Story By: Erin Zollars
File Photos By: Sol Tucker
Boston, MA–
As we sit back with a cool breeze from the Boston Harbor this week, so much to see around you, one has to sit back and wonder if the LIV Golf tour has changed the landscape of golf as we know it? At a minimum, it has ruffled feathers of the PGA and perhaps the LPGA if they were to expand to add those players as well.
Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA, said in a pre-tournament press conference Wednesday at The Country Club that he could see the organization considering ways in the future to make it more difficult for LIV Golf players to compete in the U.S. Open.
“Could I foresee a day? Yeah,’’ Whan said. “Do I know what that day looks like? I don’t. What we’re talking about (with LIV Golf)) was different two years ago and it was different months ago than it is today.
“We’ve been doing this for 127 years. So, I think we need to take a long-term view of this and see kind of where things go. It’s not going to be a knee-jerk reaction. The question was, could you envision a day where it’d be harder for some folks doing different things to get into a U.S. Open? I could. I don’t know, but I could definitely foresee that day.’’
So, do players choose money over a tour that has been around for years? Perhaps some will completely opt out and other will stay loyal to the PGA. Does it come down to sponsorship monies being increased to increase the odds that guys will deflect to playing less golf on the LIV and enjoying more of their family time off the course? Stay tuned, each day it gets quite a bit more interesting.
