Dhe hunt for the green jacket that is currently underway will in a way also become a clash of golf cultures at the Masters. In Augusta, Georgia, there is a kind of showdown between the disputed golf tours PGA and LIV. 18 players from the controversial Saudi Arabian-funded tour are allowed to tee off in the first major tournament of the year at Augusta National Golf Club. The PGA Tour pros Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have been meeting former colleagues and current LIV players Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith since Thursday.
The long-established Masters is the third major to bring players from the LIV series together with golfers who have stayed loyal to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour despite multi-million dollar offers. Woods, for example, would have received more than $800 million if he had accepted the LIV series. The LIV players are banned from the tournaments of the PGA Tour – but they can start in the four majors if they have qualified for them. LIV boss Greg Norman has already announced a huge party at the 18th hole should one of his players win the Masters on Sunday. “I would be the happiest man in the world, the first to call and congratulate you and pay for an incredible party,” he said recently.
Last year, LIV Golf attracted professionals from the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour with enormous entry fees and prize money. Among them prominent golfers like Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Smith, Mickelson, Sergio Garcia or Germany’s top golfer Martin Kaymer. The LIV tour is criticized for the millions invested in Saudi Arabia. The background is that the country, which has been criticized for human rights violations, is trying to improve its reputation with lucrative sporting events.
“It’s about the damn money,” Varner III points out
In the “Washington Post” for the first time a LIV professional has criticized their own organizers harshly. “I keep telling them this: you’re not here to promote the damn game,” said Harold Varner III. For example, LIV CEO Norman has posited that player motivation for leaving the PGA Tour goes beyond greed, that golf can be a tool of global diplomacy, and that LIV players want to lead the game to new growth.
From Varner III’s point of view, that’s a lie: “They’re only there to fill their pockets.” Varner III nevertheless gave the LIV series his bid, he is only interested in the high entry fees, he makes no secret of that. “I play golf to change the direction of my family’s life. And that was it. No other reason,” said the 32-year-old: “I don’t care what others say. It’s about the damn money.”
The American grew up in poor conditions and wants to invest part of the money in a foundation for children. “In ten years you won’t know who won this damn tournament. I can’t say who won in Augusta last year either. You’ll remember how you helped someone, how you made someone feel good,” he said.
After the initially heated dispute with personal hostilities and lawsuits in court, things seem to be calming down in both camps. Some LIV players protest that the gap between players on each Tour isn’t nearly as great as some believe. Australia’s golf star Cameron Smith stressed at the pre-Masters press conference that “there is no hatred” between the LIV players and those who have remained loyal to the PGA Tour. “It was nice to see some familiar faces,” said the British Open champion. “There was a lot of laughter and a lot of handshakes.”
Conciliatory tones can now also be heard from Northern Ireland’s golf star McIlroy, who at the beginning of the dispute had almost nothing but harsh words for the new LIV series. The mere presence of the new competition has forced the PGA Tour to reconsider its “antiquated” format. The emergence of LIV has benefited the PGA Tour. “That has led to a lot of innovation on the PGA Tour,” says the Northern Irishman.
In early March, PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan announced restructuring for the 2024 season to remain competitive in the battle with the rival LIV Tour. According to the plans for the US tour, there should be a certain number of tournaments with a limited number of participants, no cut and even higher prize money. A similar format is played on the LIV tour: 48 professionals play for victory over three days, there is no cut. There is an individual and a team rating. The individual competition is endowed with 20 million US dollars – the winner gets four million US dollars.
Meanwhile, on the first day of the Masters, Spaniard Jon Rahm, Norway’s Viktor Hovland and LIV player Brooks Koepka from the USA are at the top after impressive opening rounds. All three needed just 65 strokes and have a significant buffer on the competition because of the forecast rain on Friday and Saturday. Australia’s Jason Day is tied for fourth, two strokes behind. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler played a round of 68, McIlroy stumbled with 72 shots at the start.
Superstar Tiger Woods struggled and played a round of 74 to open. “I had to be patient. I felt like I hit the ball pretty well but didn’t get much for it,” Woods said of his start alongside the strong Hovland. He got himself into difficult situations three times and couldn’t keep par. “Today was the day to play under par and I didn’t make it,” said Woods.
Since his win in 2005, when he followed a round of 74 with days of 65, 66 and 71, Woods had not started so badly in Augusta – not even last year, his first participation since his serious car accident. The five-time Masters winner in Augusta has never missed the cut and wants to keep this series. Bernhard Langer needed one shot more than Woods. The German oldie in the field played the ball 75 times on the 18 lanes.
