The LIV Golf series, which currently has the sport split in two, and with tons of controversy all around, has now two more players who have signed up for the tour: Cameron Smith and Joaquin Nieman. During a press conference Jay Monahan, commissioner of the PGA Tour said: “…every player has a choice, and I respect their choice, but they’ve made it. We’ve made ours. We’re going to continue to focus on the things that we control and get stronger and stronger. I think they understand that.”
The gap grows
The gap between those who have decided to stick to the PGA Tour and those who have chosen to sign up with the LIV Golf Series is both easy to spot and growing larger by the day. In fact, a great deal of controversy has come from feelings of perceived betrayal; such as that of Donald Trump, whom earlier this year compromised to provide his golf fields to the event, mainly in an attempt to return his golf business to the public eye; something which angered many, due to the oddity of an ex-US president supporting such a big Saudi Arabian sponsored venture.
Others are rather angered because figures such as Henrik Stenson had already big compromises; he had the captaincy spot for the Ryder Cup Europe before a rather shocking official announcement was made, saying “In light of decisions made by Henrik in relation to his personal circumstances, it has become clear that he will not be able to fulfill certain contractual obligations to Ryder Cup Europe that he had committed to prior to his announcement as Captain on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, and it is therefore not possible for him to continue in the role of Captain.”
A war like any other
Just like the movie “Captain America: Civil War” where the fictional Avengers were split into two factions, many are talking about a “Golf World: Civil War”; this is especially true among those players who have stuck with the PGA Tour and those who have switched to the LIV Tour. And the core reason is a rather simple one really, Cameron Smith said it himself “[Money] was definitely a factor in making that decision, I won’t ignore that or say that wasn’t a reason,” He also added: “…an offer I couldn’t ignore.”
For starters, the league prize has a fund of 336 million pounds. And, an interesting little titbit is that Tiger Woods was offered around 700 to 800 million US dollars to join the LIV Series, an offer that he respectfully rejected, as Greg Norman Liv Golf Investments CEO would later confirm. Meanwhile, Smith’s signing fee for joining was reported to be 143 million US dollars and Joaquin Nieman’s fee has been reported to be 100 million US dollars.
So, it’s clear to see how the abundance of nine-figure checks has been able to sway so many players from one side to another. Figures so enticing, that we mortals have only ever seen within the top casino bonuses and dream about getting them.
Overall, as the vast majority of fans see so many players abandoning their agreements or jumping in on the opportunity with little hesitation, it is easy to understand why it’s being perceived as everyone just answering the siren call of the coin.
It looks especially bad, due to the fact that many of those joining in had already established plans and arrangements which they are suddenly dropping, sometimes with little explanation, instead of sticking with their compromises.