PGA players furious, LIV golfers and Donald Trump vainglorious after tour merge

If you were wondering who was the winner from the end of the PGA v LIV Golf war then you only need to read the reaction from the players - and one ex-President.

STERLING, VIRGINIA - MAY 27: Former US President Donald Trump looks on from the 18th green during day two of the LIV Golf Invitational - DC at Trump National Golf Club on May 27, 2023 in Sterling, Virginia. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) **BESTPIX**

Stunned PGA Tour players said they had been left in the dark about the surprise merger with LIV Golf that shocked the world of golf on Tuesday.

Shortly after the unexpected announcement that golf’s bitter battle between the established PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed breakaway LIV Golf was over, players took to social media to react.

And it was clear that PGA Tour players had no idea that a deal was in the offing while LIV players were delighted at the end of the conflict.

(L-R) Greg Norman, CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf, talks with former U.S. President Donald Trump. Picture: Getty Images

“The hell is going on? Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organisation right?,” said American player Michael Kim.

Canadian player Mackenzie Hughes was quick to note the sharp about-turn from PGA Tour officials who had been vehemently opposed to the Saudi-backed tour.

“Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with,” he wrote.

Tell me why Jay Monahan basically got a promotion to CEO of all golf in the world by going back on everything he said the past 2 years. The hypocrisy. Wish golf worked like that. I guess money always wins @PGATOUR

— Dylan Wu (@dylan_wu59) June 6, 2023

Can I also say that I love @PhilMickelson and everything he’s said the past two years has been spot on. He went up in flames in the media cuz of his brutal honesty and now everyone’s finally realizing he was right and the PGA Tour does whatever they feel like 😂😂😂

— Dylan Wu (@dylan_wu59) June 6, 2023

South Korea’s An Byeong-hun noted the difficult situation for players who had backed the PGA Tour’s stance against LIV.

“I’m guessing the LIV teams were struggling to get sponsors and PGA tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years”.

US player Dylan Wu echoed An’s comments, blasting the “hypocrisy” of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

“Tell me why Jay Monahan basically got a promotion to CEO of all golf in the world by going back on everything he said the past 2 years,” Wu wrote. “The hypocrisy. Wish golf worked like that. I guess money always wins.”

Awesome day today 😊 https://t.co/qUwVJiydym

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023

Reaction was much more positive among players on the LIV Tour with one of their most prominent players, six-time major winner Phil Mickelson quickly taking to social media.

“Awesome day today,” tweeted Mickelson above a link to a news story on the merger.

Brooks Koepka, who became the first LIV golfer to win a major with his triumph at the PGA Championship last month, took aim at one of LIV’s strongest critics, television golf pundit Brandel Chamblee.

“Welfare check on Chamblee,” Koepka tweeted.

Former US President Donald Trump, who hosted several LIV events on his courses, gave his endorsement of the deal.

“Great news from LIV Golf. A big, beautiful and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf. Congrats to all,” he posted on social media.

Surprised that this merger has happened so quickly but not surprised it’s happened. Definitely in the financial interest of both sides. Definitely in the financial interest of the players even though some of those who gain will feel like they’re losing. Good for the cohesion of…

— Padraig Harrington (@padraig_h) June 6, 2023

Ireland’s three-time major champion Padraig Harrington -- who turned down an offer to join LIV last year -- meanwhile expressed surprise at the speed with which the merger had been agreed.

“Surprised that this merger has happened so quickly but not surprised it’s happened,” Harrington wrote on Twitter.

“Definitely in the financial interest of both sides. Definitely in the financial interest of the players even though some of those who gain will feel like they’re losing. Good for the cohesion of global golf.” In Toronto, PGA Tour players preparing for this week’s Canadian Open also reacted with surprise.

Canada’s Adam Hadwin struck a pragmatic note though when asked whether the merger would present players with moral concerns given criticism of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

“I’ve dedicated my entire life to being at golf’s highest level,” Hadwin said. “I’m not about to stop playing golf because the entity that I play for has joined forces with the Saudi government.”

TIGER AND RORY ARE NOW BILLION DOLLAR LOSERS

- New York Post

There are many questions still to be answered about what the PGA Tour’s stunning merger with Saudi-backed LIV Golf will mean, and perhaps most prominent among them is how PGA loyalists like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm must be feeling after leaving hundreds of millions of dollars on the table.

The LIV deals were eye-popping when they came out — $300 million for Phil Mickelson, plus $150-some-odd million apiece for Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith.

Meanwhile, Woods, McIlroy, Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and others took what were trumpeted as principled stands, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars on the table, only for PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan to turn around and merge forces with LIV in the end.

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman said last year that Woods turned down an offer in the range of $1 billion to stick with the PGA Tour.

PGA loyalists Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy sacrificed fortunes. Picture: AFP

While LIV Golf executive Majed Al Sorour later said that he “never offered [Woods] that money – not even close to that,” one can assume it was nonetheless a considerable chunk of change.

Last November, Woods excoriated Norman, saying Norman would have to leave LIV before a PGA Tour merger could be considered.

“I think Greg has to go, first of all,” Woods said ahead of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. “Then we can talk, we can all talk freely.”

Woods did not see a resolution on the horizon.

“Not right now, not with their leadership, not with Greg there and his animosity towards the Tour itself. I don’t see that happening,” he continued.“ Greg’s got to leave and then we can eventually, hopefully, have a stay between the two lawsuits and figure something out. But why would you change anything if you’ve got a lawsuit against you? They sued us first.”

McIlroy was more pointed.“ There’s no room in the golf world for LIV Golf,” McIlroy said last July. “I don’t agree with what LIV is doing. If LIV went away tomorrow I’d be super happy.”

However, by September, McIlroy was calling for a PGA-LIV truce, albeit agreeing with Woods, saying in November that Norman “needs to go” for a resolution to be accomplished. There has been no indication that Norman would be out in the merger.

JACK NICKLAUS HAS SURPRISING REACTION TO MERGER

(L-R) Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus. Picture: Getty Images

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus is whistling a different tune after the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger.

Nicklaus, who previously said the LIV Golf league “wasn’t for me,” said over night that he believes the controversial merger is good for the sport.

“The last three years have been difficult for the game and the players,” Nicklaus said, according to The Palm Beach Post, adding that he spoke with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

“He seemed pleased with the arrangement that will once again bring together the best players in the world. I agree that this is good for the game of golf.”

Nicklaus went on to explain that his full support lies in what is best for the game.

“I also appreciate the commissioner’s comments about continuing the tradition of the Tour and the mission to support important charitable causes,” the 83-year-old continued. “I am certainly interested in seeing the details.

“Jay indicated that this all will happen in 2024, so very soon the proof will be in the pudding. Whatever is best for the game of golf enjoys my full support.”

Nicklaus’ comments came just a week after he seemingly dismissed LIV Golf defectors before the PGA Tour’s 2023 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

When asked by Golfweek if he was disappointed not to have winners of two of the last four majors — LIV’s Brooks Koepka and Cam Smith — on the course, Nicklaus didn’t sugar-coat his response.

“I don’t even consider those guys part of the game anymore,” he said. “I don’t mean that in a nasty way. This is a PGA Tour event and we have the best field we can possibly have for a PGA Tour event for those who are eligible to be here. The other guys made a choice of what they did and where they’ve gone and we don’t even talk about it.

“There were certain players that it was probably the right thing for,” Nicklaus said of those who joined LIV. “It probably spurred the PGA Tour, I don’t think there’s any question about that, either, to move it to greater heights. But it wasn’t for me, it wasn’t for what my legacy was. Obviously, I pretty much started what the Tour is out here.”

This article originally appeared in the New York Times and is reproduced with permission.

Originally published as PGA players furious, LIV golfers and Donald Trump vainglorious after tour merge