SIZING UP THE COMPETITION
Commissioner Jay Monahan says the PGA Tour can’t win an “arms race” against Saudi-funded LIV Golf when the weapon is money. His response Wednesday was to boost prize money in eight elite events and rely on loyalty and legacy among his players.
Monahan delivered another round of stinging criticism against Greg Norman and his rival league. LIV Golf has snagged players who have combined to win nine majors in the last five years, including Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.
The latest to sign was Koepka, whose deal with LIV Golf was announced just as Monahan began his first press conference in three months at the Travelers Championship.
“I am not naive,” Monahan said. “If this is an arms race and if the only weapons here are dollar bills, the PGA Tour can’t compete. The PGA Tour, an American institution, can’t compete with a foreign monarchy that is spending billions of dollars in attempt to buy the game of golf.
“We welcome good, healthy competition. The LIV Saudi golf league is not that,” he said. “It’s an irrational threat, one not concerned with the return on investment or true growth of the game.”
The tour, however, appears to be trying to keep up. Monahan said an increase in prize money was in the works from its latest media rights deal it signed in 2020, noting the threat of LIV Golf accelerated some of those plans.
He announced a streamlined schedule — January to August starting in 2024 — with seven tournaments worth $20 million or more and fewer spots available for its postseason. The top 125 qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs. Next year, only the top 70 will be eligible.
The fall would be for the players who finished outside the top 70 to secure cards for
the following year, and to give them a chance to move into the top 50 — or try to stay there — to secure spots in some of the elite $20 million tournaments.
Also planned are three international events in the fall for only the top 50 in FedEx Cup points from the previous season.
Monahan cited Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, who earlier Wednesday was unusually vocal in his support of the PGA Tour. Scheffler had not won on the PGA Tour until February, and then he won four times in two months to reach No. 1 in the world.
He already has set a PGA Tour record for season earnings at nearly $12.9 million.
“If you’re good enough, you will rise to the top,” Monahan said. “And if you don’t continue to earn that top spot, someone else as hungry and as talented is right there to take your place. Again, that’s the unique beauty of what the tour has and always
will offer to fans.
“It’s damn good and it’s worth fighting for.”
Koepka was among the LIV newcomers announced for the field in Oregon next week, and he was as big of a surprise as Johnson was for the inaugural London event.
Monahan was at Koepka’s wedding on June 5 in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Koepka was part of a group at a Rolex outing a week ago in which he joined top players — Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas among them — in discussing in strong terms support for the tour.
A week later, he was signed and headed to LIV Golf.
More majors
It was just one year ago that Nelly Korda won the Women’s PGA Championship to secure her first major and reach No. 1 in the world.
“It feels like forever ago, honestly,” she said.
A lot has happened to her since then — both good and bad. Korda also won an Olympic gold medal last year for the U.S. But she went through a four-month layoff in 2022 because of health problems and only recently returned. This week she defends her title at the Women’s PGA at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. — looking ready to contend after a near-victory in Michigan last week.
Jim Furyk is set to complete the second leg of a daunting USGA double. Following an appearance at last week’s U.S. Open, he’ll defend his title at the U.S. Senior Open at Saucon Valley Country Club beginning today.
The 52-year-old Furyk is one of eight players to win both the U.S. Open and the Senior Open. He’s part of the 156-golfer field looking to solve the 7,000-plus yard, par-71 Saucon Valley Old Course in Bethlehem, Pa.