In the face of the big-money threat by LIV Golf, the PGA Tour has announced changes. And it’s all about the money.
A snap meeting with players including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy last week has resulted in the PGA Tour announcing a raft of changes to counter the threat of the LIV Tour. And not surprisingly, most of them revolve around money—lots of it.
In a letter sent out to players, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monaghan outlined the changes, which include elevating 12 tournaments with an average purse of $20 million that the top players have committed to playing, guaranteeing fully exempt players $500,000 minimum a season, making the TOUR Championship no offers a two-year exemption, and a new Travel Stipend Program for non-exempt players – essentially $5,000 for a missed cut.
It’s all about retaining players thinking of jumping ship to the LIV Golf Tour and sprucing up what has become a dull, all-year season.
For the golf fan, not a lot has changed aside from the fact you will see the best players competing for more money in a Super Series-style league within the PGA Tour.
It all sounds a little familiar.
Of the 12 elevated tournaments announced so far, just the one – The Open – is played outside the US.
Wow. We officially have a PGA Tour Super Series. We’ll see every top Tour pro at:
-Masters
-PGA
-US Open
-Open Champ
-Players
-Sentry TOC
-Genesis
-Bay Hill
-Memorial
-WGC-Match Play
-3 playoff events
-4 more TBD (rotating between existing PGA Tour events)
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) August 24, 2022
Here’s the letter Jay Monahan sent to PGA Tour membership today. Some more changes.
—$5,000 for missed cuts
—Getting to Tour Championship comes with a two-year exemption
—No more 15-season minimum for lifetime membership. So Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas immediately have it. pic.twitter.com/JXyiXX09Qz
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) August 24, 2022
Overview of changes announced to future scheduling and compensation
Top players will commit to at least a 20-event PGA TOUR schedule (assuming they qualify), which includes: pic.twitter.com/Qb5HXMwOFL
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) August 24, 2022
Hang on. Wait a minute. Is it just me or do many of these proposals from the PGA Tour sound a little familiar?
— John Huggan (@johnhuggan) August 24, 2022
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