a way to win a tournament, a major tournament or become world No. 1, they must have knowledge that the rest of the world lacks.
SO, when LIV Golf and Greg Norman became a problemreporters flocked to the players to get their views on all aspects of LIV Golf, the rebels who have defected and the general state of golf with the insurgent at the door.
What we haven’t seen is simply because Matt Fitzpatrick won the US Open Or World number 1 Scottie Scheffler wins the Masters or this world number 2 Rory McIlroy is not only proficient on the golf course with four major victories, but he is also a member of the PGA Tour Board of Directors, ensuring that each of these individuals has the special skills or knowledge needed to effectively tackle LIV issues.
Remember, ultimately this conflict is about money and power.and every player interviewed is a multi-millionaire, and while money remains an object for some, the players typically asked about LIV are more than financially set.
Popular must-read sources Tiger wood and McIlroy have generational wealth, so their opinions are also clouded by that fact.
Rather, questions should be directed to people who understand LIV Golf’s business issues within the golf ecosystem and, more specifically, the professional golf business model.
Someone with a business background, perhaps even a buyout specialist, would approach the issue dispassionately and without the emotional feeling that many golf players and executives come from.
Moral superiority would not be an issue for a business professional, and listening to R&A CEO Martin Slumbers at his annual press conference at the 150th Open Championship, it is clear that he is not concerned about money coming into the game.
It is important to remember that before joining the R&A, Slumbers was in business, working at Price Waterhouse, Salomon Brothers and Deutsche Bank, where he was global head of global business services.
“I’m very comfortable with the global growth of golf, with more and more people growing and the sport being a force for good, yes,” Slumbers responded when asked if he was comfortable with golf taking money from the Saudis.
In general, golfers are interested in the golf ecosystem and how it would be disrupted by a Saudi insurgency.
“My biggest concern about the ecosystem is that we spend millions of dollars every year, the profits from this championship, on grassroots and amateur golf, getting people to play the sport and play elite golf,” Slumbers said. “I can look into the eyes of any boy or any parent of that boy and know that, if he comes into the game and wants to get to the top, wants to play this game, there is a path to the top based entirely on his ability and his willingness to work hard.
“And our sport has been fighting for that for 100 years, that path from picking up a golf club to playing at the highest level. And I think that’s a fantastic thing about our sport. And I think it’s worth fighting for. And that path to me is the greatest part of the ecosystem.”
While this is an interesting snippet, it doesn’t really get to the heart of the controversy, which is ultimately money and the loss of power and control, whether around the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, USGA, Masters, R&A, or the PGA of America.
Woods made comments during his Tuesday press conference at the Open that called LIV Golf into question and its challenges.
Oddly, Woods’ issues centered around the ability of current players to access large sums of money, both signing bonuses and prize money, without working as hard.
“What these players are doing for guaranteed money, what’s the incentive to practice? » said Woods. “What’s the incentive to go out there and make money in the dirt? You just get paid a lot of money up front and you go to a few events and play 54 holes. They play loud music and have all these atmospheres that are different.” Woods also shared similar concerns as Slumbers regarding golf’s youth and how they have a crowded course.
While Slumbers and Woods’ concerns are laudable, they are emotional and not based in fact.
When asked if the ecosystem would be in jeopardy with Saudi involvement, Slumbers replied: “Maybe, let’s see how it develops.” »
No one can accurately predict what golf will look like with LIV Golf involved three years from now, but it will look a lot less positive if players in golf ecosystems don’t understand how (and if) LIV Golf can be part of the ecosystem.
Slumbers hinted he would take the money, as did Jack Nicklaus at a press conference at the Memorial Tournament, then McIlroy last week at the JP McManus Pro-Am – all believing the extra money to develop the game would be beneficial.
Anyone in business will agree that communication is essential and understanding what the other party wants is crucial to any successful negotiation.
With potential antitrust issues back on the PGA Tour’s plateworking towards a peaceful resolution with LIV Golf could become more important in keeping the Justice Department at bay.
Ultimately, golf is better when everyone is working from the same score, which means it’s time for a seasoned composer, with knowledge of problems that are not golf-related, but business-related, to sit down and solve those problems.
While I would listen for hours about how Woods hits a dart or Fitzpatrick hits the 9 iron on the 18th hole to win the US Open, I don’t think it’s prudent to listen to Justin Thomas or any other professional golfer about their LIV concerns, it’s just too far above their pay grade.
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