Former PGA of America CEO, Seth Waugh has called the LIV Golf League "a failed economic experiment" but says the PIF-backed circuit is not the only tour which badly needs a unification deal sooner rather than later.
Speaking to Golfweek, Waugh discussed a range of topics relating to the game of golf - including Ryder Cup pay, his impact as PGA of America CEO, and the current state of the sport.
More than six months on from the 66-year-old's departure and hurtling towards two years after the initial framework agreement was agreed between the PGA Tour, the Saudi PIF and the DP World Tour, a concrete coalition deal of sorts is yet to be signed.
As a result, men's pro golf has witnessed fans and sponsors drifting away with a lack of regular and meaningful competition between the world's absolute best talent.
However, with Greg Norman having been replaced as LIV CEO by Scott O'Neil and a golf-enthused President returning to the Oval Office, Waugh admitted he could now see something being agreed in the near future.
Asked how he sees the current division in golf playing out, Waugh said: "I'm surprised it's taken as long as it has. It's complicated, but I've done a lot of complicated things that haven't taken this long. That part of it is sort of indefensible.
"I think there will be a deal for a couple fundamental reasons. You and I have had this conversation, but LIV is a failed economic experiment. Disruption needs one of two things, hopefully both: you need a better product or you need better pricing. No way you can say they're a superior product and they have no pricing because there's no economics. It's not sustainable.
"I don’t care how much money you have, burning it doesn’t feel very good. And I don't see any way out for them. I don't see light at the end of the tunnel where it's gonna transform that league. So they need a deal.
"And then the Tour needs one as well. SSG, the new owners, need one. There's no question fandom is shrinking and sponsors are getting edgy because they're being asked to pay more for something that's less.
"It's not a crisis, but every week that goes by is like a dull ache. Both sides need a deal and I think now you have a new administration that’s gonna be much more deal-friendly than the last. And a president who likes the game and wouldn't mind being the guy that fixed golf. That would be something he'd like to say he did."
Although Waugh was adamant LIV Golf cannot be sustained on its current model in the long-term, he did credit the 54-hole league with generating plenty of worthwhile messages that could be used when golf comes back together - namely, a more concentrated calendar and a refreshed telecast.
He said: "There are lessons from LIV though. The F1 model of better players playing more often against each other has created changes in the Tour that are helpful. And the broadcast needs to get modernized. I don't mean LIV broadcasts are the model because they’re unwatchable."
Waugh's final recommendation towards the future of the sport was ensuring the DP World Tour become an integral part of Golf 2.0 - with the global aspect a key point in maintaining long-term viability.
He continued: "The third thing is that we need to create an audience globally. Making some of the signature events international makes sense.
"What does the Tour look like? They’ll co-exist for a year or two because you have to wind things down. But it has to merge and the DP World Tour has to be a part of that.
"And because of the Saudi’s belief in team golf, you’ll probably have some experimental team golf stuff. You see if it works."
