The LIV Dilemma
Sportswashing. It’s not an easy term to describe nor a pleasant phenomenon to experience. It exposes the side of sports that we prefer to ignore; the shady underbelly of who really funds America’s favorite entertainment.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (with its $700M+ Public Investment Fund) has slowly integrated itself and become a household name in golf. June of 2022 marked a previously unfathomable split in professional golf; I distinctly remember seeing a video of Dustin Johnson at LIV’s first event in London, England, and being shocked. I grew up with a poster of DJ on my wall, and to me, a member of golf media’s youngest generation, it was shocking to see one of my heroes, who had won The Masters just a year and a half prior, go to the dark side.
This reaction was not uncommon—the media seemed to dispose of any LIV players; they had fallen off the professional scene in their eyes. In a flash, many of the game’s biggest stars were gone.
Many young golfers didn’t know what to think. I found myself among golfing friends who both hated LIV and loved it. Rory McIlroy’s strong anti-LIV sentiment appealed to me; he’s been my favorite golfer since I started following the sport at the age of 10.
The allure of redemption stories is what often captivates fans and creates legends in sports. We've seen it with golf icons like Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth, who experienced slumps in their careers but fought their way back to the top, making their victories even more sweet and inspiring. These stories of resilience and overcoming adversity are an integral part of the PGA Tour's appeal.
However, the emergence of LIV Golf raises questions about whether we will witness similar redemption stories in this new golfing landscape. The very nature of LIV Golf, with its exclusive and closed-door structure, makes it nearly impossible for players to experience the same kind of setbacks that lead to a redemption arc. In the PGA Tour, golfers can lose their status, face the pressure of qualifying for events, and fight their way through various challenges to reclaim their former glory. To me, the struggle is part of what makes the victories meaningful and the journey compelling.
In contrast, LIV Golf players, backed by substantial financial support, won't face the same career-threatening obstacles. They won't be playing to get into events or battling to regain their status because their position in the league is virtually guaranteed. This lack of inherent adversity diminishes the potential for redemption stories that have long been a driving force behind the emotional connection fans feel toward their favorite players.
While it's tempting to dismiss LIV Golf entirely, it's essential to acknowledge that it does bring some positives to the table. It certainly has a more global aspect; whereas the PGA Tour almost exclusively plays tournaments in America (aside from the annual Mexico, Scottish, and British Opens), LIV has a regular rotation of venues that includes Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Spain, among others.
It’s about competitiveness in my view, and a legitimate hierarchal system that offers exemptions only to those who actually deserve it. Few would dispute that Rory McIlroy, with his 20+ PGA Tour victories, deserves a lifetime exemption into tour events. It’s unclear, however, whether Pat Perez, with his 3 PGA Tour wins, can ever play himself off of the high-paying LIV circuit.
To me, the recent $3 Billion PGA Tour agreement with Strategic Sports Group signifies that this civil war will not come to an end anytime soon. With leaders like McIlroy changing their tune about players’ decisions to take the LIV money, the future of golf is as up in the air as ever. With the advent of the Full Swing Netflix program, pro golf has literally become a series of dramatic plot twists. It’s quite exciting to just sit back and enjoy the show.