Padraig Harrington says the PGA Tour lost some of its “biggest brands” and characters to LIV Golf, adding that many of the players who left have been missed.
Since LIV arrived on the scene, several big names defected from the PGA Tour to the Saudi-backed circuit, including Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Phil Mickelson.
Speaking exclusively to Golf Monthly ahead of the Open Championship at Royal Troon, Harrington said a lot of the players who left weren’t only big names, but “big characters” with distinct brands – something he believes the PGA Tour needs.
“We do need characters. I think we miss some of the LIV players,” the two-time Claret Jug winner said. “Thinking about it, there are some of the LIV players that didn’t get enough time to build their brand before they went. I found that interesting and I’ve been watching and wondering what that player is like, I don’t really know him, but I wonder what he would have been like.
“Then there’s others who are there who were established before they went. They’re the ones that we were constantly watching, coming back and forth and wondering are their games better, are their games the same and where they are. A lot of those guys were big characters in the game.”
Harrington pointed to Reed, a controversial player who divides opinion among fans, as someone who is missed by the PGA Tour.
“I played with Patrick Reed at the PGA and I think him going to LIV made us realize how much we actually miss him on the PGA Tour. A lot of people would say he’s gone, who cares, whatever, but when he’s not there, you miss him. I talked to him about it and he loved the fact that he is that marmite character – people either love or hate him.
“LIV went for all the big brands that you could get after. Not just players, they went for the biggest brands and there’s no doubt that the PGA Tour missed several of those brands.
“However, when we come to the Majors, they are all there and, love or hate them, it adds to the excitement during the week and I, for one, am always interested to see how the players are playing coming from there.”
Harrington believes LIV players have finally started to adapt to the different schedule of the tour, which has led to better performances at Majors.
Koepka and DeChambeau, both players who fit the bill as big characters with big brands, have already won a Major during their time at LIV, while several others have been in contention.
DeChambeau, in particular, has shown of late that he is capable of not only performing at the highest level, but also be an entertainer to fans thanks to his unique personality and YouTube following.
Harrington said he welcomes the rivalry between the PGA Tour and LIV, something that reminds him of what used to happen with the European Tour.
“I do think the LIV players are getting a better handle on their schedules and you see them playing a few more events in Europe and Asia, so they’re starting to figure out what’s going to help them play their best golf,” Harrington said. “Whereas in the first one or two years, they just were a little bit lost with their scheduling and weren’t quite ready for the Majors.
“Now they’re turning up and we’ve seen Brooks, we’ve seen Bryson and they’re playing for their Tour, which is what we used to do in Europe. When we would win away from home, it was a win for our Tour and we came home and everybody would congratulate you.”
