Will the PGA Tour suffer due to the LIV Golf Invitational Series?

The world of golf is seemingly at war. The LIV Golf Invitational Series has moved away from being the stuff of rumor and speculation to being very real, and it is something that will see some of the top names in golf play in one of the most controversial new tournaments created in decades. So, will the PGA Tour suffer? What will be the likely consequences?

The gambling industry’s continued growth helps to ensure that top sports continue to thrive. For instance, there are still more people looking for NFL betting odds, NBA form and golf betting markets than there have been before in the US, as more and more states have introduced sportsbook gambling. This could mean more revenue going into the sports and into local economies.

So, the PGA is not likely to find their tour short of spectators or short of money any time soon, but they have still gone to war with the Saudi-backed tournament.

What is the LIV Golf Invitational?

Recent episodes of the Golf Unfiltered podcast have focused more on answering some of the questions golf fans have after seeing more headlines about the LIV tournament.

LIV Golf is a new organization that is fronted by Greg Norman, former world number one golfer. The golfer is CEO of LIV Golf Investments, a company set up to build new sports events and Asian tour events in the world of golf.

The source of the funds is Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which is also where the money came from to fund the recent takeover of Newcastle football club.

They are putting billions of dollars into recruiting some of the best talent in the sport, and aim to create a calendar of 14 events in the next few years. This could be seen as being in direct competition to the PGA Tour.

The controversy attached to the series comes from the source of these funds, which is linked to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has been accused of being involved in the killing of a journalist who was in opposition to the regime.

Current players shifting to the sport

Bryson DeChambeau recently became one of the biggest names to move over to the sport, and is the most discussed player to move over and make a controversial decision to join the tour.

One of the reasons this is so controversial is that it is a divisive move. The PGA Tour has made its stance perfectly clear, dishing out suspensions to everyone who signs up to play at the tournament.

This means that a player at the top of his game, who won the Open back in 2020, is moving to become the poster boy of the Saudi-backed tournament rather than staying loyal to the PGA Tour.

Losing some of the biggest names to play in the sport will, of course, be a blow to the PGA Tour, but they have made their stance perfectly clear to the players.

Not everyone is in agreement with the decision to ban the players. Ian Poulter, one of the British golf stars to sign up to be involved, lamented the decision:

“I didn’t resign my membership because I don’t feel I have done anything wrong. I have played all over the world for 25 years. This is no different, I am committed to playing around the world like I have done for so many years so it is a shame if they view this as different.”

The money on offer for the players is undeniably one of the biggest attractions.

The series will have seven tournaments in the year, some in the US, but also one in Saudi Arabia and one in Thailand. All of them have a $25m purse to be split among the players who take part. Many players also have certain deals to guarantee them income during the time they are involved.

The $25m prize fund means that they will earn more than they would at any PGA Tour event.

The tournament is a little different, too, and it remains to be seen whether this might change the way that people see the sport. The players will tee off together at the same time, but on different holes, which is one of the ways the event is designed to be more exciting, and it also involves a team competition with captains.

It remains to be seen whether the event will have a huge impact on the PGA Tour, but it is clear that many of the players will have to choose where their allegiance is.