Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson haven’t had an arm twisted to turn their backs on the PGA in favor of the new LIV Golf series. Basically, why? For the dollars. Where they number in the hundreds of millions.
Posted at 6:00 a.m.
The PGA Tour had until very recently the monopoly of golf not only in America, but also everywhere on the surface of the globe.
It was true until a group of Saudi investors decided to stir the cage. Truth be told, they chose to take what the PGA Tour has best to offer: its players.
The first tournament in the LIV Golf series takes place this weekend in London. Johnson and Mickelson will be the most popular, and controversial, names to start.
A matter of money
The LIV Golf series scared very few people a few months ago. Nobody believed that a new circuit, with new regulations and which would dare to challenge the PGA Tour, was going to be able to attract big names. However, things changed quickly. The big money got the better of several players who were tempted.
When former world number one and 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson announced he was going to be part of the Saudi adventure, the golf world was shaken.
According to various sources, he would have signed an agreement of approximately 150 million dollars, fully guaranteed, and this, even before having hit a single ball. Mickelson, meanwhile, is expected to receive nearly $200 million. Except that even though the columns of the temple shook, it didn’t collapse.
Photo ADRIAN DENNIS, Agence France-Presse
Phil Mickelson
“There are golfers who are driven solely by money and there are other, more purist, people who are passionate about the history of the PGA Tour, like Tiger [Woods] or Rory [McIlroy]. While Phil Mickelson or Dustin Johnson, they do it for the money, ”explains Yohann Benson, professional at Le Mirage golf club and analyst at RDS.
McIlroy and Woods have also declined nine-figure offers out of loyalty to the PGA Tour.
“Dustin Johnson is not a player who hangs out with other guys. He does his little business with his wife Paulina and her family. It’s more of a loner,” he adds.
His colleague Jean-Sébastien Légaré, an analyst at RDS and 91.9 Sports, agrees: “It doesn’t surprise me that Dustin made this decision, not because he’s a bad guy, but because he always preferred to take care of himself first. »
He doesn’t care what other people think.
Jean-Sébastien Légaré, analyst at RDS and 91.9 Sports, about Dustin Johnson
Elsewhere, the Royal Bank of Canada, which sponsored Johnson for nearly 15 years, severed its association with its former glory. The first tournament in the LIV Golf Series will take place at the same time as the RBC Canadian Open. As an RBC athlete, Johnson would have been obligated to participate, which of course he will not. This is why the Bank has permanently severed ties with him.
Johnson’s OEM, TaylorMade, was joined by The Pressbut would not comment on the situation.
Other players who have had great careers have formalized their membership of the new circuit, including Louis Ooosthuizen, Lee Westwood, Kevin Poulter and Sergio García. Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed would make the announcement soon, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The first observation nevertheless remains that the caliber is low and that for the majority of players on the list, the best is behind them.
The PGA in danger?
The LIV Golf Series has eight tournaments scheduled. “We talk about the event in London, but there are five out of eight events that are in the United States. When it comes to America, are more players going to want to get on board? asks Jean-Sébastien Légaré.
Grants are also likely to influence players who have been reluctant until now.
Twenty million dollars will be distributed at each tournament. The winner will pocket 4 million and the last in the standings will receive $120,000. Not to mention the participation bonuses for star players and bonuses of $18 million, $8 million and $4 million for those who finish the season on the podium in the general classification.
Dizzying sums that could scare the PGA: “It’s like when you go to court and you’re against an opponent who has deep pockets and money is not an issue, that’s for sure that it has to be taken seriously,” emphasizes Yohann Benson.
The circuit led by former star Greg Norman has 48 players and each tournament is played over three rounds, without cuts, so all players are guaranteed to be paid. The departures are made in a “shotgun” manner, that is to say that there will be departures at each hole to speed up the game.
The PGA Tour and its commissioner Jay Monahan have not yet reacted. There are rumors that players who participate in the Saudi circuit could be penalized, suspended or banned for life. A risk that pays off, from all points of view, for some golfers.