\nThe idea, going back years, in establishing an alternative to the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour was to attempt to bring the best players in the world together more frequently.<\/p>\n
Greg Norman, the commissioner of the LIV Golf Series and CEO of LIV Golf Investments, has consistently described his efforts as \u201cadditive, ” meaning he saw a way – and still does – for PGA Tour players to compete in both arenas.<\/p>\n
But PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan made it clear Thursday in his memo to players that there would be no common ground. He said that all 17 PGA Tour members in the LIV Golf field were suspended and no longer eligible for PGA Tour tournament play. He noted that those who join in the future would be subject to the same penalties, which would include Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Pat Perez, who signed on in the past week.<\/p>\n
That means we should not expect to see all the best players in any events other than the major championships. Monahan also said that the decision will include all tours sanctioned by the PGA Tour, as well as the Presidents Cup. Monahan wrote that the players \u201cdid not receive the necessary event and media rights releases ” and that participating is\u201c in violation of our Tournament Regulations. ”<\/p>\n\nNorman countered that the Tour was being \u201cvindictive ” and that\u201c this is certainly not the last word on the topic. The era of free agency is beginning. ”<\/p>\n
Norman said in an interview with SI.com\/Morning Read on Saturday that LIV Golf is prepared to back players financially if there are lawsuits. \u201cWe will backstop them, ” he said. Several players, including Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia, have resigned their PGA Tour memberships, saying they do not want to be involved in any legal action and simply prefer to walk away. Phil Mickelson is keeping his PGA Tour status because he believes his lifetime membership of him should prevail.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNext is the US Open, where the year’s third major championship begins Thursday at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., The specter of this rival league hovering over the proceedings as several players who were in England will be competing in the tournament.<\/p>\n
This suggests some messy, awkward, volatile times ahead, with no crystal ball to determine in the outcome. A few topics to consider as to how this might impact various aspects of the game.<\/p>\n
Major Championships<\/h2>\n The USGA released a statement last week in which it said it will not prohibit players from competing in the US Open due to their affiliation with the LIV Golf Invitational Series.<\/p>\n\n\u201cWe pride ourselves in being the most open championship in the world and the players who have earned the right to compete in this year’s championship, both via exemption and qualifying, will have the opportunity to do so, ” the USGA said. “Our field criteria were set prior to entries opening earlier this year and it’s not appropriate, nor fair to competitors, to change criteria once established.”<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe R&A has not commented but it is expected that next month’s British Open will operate in the same manner. The question is if either organization will change its criteria for those competing in the LIV series to make it more difficult to qualify.<\/p>\n
Then there is the Masters and the PGA Championship. The Masters is an invitational that has changed its qualifying criteria many times over the years but has always invited its past champions to compete – except for an awkward time in the early 2000s when chairman Hootie Johnson sent \u201ca letter ” to aging past champions suggesting they no long compete. That idea was eventually dropped.<\/p>\n
Would the Masters go down the road of not inviting past champions who are involved in LIV Golf? That list includes Johnson, Garcia, Phil Mickelson, Charl Schwartzel and Patrick Reed – who was announced as the latest to join on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve definitely talked to them but you’re going to have to ask somebody from the Masters, ” Johnson said. “I can’t comment on anything they have said. ”<\/p>\n\nAt the Masters, chairman Fred Ridley said the tournament did not \u201cdis-invite ” past champion Mickelson, who elected not to play. But when asked about the potential for the rival leagues, he said. “We have been pretty clear in our belief that the world tours have done a great job in promoting the game over the years. Beyond that, there’s so much that we don’t know about what might happen or could happen that I just don’t think I could say much more beyond that. “<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe PGA of America is probably the most closely-aligned major organization with the PGA Tour. The two organizations have worked together in recent years to change the FedEx Cup schedule. Aside from the Official World Golf Rankings and exemptions given to major winners, the PGA Championship field is very heavily skewed toward PGA Tour players.<\/p>\n\nScroll to Continue<\/span><\/p>\n