Be Greatful to LIV Golf! 08:30, 21/07/2022

The birth of a new golf arena

Obeying the laws of nature, before being born, you must conceive. The idea of a super-competitive system for golf was certainly conceived in the mind of more than one person, and not just for a few years. But in order to declare its birth, it must converge the basic factors to be on par with the "big fish" PGA Tour: the financial source must be large and sustainable; the number of tournaments must be enough, the competition format must be challenging, attractive, new and diverse; prestige and reputation of the organizer in the world golf industry.

In 2019, there were negotiations with the financiers of Saudi Arabia to form a new golf arena, called the Premier Golf League (PGL). Immediately, the PGA Tour had a protective reaction when it announced that participants in the Premier Golf League arena would not be able to participate in the PGA Tour. On the other hand, in order to strengthen membership, in 2020 the PGA Tour and the European Tour will form a "strategic alliance" to work together to find commercial opportunities, set up prize funds and schedule competitions. for members of their competition system. The Premier Golf League, which had not yet been born, was fiercely attacked.

But the survival law of creation, in addition to mutual destruction, must have new life arise to ensure that life is continuously continued and expanded. So even if the Premier Golf League has not yet formed, a new super golf arena must appear in some way. Right in 2020, Golf Saudi (a division of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund) agreed to sponsor another new super golf arena, the Super Golf League. And in October 2021 Super Golf League was born under the name LIV Golf Investments.

The CEO of LIV Golf Investments is Greg Norman - a legend with 91 professional victories including 2 majors and 20 PGA Tour titles, as well as a famous golf course designer. The name Greg Norman is enough to ensure that LIV Golf will be held on a professional level with attractive and challenging formats.

LIV Golf vs PGA Tour: Fascinating and Different

On March 17, 2022 Greg Norman announced the schedule of the LIV Golf Invitational Series arena for the first 8 tournaments. It was "a great thunder rumbling in the golf sky". The total prize money for only 8 tournaments is up to 255 million USD – equivalent to the average total prize money per year of the PGA Tour (with about 30-40 tournaments). The prize money and competition format are extremely attractive and very different from the PGA Tour.

The outstanding financial advantages of LIV Golf over the PGA Tour are clear:

+ The champion earns a huge prize money, nearly double the prize of the majors. And it is even bigger if the champion wins the team tournament.

+ The top 5 positions have the same amount of money as the winners of 5 PGA Tour tournaments.

+ All golfers participating in LIV Golf have a minimum bonus of 120,000 USD - unlike the PGA Tour when about half of the 156 golfers who do not pass the cut will gain nothing.

+ Shockingly, the top three places of the first 7 tournaments will receive a "huge" prize money: 18.000.000 USD (first), 8.000.000 USD (second), 4.000.000 USD (third).

+ The 8th event is a team tournament with a total prize money of up to 50.000.000 USD divided among all 12 participating teams. The winning team will receive 16.000.000 USD. The final team will receive 1.000.000 USD. Each golfer receives 25% of the team's total prize money.

PGA Tour's fierce resistance

LIV Golf's prize money is too attractive is the biggest reason for the fierce resistance of the PGA Tour. Because this will make the PGA Tour lose the top golfers, no longer have a unique position, it will affect the reputation and financial resources of the PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour has announced the removal from the PGA Tour of all golfers participating in LIV Golf, furthermore lobbied top golfers not to attend LIV Golf, and conducted media campaigns against LIV Golf and found earn new financial sources to increase prize money, open more tournaments to attract and keep top golfers on the PGA Tour.

The movement of the PGA Tour is so fierce that many famous golfers have turned against LIV Golf, against the natural development of golf, against the interests of the golf industry - including their own interests. To the legend Jack Nicklaus initially had a positive comment about LIV Golf, but then turned his back. Rory Mcllroy criticized LIV Golf and thought that LIV Golf would die prematurely, but then admitted he was wrong and respected the golfer's decision about the right to choose the golf arena. Resisting the PGA Tour to survive, in addition to the "huge" prize money for the tournament, many top stars who are members of the PGA Tour when playing at LIV Golf also receive a "huge" bribe, like Phil Mickelson (200.000.000 USD), Dustin Johnson (150.000.000 USD), Sergio Gacia, Lee Westwood, Patrick Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka…

Preventing golfers by removing members is not enough, conducting a media campaign against LIV Golf is not enough, PGA Tour must increase prize money and change the competition format to retain athletes. Recently, the PGA Tour announced its intention to promote a series of 8 tournaments to counterbalance LIV Golf. Each tournament also has prize money of 20,000,000 USD or more, for only 50 golfers, also no cuts. Thank you LIV Golf. Because LIV Golf forced the PGA Tour to change. Because LIV Golf makes Golf change for the better.

Unstoppable

Freedom to develop is the law of creation. Constantly improving is the law of creation. Competition for development is the law of creation. So the PGA Tour will not stop LIV Golf's progress. If LIV Golf cannot survive the competition with the PGA Tour then another arena will appear in the future. No organization can monopolize the development of golf.

Of course, because of the arrival of LIV Golf, the PGA Tour will have to renew itself, improve the quality of the tournaments, increase the attractiveness, thanks to the increase in prize money, increase in tournaments, and change the game format. But in the end, the PGA Tour will not be unique.

The most logical thing of the PGA Tour is to accept new opponents, to cooperate and develop together. It is the best route for golf. And that is also in the laws of golf development.

Any birth encounters resistance. But creation exists because of new births. Therefore, the surviving births are stronger than the resistance. The stronger the resistance, the longer it will survive.

LIV Golf is a new birth. Along with the famous golf stars coming to compete, the arena also carries a noble mission to create opportunities for “the unknown" to appear. It is at LIV Golf that will forge outstanding talents that have never been recognized.

Hopefully LIV Golf will overcome the resistance to survive for a long time. But in any case, whether it's a flash or a long burn, the world golf industry is grateful to LIV Golf.

• LIV Golf Investments (Super Golf League)
• Established: October 2021
• Sponsor: Golf Saudi
• Managing Director: Greg Norman
• LIV Golf Invitational Series season 2022
• Number of Tournament: 8
• Total prize money: 255,000,000 USD