Over the past 12 months, it seems that the divide between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is starting to slowly narrow, with the on-course battles between the respective players at the US Open and PGA Championship making some call for a more united circuit.
Certainly, the golf between the two Tours has drawn more attention to the sport, with viewership of Major events up in 2024. This is thanks, in part, down to LIV’s, Bryson DeChambeau, and PGA Tour players Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy, who have been involved in their own tussles at the recent Major championships.
Obviously, the history between the two Tours has somewhat divided the golf world, but one player who seemingly loves the rivalry between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League is World Golf Hall of Famer, Padraig Harrington.
Speaking exclusively to Golf Monthly ahead of The Open Championship at Royal Troon, Harrington stated: “I’m a big fan of the rivalries from competing Tours. I was brought up with a strong European Tour and PGA Tour. There was always a little bit of niggle, not just in the Ryder Cup, but in other events. If you went over there and won in the States, you won for Europe.
“You see that with LIV at the moment. If they can get a winner in an event, you’re winning for their Tour. That provides a little bit of rivalry and a little bit of niggle. It definitely makes the Majors more exciting. We don’t get to see the LIV players play enough, so we’re never really sure… it’s getting a bit more familiar with it now, but we’re never really sure what form they are in.
“So, it does add intrigue, having the LIV players playing in the Majors. Bryson in the last two Majors, particularly the PGA Championship, I found that very exciting. Xander won head to head with him and Bryson pushed him all the way and we hadn’t seen Bryson play that well, or in that position, for a good while. It was extremely exciting. Then there was Bryson and Rory and it went his way there”.
DeChambeau celebrates his victory at the US Open
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Since the PGA Tour-PIF merger announcement in June of last year, talks have started to move further, with the PGA Tour’s Commissioner, Jay Monahan, claiming that progress is being made, but the sheer complexity of the matter is why a deal remains some way off.
Previously, the likes of Rory McIlroy have called for a ‘world Tour’ style set up that would include some European PGA Tour events, whereas LIV’s CEO, Greg Norman, has claimed that LIV Golf is here to stay and not going anywhere.
Therefore, with the merger itself, it is unclear as to how a potential schedule will look, especially as there’s still the matter of where the DP World Tour will fit in to all of this as well.
In the case of Harrington, he is “all for co-existing with two Tours,” but also realises that “the European Tour is the one getting pushed out,” with the three-Major winner adding: “I’m all for two Tours and the coming together in certain events and the crossover of certain players at times because it adds to excitement. It’s like when you’re watching your favourite football team, you’re going to have a team you’re rooting for and you always have a team that you’re rooting against as well.
“There will be plenty of people that don’t want to see a LIV win, but there’s some that won’t want to see a PGA Tour player win. So it’s good for the angst around this and it’s great for the Majors and the excitement. It’s great”.
