Golf’s hallowed grounds at Augusta National are this week the front line in golf’s war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, with the rival groups meeting at the 87th Masters.
But while many might’ve been expecting a full scale battle between the warring factions, the opening days at Augusta have remained civil with acceptance on both sides slowly, but surely, creeping in.
The increasing ease that PGA Tour players have with defectors, and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf threat in general, can only be seen as a concerning sign for the breakaway circuit.
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When LIV Golf was seen as an existential threat to the PGA Tour with its $25 million (A$37m) purses, the establishment kicked and scratched, panicked by the rival league going from pipedream to legitimate overnight.
After months of strategising and strongarming through a healthy influx of money into its own circuit, however, the PGA Tour feels a relatively settled landscape once again.
Meanwhile, it is LIV Golf who, after a meteoric rise in the second half of 2023, has stalled in season two.
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LIV Golf last year went from a mere concept to a fully fledged tour that boasted several major champions. This included five separate winners since 2019 in Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith.
The last two in particular remained big, in-form players for the PGA Tour, with Smith rising to world No.2 and winning last year’s Open Championship.
Since then, LIV Golf has expanded its core schedule to 14 global events, and secured an important TV rights deal in the US, but the upkeep from viewers has been slow, as has the pursuit of more big-name players.
Furthermore, the team concept — which is one of LIV Golf’s key points of difference — still feels like a mere sideshow that lacks widespread buy-in.
Smith’s signing at the end of the 2022 FedEx Cup season was a bombshell moment in the golf war, signalling that virtually any player — excluding the endorsement mega rich Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods — could be bought.
And yet, the Australian’s signing has to this point been the end-of-the-road with other major coups for LIV Golf not forthcoming.
The result is a field that remains weak, even if it has vastly exceeded the expectations many held 12 months ago.
Even Smith conceded as much this week at Augusta, saying: “For sure, I’ll be the first one to say, the fields aren’t as strong. I’m the first one to say that.
“But we’ve still got a lot of guys that can play some really serious golf, and we compete against each other hard week-in and week-out and we’re trying to do the same things that we did six months ago.”
All of this is to say that the most important event now in LIV’s short history isn’t a LIV event at all.
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‘WE NEED TO BE UP THERE’
It feels imperative that, with growth slowing and the novelty of a new global circuit wearing off, that LIV strikes a blow at Augusta to give it a sorely-needed shot in the arm.
It’s therefore no surprise that chief Greg Norman has been on the offensive this week, making as much noise for LIV Golf at the Masters as possible, despite not being invited — a snub he labelled as “petty”.
Norman has talked up the potential for a LIV Golf player to win the green jacket this weekend, and warned the PGA Tour of the wild scenes that would follow.
“If one of our guys wins, no matter who it is, they are all going to be there on the 18th green and that just gives me goosebumps to think about,” Norman told NewsCorp.
“To have those 17 other guys there, that’s the spirit we want. That’s what these guys talk about. They’re saying no matter who wins, no matter who is in that position, we’re going to be there.”
The common knock on those who have left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf is that they have chosen money over legacy, given the latter has no history and, crucially, is not recognised by the Official World Golf Rankings.
A win for a LIV player on golf’s biggest stage therefore wouldn’t just mean a green jacket, but also a moment of vindication, and a boost in credibility.
Australian Smith stressed the importance of LIV players at least playing well to silence their detractors, who are dismissive of the rival format which involves only 54 holes per tournament, no cut, and no ranking points.
“It’s just important for LIV guys to be up there because I think we need to be up there,” Smith said.
“There’s a lot of chatter about (how) ‘these guys don’t play real golf; these guys don’t play real golf courses’.
“We’ve still got a lot of guys up there that can play some really serious golf, and we compete against each other hard week in and week out and we’re trying to do the same things that we did six months ago.
“Yeah, I think we just need a good, strong finish.”
In an attempt to boost LIV’s presence further, a number of players have been wearing logos from their teams during practice rounds.
It’s unclear if any LIV insignia will be present during the tournament proper, but Smith revealed in his interview that should Norman give the green light, players will be contractually obligated to don the logos.
These are, however, relatively harmless measures to boost LIV Golf’s image.
In truth, only a victory, or deep contention from one of its stars, will do this weekend.
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LIV’S BEST HOPE
The likelihood of a LIV player winning is slim, but there is certainly potential that should be recognised.
Many have done so before — Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel and Johnson all own green jackets. However, from that group, only Johnson can claim to be a genuine chance this weekend with the others looking like fading forces.
Arguably LIV’s biggest threats, however, are two players who haven’t won the Masters, Smith and Koepka.
Having won four majors between 2017 and 2019, Koepka fell into a long line of golf’s heavyweights whose body betrayed them at their peak.
His only victory on the PGA Tour after 2019 was the Phoenix Open in 2021. A year later, he took off for LIV Golf as it became clear his body would no longer cope with the rigours of a full FedEx Cup season.
But all hope was not lost for his career — Koepka is fighting fit again and comes into the Masters having won the most recent LIV Golf event in Orlando, becoming the tour’s first repeat winner in the process.
“I’m finally healthy and it’s good to play some good golf,” Koepka said.
“It gives me chills thinking of the capabilities of what I can do when I’m healthy. Going into next week that’s what you want to see.”
Koepka has come close at Augusta before, finishing second to Tiger Woods in 2019, and finishing inside the top 10 in 2020.
Smith has also come close, most notably playing in last year’s final pairing with eventual champion Scottie Scheffler, while he also enjoyed top-five finishes in 2018 and 2020.
The Queenslander says he feels at home at Augusta, whose undulations and fast conditions remind him of playing on sandbelt courses in Australia.
Smith concedes his game is not in the same place as it was 12 months ago — a dip he owes to spending the off-season in Australia instead of on the range in the US, like he did in 2021-22.
Nonetheless, he brushed aside concerns that he won’t be able to contend this year, saying: “I feel like no matter how I’ve played here in the past, I’ve always been somewhat happy with how the week has gone.
“I’m tournament-ready. I’m confident that I can win.
“Driving down Magnolia Lane, I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s just like a love for this place. This is my happy place and I love being here.”
‘LAUGHS AND HANDSHAKES’
What happens next is anyone’s guess, but what’s certain is that this year’s Masters hasn’t yet produced a spiteful showdown between the game’s at-war parties.
The established PGA banned LIV players and a legal fight is set for a 2024 trial — but within the haven of a major tournament at Augusta, tensions have been kept largely at bay.
There are 18 LIV Golf players present, and many have spoken of a relaxed atmosphere on arrival.
“Lots of laughs, lots of handshakes and it was really nice,” Smith said of his one-hour workout.
“I really wasn’t sure what I was going to expect walking onto the range but it was good to see some familiar faces and lot of smiles.
“There’s too much rubbish going on… I don’t think there’s any kind of hatred going on between the players. We’re all happy where we are and I’m just as happy for the guys winning on the PGA Tour as I am for LIV golfers.”
2020 Masters winner and fellow LIV Golf member Johnson also recalled having a pleasant experience on his return.
“It’s nice to see a lot of the guys because I haven’t seen them all that much,” Johnson said.
“For me it’s the same. All my buddies are still my buddies and we play and it’s still golf. So it doesn’t matter where you play at.”
Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, added: “A lot of the people competing in the Masters are friends for decades and I’m looking forward to seeing them again.
Meanwhile, 2017 winner Sergio Garcia said: “I’m going to feel fine. I don’t have any problems with anyone and I try not to make a big deal out of it.”
The first tee is set for Thursday night (AEST), and it will be interesting to see how swiftly the mood changes should any LIV players contend deep into the major.
With LIV struggling to make extra headway in season two, more than just a green jacket could hinge upon it.
— With AFP
