It was a shame to see money matters being raised once more at the Ryder Cup, but players claiming they are not getting paid is just nonsense.
The American players all get $100,000 towards their personal charities, which is far from nothing, especially when all other costs are taken care of. Plus, it’s an honour to represent Europe or America. But that is the problem with the modern game. Honour has been overtaken by greed. Not just in the game of golf, but in life in general.
Tours around the world are offering unsustainable amounts of prize money and only the bottomless pockets of the Private Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia can afford to keep on signing the cheques.
You can never blame any sportsman or woman for going after the money, as playing professional sport is all about making a living. The better you become at any profession the more you are valued. LeBron James, Lewis Hamilton and Cristiano Ronaldo aren’t scrutinised for making vast sums. So, I have no idea why the lads on at LIV Golf are being criticised. Tyson Fury, Ronaldo, Formula One and countless others are paid millions by PIF so I don’t know why golf should be any different.
If you want to go deeper, understanding why PIF and the PGA TOUR are paying vast sums to players, you have to go back to the 1997 Masters when a young Tiger Woods demolished the best in the world. From that moment on golf would never be the same commercially and Tiger’s appeal moved the game on in the same way Michael Jordan evolved the value of basketball.
I don’t think money is the main issue in the game right now. Not having the best in the world competing against each other is damaging the game for everyone. Excluding Brooks and Smith no other LIV players are in the top 50. That just makes no sense and the only way this can get resolved is for the Tours to get around a table and work it out and work as one.
Who knows where PIF/ PGA TOUR/DP World Tour discussions are going to end up but right now there needs to be a way for the best in the world to compete against each other outside the Majors.
For many of these elite players money is not as important as playing competitive golf, especially for LIV members wanting to get match fit prior to the Majors.
What would happen if these players approached the promotors of the Dubai Desert Classic and offered any appearance or prize money to the Emirates Golf Federation to help grow the game at a grass roots level, or for local children’s charities.
Would other leading PGA TOUR and DP World Tour players where money is not an issue follow suit, it would be interesting to see what happens. It would certainly put players on the spot who claim that they are not playing for the money.
I know some might view that LIV players would be using that tactic to buy world ranking points, but for the likes of Bryson, DJ, Smith and Brooks they are not concerned about the rankings, as they are exempt to play in the Majors. This would just be a fair way to ensure they are competitive heading into the 2024 Masters.
Unless the best in the game can compete against each other to determine who is the best golfer in the world, it will become an opinion not a calculated fact.
I know those players will not be teeing it up at the DP World Tour Championship this month at Jumeirah Golf Estates but having the likes of Rahm, McIlroy, and Fitzpatrick in the field will make it a great event, as they know what it takes win on the Earth course.
Obviously, I’m going to be rooting for my players. Matt won the Alfred Dunhill Links last month and the last player of ours that did that was Danny Willett, and he went on to win the DP World Tour Championship, so let’s hope that plays out again. Or could Victor Perez end the year with another Rolex Series victory in the UAE? Either would be a great way to sign off the year for our team.
