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My story originally appears on eSouthernGolf.com on 8/18/22
LIV -vs- PGA TOUR…A Timeout to Discuss the State of Golf
You can’t avoid the elephant in the room for very long. My hope in doing content for eSouthernGolf.com was to talk about the world of golf and avoid what has dominated the headlines for months. I had hoped to discuss everything but LIV and the battle that has ensued with the rest of professional golf. Today, I will share some of my thoughts and hopefully return to business-as-usual next week.
I know how this will sound to some, but in recent years I have rekindled a relationship with my childhood love of WWE. My kids always ask me, “Dad, don’t you know it’s not real?” My answer is always that I know it’s not real…The bumps they take in the ring are natural, and the athleticism is real, but the storylines are scripted. I love it for the entertainment value that I find in it.
Now, what does that have to do with golf is a question I’m sure you are asking…and that is if you have even made it this far. Well, in short, it seems that the longer this PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf rivalry has gone on, it has become more and more like the days of WWE vs. WCW. Unlike my fondness of WWE and its scripted storylines, what’s happening in professional golf is not something I enjoy right now.
The World of Professional Golf
What happens in the world of professional golf eventually trickles down into the golf business. What I mean by that is the part of the game that I work in…the recreational side…people playing the game for fun and recreation. My job as a PGA Professional is to be a “keeper of the game” and ensure that golfers enjoy the experiences they have while playing. The bulk of the last two decades has seen my role in golf as a coach and instructor and as somewhat of an ambassador of the game. Golf has always been something that I felt was good for kids to get into because of everything the game taught them about life in general. The game is an excellent tool for life. While I still believe this, it pains me to see what is currently happening in the world of professional golf. Even though there is a separation between the professional game and the industry and the game as a whole, the PGA Tour and the other professional tours drive interest. The stars of these tours become more significant than life personalities and even role models for kids and many adult fans. I fear what’s happening with this PGA Tour vs. LIV nonsense; with all this talk of gross amounts of money, lawsuits, rumors, etc., is that it is starting to put a strain on golf overall? It smells a lot like made-up WWE vs. WCW storylines, but, sadly, it’s real life and happening in a game that I love and have made a career in.
I hope this all resolves itself sooner than later for the good of the game. That, of course, seems a long way off at this point. Lastly, I want to say shame on you to those in the professional ranks who have made this all about money and have lost sight of what captured your imagination when you were a kid just starting to love the game. I get the fact that this is business for you now, but when in the big picture, money is no longer something you need to worry about, why do you still make it all about money?
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