This 2023 golf season on the PGA and DP World Tours has gotten off to a sensational start with world #1 Jon Rahm winning in style three times, twice in the much ballyhooed $20,000,000 designated events with 50 of the worlds top players in attendance and more to come.
Rory opened his 2023 with a stirring win at the $9,000,000 Rolex Series Hero Dubai Classic with the DP World Tours strongest field.
TV ratings soared when Tiger joined the proceedings last week at Riviera, things couldn't get much better.
On Friday the 2nd year of the rival LIV Series gets under way in Mayakoba, Mexico... Did you know ?
I suspect many of you didn't and if I'm right, that begs the question, what can they do this year to match what is happening on the PGA and DP World Tours.
By now all the furor caused by well known golfers like Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia etal has died down. The public has made up their minds.
None of those players are being missed at all, they could not have added anymore. In fact they are quite happy playing in virtual obscurity simply because they have already banked their sign up fortunes with more guaranteed to come. Easy money, and most of the big names have enough qualifications to show up and play the majors, so far...
This year they have 48 players in 14 events all around the world sharing an estimated $400,000,000.
They have no major TV network but have signed up with the American CW Channel. Have you ever heard of it, or subscribed to it. Certainly not is the answer in all of the world except for those who do in the States
However, and I think apart from not being allowed to accrue world ranking points, their hope to focus on the "team" aspect of their tournaments seems to be a lost cause.
The Ryder Cup of course is still the most exciting 3 days in golf around the world.
The Presidents Cup for the first 11 matches was so one sided it didn't capture that intrigue, however after the Ernie Els led International squad at Royal Melbourne forced the USA team into a famous Sunday fightback to winning 16-14, new life has breathed into these matches. All of Canada will be watching in 2024 when Mike Weir leads that team in Montreal.
Country, continental pride is at stake, not money..
So how do the 4 Aces led by Dustin Johnson, or the Majesticks led by Ian Poulter or Ripper GC led by Cam Smith stack up.
Many may not know this but in the cricket world, in the Indian Premier League every team has a high profile, ultra rich owner. That seems to be what LIV is hoping to attract, to make sense of the huge Saudi investment.
The ever confident Greg Norman says "The most popular sports in the world are team sports and our league format has already begun building connections with new audiences around the world. Our major champions and Hall of Famers are committed to this platform "
The truth as Rory McIlroy pointed out is that several of Norman's top executives left the LIV after collecting their years salary, Matt Goodman director of franchises, Communication officer Jonathan Grella and CEO Atul Khosla. Not a healthy endorsement.
Finally and this is the real twist, The huge money invested by the Saudi PIF was in my opinion the catalyst for the PGA Tour and their "strategic alliance" with the DP World Tour to pour all of this new money and incentives into their business. They were shaken up, and responded.
So now what is left for the LIV. Who needs them ? Who cares?
I guess time will tell, but I can't see any reason or need for them.
Bryan Angus
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