On Wednesday, the PGA Tour announced numerous changes to its structure, from top players playing in more of the same tournaments to an expanded Player Impact Program and more.
Many of these changes, on top of others that were announced previously, are to combat LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed, Greg-Norman led series. Even with the numerous defections of former Tour golfers to LIV Golf, Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said Wednesday that “the Tour is having its strongest year in (the) history of the PGA Tour and is performing well ahead of budget.”
Monahan also commented on how the Tour wouldn’t welcome back golfers who defected to LIV, and he didn’t want to get into scenarios.
“As it relates to any of the scenarios for LIV players and coming back, I’ll remind you that we’re in a lawsuit,” he said. “They’ve sued us. I think talking about any hypotheticals at this point doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
Lynch: PGA Tour’s war with LIV Golf enters ‘Return of the Jedi’ phase
Saudi Arabia has been accused of wide-ranging human rights abuses, including politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners. And members of the royal family and Saudi government were accused of involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist.
That hasn’t stopped the ongoing discussion of PGA Tour vs. LIV, one that’s likely to continue for some time.
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LIV Golf responded Wednesday, and it undoubtedly was throwing a jab and trolling the PGA Tour.
“LIV Golf is clearly the best thing that’s ever happened to help the careers of professional golfers,” LIV Golf said in a statement to Golfweek.
And Norman wasn’t quiet either, posting a meme on his Instagram account with the caption, “A day late and a dollar short.”
Safe to say, there’s no shortage of pettiness from Norman or LIV Golf.
