I’ve been in the professional golf game for a very long time and have seen pretty much everything. However, one thing we all worry about is money. In the early days, it was working in bars and supermarkets to fund your ferry trip and entry fee. Back then, the prize money wasn’t life-changing, and making the cut didn’t mean you covered your costs.
As the professional game evolved, so did the money, but the costs also increased for the pros. Full-time caddies, hotels, and flights meant players needed to earn more to break even for the year, and guarding a paycheck out on the course was your main priority. Taking on tough pins coming down the stretch to win a tournament was risky business. Unless you were Tiger Woods or part of golf’s elite, where money did not matter and it was all about the win, players had to balance the financial risk versus reward.
This all changed when LIV Golf came on board. Players were not just concerned about the money but also their future if they became injured. It’s easy to think that the millions will keep on rolling in, but all it takes is one freak injury from a bad lie or a slip at home, and your career could be over. You can understand why the players joined LIV Golf as it protected their futures while also giving them a carefree attitude on the course.
This shift is best illustrated by seeing Richard Bland and Bryson DeChambeau winning majors and topping leaderboards. Bland obviously has the game, but like most journeyman pros, he was under financial pressure. Signing with LIV took that pressure off, and just look at how he has performed against some of the greatest players in the world. You could argue that Bryson was under no financial pressure before signing with LIV, as he was a multi-millionaire major champion at the peak of his game. However, Bryson is moving the needle at a different level and using his freedom to build a brand with LIV.
He is hot property, and being a team owner of the Crushers, he sees a path similar to Michael Jordan and other leading sports stars who built a brand around themselves. Bryson’s following is a young audience, and sponsors are keen to get involved. He’s a smart guy on the course and equally smart off it. It’s a shame he didn’t get picked for the Olympics, but he will just be focusing, like the other elite players, on winning The Open at Troon later this month.
I’ve been asked what sort of player will suit the challenging Troon links, and my reply is Stenson in 2016. That was one of the best performances I’ve seen at an Open, and I’ve seen a few. The battle with Mickelson was something special and one that would be hard to top.
I just hope that whatever gets sorted out between the Tour and LIV Golf happens sooner rather than later, as we need to get the best teeing it up against each other at the majors. I know the game is all about bringing young talent through the ranks, but it would also be great to see the likes of Westwood, Poulter, and Stenson in action again in Dubai and other DP World Tour events.
I will hopefully be back in the UAE later in the year if Victor Perez defends his Abu Dhabi Championship title at Yas Links. Despite being injured for the opening part of this season, it’s great to see his hard work starting to pay off.
He might reside in the Bahamas at the moment, but he’s lived in and around Dundee for a number of years and knows that golfing part of the world well, which he showed by winning the Alfred Dunhill in 2019. Hopefully, his form and knowledge of Scottish links will stand him in good stead for the Scottish Open at Renaissance and the following week at Royal Troon.
Everyone will have their eyes on the big names during those two weeks, but you have to have an open mind these days. These young college players have the game and aren’t scared of the names anymore. Scottie Scheffler might have the Tiger stats in terms of victories this season, but he doesn’t bring that Tiger fear to the field. Just look at Miles Russell on the PGA Tour, just 15 and nearly making the cut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic!
The only thing these young players need to be wary of is themselves. I’m hearing about more and more youngsters getting injured at college while lifting weights. Being young, they are training more for their ego and aesthetics than lifting to benefit their game. Bryson went through that stage of training like a powerlifter, but look at him now; he’s leaner and preserving his body. n
