LIV free and die hard

Well, it looks as if the globe-trotting days of LIV Golf may be coming to an end.  Rumours suggest that the Saudi-backed PIF (Public Investment Fund) is set to pull the plug at the end of the ongoing campaign.  The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is said to have accelerated this decision, with PIF looking for more strategically advantageous ways to appropriate their funds.  So, ironically enough, golfing enthusiast Donald Trump may end up being the man most responsible for bringing LIV to its knees.  I guess it’s about time he did something right. 

All jokes aside, this is going to be a fascinating time for golf.  LIV CEO Scott O’Neill all but confirmed the news in a social media post that was hastily taken down just as soon as it was posted.  The LIV ship is sinking, and players will need to find new- or old- homes.  I thought it would be an interesting time to look at a few of LIV’s key players and predict their likely trajectory should LIV collapse.  Koepka and Reed knew the writing was on the wall, accepting the olive branch that was the Returning Member Program.  They had to accept certain penalties and conditions to manoeuvre their way back on tour (Koepka has come straight back to America while Reed is cutting his teeth on the DP World Tour till August).  How are the traditional tours- bulwarks against money-grabbing expansionists like LIV- going to treat the guys who rejected the olive branch?  I think it’s going to be a case of apples and oranges.

The Big Dawg- Bryson DeChambeau

Let’s be honest, Bryson is probably the only reason that LIV has survived for as long as it has.  That’s not to discredit the brilliance of Rahm (who just added that title in Mexico City).  But DeChambeau is probably the most visible player in the world outside of Rory McIlroy, moving the needle with every appearance.  It will be within the PGA Tour’s best interests to get that kind of box-office back into their ranks.  So, if offered a similar deal with more penalties, what do I think Bryson would do?  Some have suggested that he may focus fulltime on his uber-successful YouTube career.  DeChambeau has been a pioneer amongst the professional flock, amassing over two million followers while still at the very peak of his playing power.  I personally think that Bryson is too much of a competitive animal to stay away from the game.  Given his power of personality, I think that his transition back to the PGA Tour would be seamless.

The Live Wire- Jon Rahm

Rahm is going to probably be more complicated.  The current LIV individual points leader isn’t going to take kindly to any penalties or conditions (as evidenced in his longstanding battle with the DP World Tour over fines).  Look, Rahm wants to play in the majors and doesn’t want to jeopardize his world ranking position: he will return to the PGA Tour in some way or another.  I just think that it may take a little longer and look a little uglier than DeChambeau’s transition.  Oh, and on a sidenote, I don’t think that anyone benefits from these guys going to the Korn Ferry Tour to earn their place back on tour (a route favoured by the likes of Tom Watson).  While it scratches a certain sadistic itch, it would also demoralize all the guys- whether they are youngsters or journeymen- looking to make the jump back up to the tour proper.  The need to humiliate the returning players would just result in humiliation for those they compete against. 

Other notable names

I think that Tyrell Hatton won’t find it too hard to get back into swing of things.  He has flirted with majors over the past few years, storming into contention at the recent Masters with a brilliant Sunday surge.  Hatton is a firebrand who brings something of value to the league.  Joaquin Niemann is an entirely different story.  The Chilean tee-to-green dynamo has left little to no footprint on the major championship roster.  Also, watching him is about as exciting as championship flyfishing (no offence to the flyfishing aficionados amongst us).  I just don’t think that the PGA Tour is going to be falling all over themselves to reacquire his signature (perhaps a little time on the Latin American tour could help pave the way to re-entry). 

The wayward Aussie

I also think that Cameron Smith is going to struggle to get back on tour.  He was the first reigning major champ to jump ship, leaving with little to no regard for the gravity of his move.  His game has suffered since moving to that glorified exhibition circuit (he has missed his last six major cuts).  I was shocked to discover that the PGA Tour had granted Smith a one-time ‘take it or leave it’ offer to return.  That is going to haunt the laconic Aussie.  Honestly, I don’t think it will matter much to him.  Smith doesn’t seem overly burdened with his place in the golfing pantheon.  Regardless of what happens, he has got the bag and this has been a fantastic success for him. 

The wildcards- Anthony Kim, DJ and Phil

These are three guys who could still command the attention of galleries.  I think that the emotion of the whole Anthony Kim saga is impossible to ignore.  Perhaps he may have to grind it out on the Korn Ferry Tour (and perhaps that’s fair).  DJ is an interesting one.  He is far from the player he was when he left the tour and has lost some of his Mr. USA aura to the likes of DeChambeau and Scheffler.  I honestly don’t even know what to predict with DJ.  Unfortunately, this could spell the end of Phil Mickelson’s storied career.  I personally feel like he should have hung up the clubs after that barely believable 2021 PGA Championship win.  But he has soldiered on, becoming increasingly irrelevant while alienating people with outlandish statements and silly feuds.  It’s hard to see how old lefty gets reintegrated into the fabric of the modern tour.