LIV - at The JCB Golf Club

The huge wealth of the Saudi private investment fund has allowed for a genuine rival to the main professional golf tours around the world. Vast signing-on fees for superstar golfers including a raft of major champions has given the new 54 hole league some serious credibility in the eyes of the golfing world. Perhaps the purest are aghast at the lack of formality and the additional noise by music and rock concerts that accompany the golf, but customers love it.

The most recent event in the UK was held at JCB Golf Club near Uttoxeter. The JCB Golf Club is owned by the Bramford family whose diggers and construction vehicles lead the market. Not surprisingly, at the JCB Golf Club there are scores of yellow and black diggers helping to groom and prepare for this huge golf tournament. 

LIV is Latin script for 54 and this is the number of holes that are played in the main event. There is no cut and the field is limited to 54 players and run on a shotgun start basis. There is also a substantial team element, made more interesting by the huge prize fund on offer. There are 14 events each year and this year the top 24 players will be safe from relegation and secure their playing rights for all 14 events the following year. The next 24 players in the Order of Merit can be swapped out, relegated or transferred with other players, so there is now some substantial competition for those wishing to stay on this particularly lucrative gravy train. The bottom six players in the event are relegated and will have to earn their playing rights again. 

Despite the huge riches on offer and the undeniably strong field, none of the LIV events attract world ranking points. The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) are the current basis for the major championships to assemble the strongest possible field for the four most important events of the year. As no LIV event attracts world ranking points, there are fewer and fewer LIV golfers exempt for the major championships. This is pure lunacy as it is quite clear that many of the LIV professionals should be included in major championships. It is a very awkward question for Peter Dawson, who chairs the 0WGR board. His argument is that it is not an objection in principle to LIV, but rather the style of event  that prevents world ranking points being awarded for the top performance. Of course, this is complete nonsense and the finest golfers should be included at the finest events.

Following a blizzard of lawsuits from both sides, the Saudi and the PGA tour got together and agreed a framework of understanding many months ago. This was meant to ensure peace and serenity in the golf world, but it has yet to materialise. Many of the top stars from the PGA Tour are greatly aggrieved that they have missed out on large signing on fees for LIV and they therefore do not want to welcome their former colleagues back, unless of course they are paid revoltingly large sums of money too. 

As often is the case, money and greed get in the way of common sense.

From a non-golfers point of view, these LIV events are far more exciting to watch than a normal PGA or European Tour event. There’s much more razzmatazz, the music is a great advantage and there is a general air of excitement and entertainment which is missing from the more formal surroundings of a mainstream tour event. 

Greg Norman, a former world number one and two-time Open Champion is the chief executive of LIV Golf. He has done a wonderful job of promoting the series, but he has also done a wonderful job of putting everybody’s nose out of line. He has always prized himself on being a number one disrupter as well as a fabulous golfer. The Saudis have much to answer for on the human rights record, but few of the countries in the world today are blameless on these issues and whilst the Saudi stance on homosexuality, human rights, not forgetting mass executions and a highly questionable legal system is a complete disgrace, it must also be stated that Saudi Arabia has modernised and improved its record substantially over the last few years. There is a long distance to go, but progress is being made. 

Much has been promised in terms of a new deal for global golf and a world tour would certainly seem to be in the best interests of promoting Golf as a sport. However, many of the American golfers do not wish to travel as extensively as some other others and their reluctance to play events in more far-flung regions is one more reason for the PGA Tour remaining rooted in the USA. Many of the LIV golfers are also delighted with the lighter schedule combined with the huge prize funds at each event; many of them do not wish to return to a full playing schedule either.

There is much work to do before this golfing riddle can be solved. Every two years the Ryder Cup is staged and both the European and USA teams will have awkward selection issues to balance the best team, yet not reward LIV golfers with the honour of playing in the most compelling event in golf.

Nevertheless, the JCB event was a great success and the course stood up well to tournament play. It is not a classic course, but it was presented in perfect condition and provided a wonderful opportunity for many golf fans to enjoy seeing genuine superstars playing for lots of money in a less formal environment.

There must be a way that the world tour can operate together with the Saudi backed LIV Golf tour to create some harmony and a world tour. Just don’t hold your breath.