AUGUSTA — Tom Watson would love to see more of the best players competing together, just as they are doing this week at the Masters.
He just doesn’t see how it’s possible as the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia—which backs LIV Golf—have labored for nearly two years to reach some sort of deal.
“I don't see a real working mechanism for the two tours to get back together,” said Watson, 75, who won the Masters in 1977 and 1981 and served as an honorary starter on Thursday morning. “I think that’s one of the reasons you haven't seen an agreement since June two years ago.”
Recent reports have suggested that the two sides remain far apart because the PGA Tour doesn’t believe LIV Golf’s 14-tournament, four-man team model is financially viable as part of for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises.
The PIF, meanwhile, has spent some $2 billion launching the LIV Golf League by paying large sums of guaranteed money to big-name stars, seven of whom have won the Masters and are in the field this week. The sense is that Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who is believed to be in Augusta this week, does not want to see LIV Golf diminished.
Watson joined Gary Player, 89, and Jack Nicklaus, 85, as honorary starters to begin the 89th Masters.
Afterward, all three were asked their views on golf’s divide.
“I think anytime in life, and getting closer to 90 now, you realize that confrontation is a terrible thing,” Player said. “Confrontation and forgiveness is very important. All I can say (LIV players) is that they’ve chosen to do that, and that’s their choice. And we’re lucky we still have freedom of choice. And that’s their tour, and we have our tour.
“I’m very proud to be a member of the PGA. I was president of our PGA in South Africa, have played in PGAs all over the world. It would be wonderful if they could get together. Whether they will or not, time will tell. But it would be ideal if everybody could get together again.”
Watson concurred and explained that two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler remarked at the annual dinner for past winners Tuesday night that it was good to have the best playing together again for the first time since the British Open last July.
“So the players would like to get together,” Watson said. “But it’s really up to the powers that be to see if there’s a framework in which the two tours can cooperate. I don’t see that framework happening. Maybe they’re smarter people than I am, but the key element of the PGA Tour, the one thing that is required of you is to get permission to play in a competing tournament, conflicting-event rule.
“That’s there to protect the sponsors of our PGA Tour so that the fields are not depleted of all the good players as they go and play other tournaments. That's the main requirement.
“Over the years, I got special exemptions, maybe twice a year, once a year, got permission of the Tour to be able to compete in a tournament that’s opposite the PGA Tour, and that’s the reason. I don’t see that the two tours can get together."
Watson also had thoughts on Scheffler's comments at the dinner.
“But from the standpoint of what Scottie said, I concur, it would be great to have all the great players play together, and it’s happening in the major championships. Here in particular, we have LIV players who have won the championship, won the Masters Tournament who are exempt to play every year. The Open Championship, same thing, up to age 60. The U.S. Open, and the PGA are two different tournaments. They have to have special exemptions for the players to be able to play when they’re outside the World Rankings of the top 50. That’s my two cents’ worth.”
The Masters has so far not afforded LIV golfers any direct access to the tournament. In addition to the seven past champions, major winners Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Cam Smith are in the field via their victories. Joaquin Niemann received a special exemption, but the Masters cited his play outside of LIV Golf.
Nicklaus, who hosts the Memorial Tournament which is now a $20 million signature event, was at one time offered a role to be an ambassador for LIV, one he turned down.
“I think LIV pushed the PGA Tour into doing some things that were a little premature for the PGA Tour,” Nicklaus said, referring to, among other things, big purse increases. “But the PGA Tour is doing fine. I think they’ve changed their structure. The players now own a piece of what's going on [via equity in PGA Tour Enterprises]. I think their plan of bringing along with their elevated events and their plan of bringing young players along in the other tournaments has been very successful. We’re making new stars for the game.
“Would I love to see them all come together? Sure, I think we all would. But I think the PGA Tour is the Tour, and that’s where most of your good players are, and I think it’s very healthy no matter which way it goes, but obviously we’d all like to see everybody together.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson Don’t Expect a Compromise Between PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
