When the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia started its LIV Golf competition in 2022, it should have been a hugely exciting time for the sport. Fans and players alike now have a brand-new format to enjoy, with a vast amount of wealth being pumped in to ensure it’s as spectacular as possible.
There have been some teething problems, though. The PGA Tour has been trying to campaign against LIV by introducing sanctions to players who play in it without permission. There have been attempts to unify the two competitions, but little progress has been made so far.
Good From a Spectator’s Perspective?
From an entertainment standpoint, there’s a lot to like about LIV Golf’s entry to the international golf scene. There’s now a fiercely contested rivalry between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, which can benefit both competitions. For example, since LIV Golf came along, the PGA Tour has been working on strengthening and improving its commercial profile.
LIV Golf also makes golf accessible to a greater number of people, as it has a different format that some might prefer. The Saudi Arabian competition uses a team format and shorter events, with some enormous prize money on the line. It’s attractive to players as well. Some of the top names have already been lured by nine-figure contracts.
There’s already a betting scene emerging around LIV Golf, but this hasn’t spread across the USA yet. This could be the next stage in boosting the competition, when sites like BetMGM start to offer odds. The sportsbook with a $1500 first bet offer mainly offers odds on North America’s Big Four, but also has markets for competitions like The Masters.
Will There Be Unification?
While there are some benefits to having two major golf competitions, there are also some downsides to the fracturing of the sport. For instance, certain networks and betting sites may take sides, only offering one or the other. It could also mean that people’s favorite players are only available to watch in one of the competitions, or all the top talent is lured from one competition to the other. This is why it could be better if the two were to come together in some sort of deal to coexist.
According to a recent piece in The Guardian, the Public Investment Fund offered $1.5 billion to the PGA Tour for concessions. This was deemed unacceptable, however, and there has been no progress towards any sort of unification between the two events. It seems that the PGA Tour is content to go it alone, backed by new commercial partnerships and fan support. LIV Golf, meanwhile, shows no signs of slowing down either, and is increasingly carving out its own space in the global sports landscape.
As it stands, if there is no unification soon, it could mean there never is. The two competitions are likely to go head to head to see which one can prevail, and the one that pumps in the most money is likely to succeed.