Golfers, scratched… A huge controversy just teed off in pro golf. Yesterday the PGA Tour suspended 17 golfers, including major champs Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, for competing in rival LIV Golf’s first tournament (now underway in London). The PGA also told remaining members they’d get booted if they left, driving a sand wedge between the sport’s most bankable stars:
Money talks… Saudi Arabia’s government funded the LIV with $400M, which led to accusations that the country is “sportswashing,” or using golf to boost its global image, despite a dismal human-rights record. With that kind of cash in play, the nonprofit PGA Tour could have trouble competing:
You can’t just buy superstars… You also need buy-in from their fans. Unlike other upstart sports leagues (think: the XFL), LIV has essentially bottomless financial resources. But so far it’s spending more cash on golfers than fans: the only places to watch Mickelson tee off today is online, since LIV hasn’t found a TV network partner yet. If LIV doesn’t make it easier for fans to follow, it could fail, despite its huge pile of cash and long list of stars.