LIV Golf is currently in its third season, after they convinced many high-profile names to leave the PGA Tour back in the summer of 2022.
The golfing world was rocked three years ago when the likes of two-time US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, six-time major champion Phil Mickelson and 24-time PGA Tour winner Dustin Johnson jumped ship from the PGA Tour to link up with LIV Golf.
Numerous other big names soon followed, including 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith and two-time major winner Jon Rahm.
Since then, talks have been ongoing about a deal that would facilitate the two tours operating in tandem with one another.
That said, it was recently claimed that a merger between LIV and the PGA Tour will ‘never happen’.
However, the amicable relationship between LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil and PGA Tour chief Brian Rolapp is expected to help negotiations reach a positive conclusion.
LIV has received heavy criticism from some sections of the media, and golf fans alike. Perhaps some of that condemnation has been slightly unfair though.
Many golf fans told what they have got completely wrong about LIV players
There is undoubtedly a continual push from those involved with LIV to promote the product on offer.
One of the main criticisms of LIV is that the majority of players on the Saudi-backed golf league have no hunger, having made the move purely to line their pockets.
Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
However, whether you like it or not, it seems that LIV Golf as an entity is not going anywhere.
CEO Scott O’Neil sat down to speak with Rick Shiels on his YouTube channel, and insisted that every single player on the tour is hungry to achieve success.
O’Neil said: “Adrian Meronk won and I won’t say the player but when these guys come off, they look so calm and cool on the course but the energy and competitive juices are flowing. There was some energy that I had not anticipated.
“I always considered golfers just wonderful gentleman and they are. But seeing these guys compete and work, how hard they work. Everywhere we go we build a performance centre and seeing these guys work on their bodies and what they eat. Seeing how they work on the range. That stuff to me was inspiring and enlightening.“
He was then asked what his message would be to LIV’s naysayers.
The LIV CEO responded by saying: “They should come out. They should just come see us. I had a caddie meeting and we ate wings and nachos just to take Q&A. And one of the caddies was new and he grabbed me and said, ‘hey Scottie you got a minute’? He said, ‘you know it’s not true’. And I was thinking is this something I said? And he said that the guys don’t care.
“I said I know, these guys are competitive animals. These guys would compete to see who could walk out the door first. They have competitive craziness.
“They also said they don’t work. I said these guys are as hard working athletes as I have ever seen. I have been around athletes from every sport. These guys work their tails off.“
What is holding up a LIV / PGA Tour merger?
According to Matt Kuchar, there is one main sticking point preventing a deal from happening.
Golfweek reported last week that Kuchar suggested that LIV’s insistence on including the team competition in any deal is proving to be a major obstacle to a merger from happening.
“Kuchar said he followed up with a LIV question and was told that the two sides are at loggerheads with no resolution in sight. The Tour refuses to capitulate on certain matters, especially Yasir Al-Rumayyan’s obsession with the team concept and his refusal to budge on having it be a future component as part of any deal.“
Then Golfweek shared a direct quote from Kuchar. The nine-time PGA Tour winner said: “I don’t think it’s any breaking news that the talks have gone silent. They said we’re still open to negotiations.“
The positive thing here is that it seems like LIV and the PGA Tour are at least involved in continual dialogue.
And if healthy, balanced discussion continues, there may well be a happy ending for all parties involved.