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The PGA Tour-LIV merger shook the golf world. Players reacted *very* differently

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The PGA Tour and LIV Golf announced a merger Tuesday morning.

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The golf world was shook to its very core Tuesday morning.

In a surprising reversal, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf announced they will be merging into one entity. The announcement ends a months-long standoff between some of golf’s largest stakeholders, and changes the landscape of the sport as we know it.

The merger came as a surprise to all but the inner-most parties of each body. PGA Tour members heard the news via social media — at least according to their tweets — with Jay Monahan sending a letter to players shortly after.

“I love finding out morning news on Twitter,” Collin Morikawa wrote.

I love finding out morning news on Twitter — Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa) June 6, 2023

Callum Tarren, a second-year Tour pro, said in an interview with Golf Channel he found out the news while in the fitness trailer at this week’s RBC Canadian Open. He also said that he feels as though players who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour were kicked “in the teeth.”

“Obviously Rory [McIlroy] was a huge advocate of the PGA Tour,” he said. “And now he kind of looks like all his hard work and sticking up for the PGA Tour was left by the wayside.”

(McIlroy has not publicly made any statements in regards to the mergers, but many other pros have.)

PGA Tour, LIV Golf announce plan to merge in stunning reversal

After months of preaching anti-LIV sentiments, especially as it pertains to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, Jay Monahan made an appearance on CNBC with Yasir Al Rumayyan, governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, explaining the merger.

“A lot of people have been reading about the tension,” Monahan said. “And we’ve talked a lot, and I said previously that we were going down our path and they were going down theirs. And today, that tension goes away. The litigation is dropped. We’re announcing to the world that on behalf of this game, we’re coming together.”

Some players were not pleased with Monahan’s plan to not only merge with LIV, but also keep Tour members in the dark about the decision.

Was having quite the nice practice session this morning too pic.twitter.com/qWBKuM2yHO — Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 6, 2023

“Tell me why Jay Monahan basically got a promotion to CEO of all golf in the world by going back on everything he said the past 2 years?” Dylan Wu tweeted. “The hypocrisy. Wish golf worked like that. I guess money always wins.”

Wesley Bryan added: “I feel betrayed, and will not not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA Tour for a very long time.”

A players’ meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. today at the RBC Canadian Open.

LIV golfers, however, struck quite a different tune when the news broke. Phil Mickelson, one of LIV’s biggest names and one of the most ardent supporters of the tour, quote tweeted the merger news and said, “Awesome day today.”

Awesome day today 😊 https://t.co/qUwVJiydym — Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023

Others also chimed in.

Soo can I play tpc sugarloaf again? @PGATOUR — Andy Ogletree (@andy_ogletree) June 6, 2023

Time to get on the bush hog — Harold Varner III (@HV3_Golf) June 6, 2023

Alluding to Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee’s critical takes on LIV Golf, Brooks Koepka tweeted, “Welfare check on Chamblee.” Bryson DeChambeau posted “What a monumental day for the game of golf!!” to his Instagram story.

With details emerging as the day progresses, there is only more fallout to come, but one thing is certain: pro golf will never be the same after today.

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What Tour Leaders and Players are Saying About the Merger

Players and officials are split on the a blockbuster agreement.

By Victor Mather

• June 6, 2023

PGA Tour officials and LIV leaders hailed the announcement on Tuesday that their competing golf series would be joining forces, but players were split on the news. Here’s what they were saying:

“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love.” — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan , who is expected to be the chief executive of the new entity.

“There is no question that the LIV model has been positively transformative for golf. We believe there are opportunities for the game to evolve while also maintaining its storied history and tradition.” — The Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan , who will become chairman of the board of the merged tour.

“Awesome day today.” — Phil Mickelson , who left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf.

“Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.” — Mackenzie Hughes , PGA Tour player.

“Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right?” — Michael Kim , PGA Tour player.

“This is one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf. I do believe that the governing bodies, the entities, the professional entities, have sacrificed their principles for profits.” — Brandel Chamblee , a Golf Channel analyst who has been sharply critical of the LIV Tour.

“Welfare check on Chamblee.” — LIV golfer Brooks Koepka , referring to Chamblee, who last week declared that “any yielding to or agreement with them is a deal with a murderous dictator.”

“Now that we’re all friends, is it too late for us to workshop some of these team names?” — Max Homa , PGA Tour player, referring to LIV teams like Crushers, Iron Heads and Majesticks.

Victor Mather covers every sport for The Times. More about Victor Mather

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‘How many people knew?’ Golfers react to shock merger between PGA Tour and LIV Golf

Phil mickelson was delighted by the ‘awesome’ news, article bookmarked.

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Golfers have reacted with surprise at the sudden announcement of a merger between the PGA Tour , Europe’s DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s controversial LIV Golf .

The news, announced in a statement on Tuesday, ended the legal wrangling between the parties, and the initial reaction among golfers suggested they were not informed and had no say in the outcome.

“I love finding out morning news on Twitter,” two-time major winner Collin Morikawa tweeted. Fellow American PGA Tour player Michael Kim wrote: “Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right?” Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes tweeted: “Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.”

The reliably droll Joel Dahmen tweeted a dig at LIV Golf’s team format: “I’ve grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour!”

While the details remain sketchy, the deal will see a way back to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour for those players who jumped ship for vast sums of money to join LIV over the past two years.

One golfer was delighted with the news. Phil Mickelson has been one of the leading figures on the LIV Golf tour and has been outspoken in his criticisms of the PGA Tour and its defenders, including Rory McIlroy.

“Awesome day today,” Mickelson tweeted.

And Brooks Koepka, another leading LIV star fresh from winning the PGA Championship in New York, aimed a dig at one of the Saudi tour’s most outspoken critics, NBC and Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee.

“Welfare Check on Chamblee,” Koepka wrote.

South Korea’s Byeong Hun An offered an analysis of what unfolded in negoatiations between the parties. “I’m guessing the liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours but it’s a big [loss] for [those] who defended the tour for last two years.”

Sahith Theegala, ranked 27th in the world, described the news as “crazy” and warned there was “no way” PGA Tour players would accept the news developments.

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LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger stuns players and sparks a range of reactions around golf

Topic: Sport

The shock merger of rivals LIV Golf and the PGA Tour has driven a range of reaction, both positive and negative.  ( Getty Images )

The merger of the PGA Tour and rival LIV Golf, which will turn the game of golf upside down for the second time since 2021, has driven a storm of interest and reaction from players and sporting figures alike. 

Key points:

• Rival golf competitions PGA Tour and LIV Golf have ended their sporting and legal battles, agreeing to merge
• PGA Tour players were left stunned by the sudden deal, with many voicing anger and frustration
• Golf greats like Jack Nicklaus welcomed the deal, but families of 9/11 victims criticised the PGA for 'hypocrisy and greed' in taking money from Saudi Arabia 

The deal was reported by news outlets before PGA Tour CEO Jay Monahan could tell most players.

Reactions ran the gamut from joy to fury and everything in between.

"Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we're merging with a tour that we said we'd never do that with," Mackenzie Hughes tweeted.

"And everyone thought yesterday was the longest day in golf," tweeted Collin Morikawa, who also said he found out about the merger on Twitter.

Justin Thomas was in the middle of a practice session when he said his phone lit up with notifications.

Tyrell Hatton simply tweeted an NFL blindside hit. Sepp Straka felt that was an accurate depiction.

Many were not happy. Wesley Bryan tweeted: "I feel betrayed, and will not … be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA Tour for a very long time."

Byeong Hun An added on Twitter: “I’m guessing the liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years.”

Staying out of the social media storm was Rory McIlroy, who spent the past year vehemently defending the PGA Tour against LIV before going quiet on the topic in recent weeks.

Phil Mickelson, among the loudest LIV defectors, called Tuesday "an awesome day".

Monahan eventually discussed the decision with a group of golfers on a call that he said was “intense, certainly heated”.

"They were going down their path, we were going down ours, and after a lot of introspection you realise all this tension in the game is not a good thing," Monahan said.

"We have a responsibility to our tour and to the game, and we felt like the time was right to have that conversation."

The deal was in the works for the last seven weeks, when Monahan first met with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund.

Players typically approve changes to the schedule and other competition matters.

On this one, they were left out.

"No-one had word of this," Monahan said.

"Our players expect us to operate in the best interests of the tour."

Who has welcomed the deal?

Jack Nicklaus says he supports "whatever is best for the game". ( Getty Images: NurPhoto/Jorge Lemus )

Golf great Jack Nicklaus, who holds the record for major titles won with 18, welcomed the announcement.

"The last three years have been difficult for the game and the players," he told the Palm Beach Post newspaper.

"I spoke with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan this morning. He seemed pleased with the arrangement that will once again bring together the best players in the world. I agree that this is good for the game of golf.

"I also appreciate the commissioner's comments about continuing the tradition of the Tour and the mission to support important charitable causes. I am certainly interested in seeing the details.

"Jay indicated that this all will happen in 2024, so very soon the proof will be in the pudding.

"Whatever is best for the game of golf enjoys my full support."

Nicklaus said he was offered $US100 million ($149.7 million) by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund to be the CEO of the upstart circuit, a post that eventually went to Greg Norman.

Nicklaus said then that LIV "wasn't for me".

Other members of golf's establishment spoke out in favour of the agreement, including the Masters and the R&A.

"As we have expressed previously, what makes golf special is its rich history and ability to bring people together. We are encouraged by this announcement, which represents a positive development in bringing harmony to men's professional golf," Masters chairman Fred Ridley said in a statement.

"Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament are -- and will remain -- devoted to developing the game and celebrating its many virtues."

The announcement was welcomed by Martin Slumbers, CEO of the Royal & Ancient (R&A), which governs golf outside of the United States and Mexico and oversees The Open Championship in July.

Slumbers would have been set to host defending champion Cam Smith of LIV in a field loaded with PGA Tour players -- including third-place finisher in 2022, Rory McIlroy -- and European Tour players.

"We are pleased that an agreement has been reached which will help men's professional golf move forward in a collaborative, constructive and innovative fashion," Slumbers said.

"We care deeply about golf's future and are committed to ensuring that the sport continues to thrive for many years to come. This agreement represents a huge step toward achieving that goal for golf and we look forward to working with the new entity for the benefit of the sport globally."

Tours 'sacrificed principles for profits', analyst says

Golf Channel analyst and virulent critic of LIV Golf Brandel Chamblee called Tuesday's merger "one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf".

His comments came hours after the deal between golf's governing bodies and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

"I was completely shocked," Chamblee said on Golf Channel.

"After the shock sort of ebbed away, I was hugely disappointed. I think it is one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf.

"I do believe that the governing bodies, the professional entities, have sacrificed their principles for profits."

9/11 families criticise PGA Tour

The decision was also slated by other groups, with 9/11 Families United releasing a statement saying it was "shocked and deeply offended".

"PGA Tour leaders should be ashamed of their hypocrisy and greed," wrote chairwoman Terry Strada.

"Our entire 9/11 community has been betrayed by Commissioner Monahan and the PGA as it appears their concern for our loved ones was merely window-dressing in their quest for money — it was never to honour the great game of golf."

Fifteen of the 19 hijackers that perpetrated attacks on 9/11 were Saudi citizens and Strada's husband, Tom, was among those killed.

In addition, the Saudi government was linked to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

"Now the PGA and Monahan appear to have become just more paid Saudi shills, taking billions of dollars to cleanse the Saudi reputation so that Americans and the world will forget how the Kingdom spent their billions of dollars before 9/11 to fund terrorism, spread their vitriolic hatred of Americans, and finance Al Qaeda and the murder of our loved ones," Strada went on to write.

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The PGA Tour-LIV deal stunned pro golfers — and upset more than a few

A little over a year after LIV Golf, the Saudi-funded breakaway league, divided the sport’s professional ranks by offering some of the world’s best players outrageous sums to play less frequently, PGA Tour golfers were apparently left stunned Tuesday by the announcement that the entities would merge parts of their operations .

Mackenzie Hughes, a Canadian on the PGA Tour who is ranked 67th in the world, summed up how the news was revealed and the sour feelings among tour players when he tweeted , “Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.”

PGA Tour agrees to partner with Saudi-backed LIV Golf, ending bitter feud

Phil Mickelson, who sacrificed much of his popularity when he left the PGA Tour for a hefty paycheck from LIV, tweeted simply, “An awesome day today.”

The agreement comes after months of hard feelings and back-and-forth litigation between LIV and the PGA Tour. In their announcement, the sides agreed to end “all pending litigation.”

“I think that what’s transpired the last year and a half,” PGA Tour veteran Adam Hadwin said at a news conference Tuesday, “and the rhetoric, not only on this side but on that side as well — I think it’s difficult to look at that and say, ‘How did we get here now?’ ”

The news was announced Tuesday morning as PGA Tour players prepared for this weekend’s Canadian Open in Toronto, where a meeting was held that afternoon between players and Commissioner Jay Monahan, who brokered the deal largely in secret with his Saudi counterparts. Hadwin told TSN beforehand that he anticipated “a lot of screaming and yelling and complaining” at the meeting, and Monahan subsequently described the encounter as “intense, certainly heated.”

Tell me why Jay Monahan basically got a promotion to CEO of all golf in the world by going back on everything he said the past 2 years. The hypocrisy. Wish golf worked like that. I guess money always wins @PGATOUR — Dylan Wu (@dylan_wu59) June 6, 2023

I’m guessing the liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years — Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) June 6, 2023

“The guys who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour, it’s kind of a kick in the teeth to them,” PGA Tour player Callum Tarren said on Golf Channel . “Obviously Rory [McIlroy] was a huge advocate of the PGA Tour, and now it kind of looks like all his hard work and sticking up for the PGA Tour was left by the wayside.”

What questions do you have about the PGA-LIV partnership? Ask The Post.

Players such as McIlroy surely had plenty to discuss in Toronto, including how the news came to them. “I love finding out morning news on Twitter,” tweeted Collin Morikawa, a two-time major champion. Mark Hubbard tweeted that he was as much in the dark as anyone, writing , “I find out all of my information from text chains and ESPN alerts like the rest of you so stop texting me.”

pic.twitter.com/dndiYfJ12u — Tyrrell Hatton (@TyrrellHatton) June 6, 2023

What’s happening? — David Lingmerth (@dlingmerth) June 6, 2023

The immediate responses were by turns salty, snarky and serious about just how golfers who took massive amounts of money to jump to LIV will return to the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour had banned players who defected to LIV, but the organizations now “will work cooperatively and in good faith to establish a fair and objective process for any players who desire to reapply for membership,” Tuesday’s announcement read.

Common sense has prevailed!!! — Bernd Wiesberger (@BWiesberger) June 6, 2023

I’ve grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour! — Joel Dahmen (@Joel_Dahmen) June 6, 2023

Brooks Koepka, who earned a symbolic victory for LIV when he won the PGA Championship last month , took a poke at Brandel Chamblee, the Golf Channel commentator who recently called out the Saudis for using golf to “sportswash,” a term used to describe creating a distraction from the country’s human rights abuses.

Welfare Check on Chamblee — Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) June 6, 2023

Chamblee appeared on Golf Channel later Tuesday and said he was “completely shocked” by the news. “After the shock sort of ebbed away, I was hugely disappointed,” Chamblee said . “I think this is one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf. I do believe that the governing bodies, the professional entities, have sacrificed their principles for profit.”

LIV star Bryson DeChambeau saw things in a more positive light.

“There’s been too many times where it’s been frustrating, not being able to say certain things,” he said on SiriusXM Radio , “but then all of a sudden we all come together and it’s like, ‘Let’s put down our weapons and figure this out.’ … Could things have been handled differently on both sides? For sure, but we’re now at the point where we’re merging together, and we’re making this for the best interests of the fans and for the game of golf in general.”

Former president Donald Trump , whose Trump National Golf Club hosted a LIV tournament in Northern Virginia last month, praised the agreement on Truth Social, his social media platform. “Great news from LIV golf,” Trump posted. “A big, beautiful and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf. Congrats to all!!!”

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) mentioned his recent meeting with PGA Tour officials, tweeting : “So weird. PGA officials were in my office just months ago talking about how the Saudis’ human rights record should disqualify them from having a stake in a major American sport. I guess maybe their concerns weren’t really about human rights?”

Augusta National — host of the Masters, which, like each of the sport’s major tournaments, allowed LIV golfers to participate this year — remained neutral in a statement it released Tuesday afternoon. The Georgia-based club echoed sentiments expressed by the USGA, LPGA and Britain’s R&A that the day’s developments served as an important step toward bringing cohesion to, as the women’s tour put it , a “fractured ecosystem.”

“As we have expressed previously, what makes golf special is its rich history and ability to bring people together,” Augusta National’s statement read. “We are encouraged by this announcement, which represents a positive development in bringing harmony to men’s professional golf. Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament are — and will remain — devoted to developing the game and celebrating its many virtues.”

Donald Trump and others react to PGA and LIV’s ‘big, beautiful, and glamorous deal’

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Former President Trump predicted this day would come.

Last July, while taking part in a pro-am during an LIV Golf event at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., Trump heaped praise on the newly formed, Saudi-backed tour while criticizing the PGA Tour and the golfers that remained loyal to it.

“You have really the best players in the world, many of the best players in the world,” he said at the time, “and soon you’ll probably have all of them because remember this, [when] there’s a merger, the people that didn’t come, they will never get anything except a thank you from people that took advantage.”

That merger happened Tuesday — and Trump was quick to share his excitement with a post on his Truth Social platform.

“Great news from LIV golf,” he wrote. “A big, beautiful, and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf.”

The PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund , which operates LIV Golf, announced an agreement Tuesday that combines the two entities and will also encompass the DP World Tour, which is also known as the European Tour. The new group’s name will be announced at a later date.

Commentary: PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf agree to merge. Now comes the fallout

Leaders of the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf have been locked in a fight over the future of golf. On Tuesday, they announced a shocking merger.

June 6, 2023

The former president wasn’t the only one to respond on social media to the announcement. Greg Norman, LIV’s chief executive, and two of the biggest names on the LIV roster — Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson — expressed their pleasure. Koepka got in a dig at Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, who had criticized the golfers who had joined the controversial new tour.

Good morning! pic.twitter.com/MR5pfkrQDa — Greg Norman Jr (@GregJrNorman) June 6, 2023

Awesome day today 😊 https://t.co/qUwVJiydym — Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023

Welfare Check on Chamblee — Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) June 6, 2023

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, two PGA golfers who had been among the most vocal objectors to LIV Golf, have not yet publicly responded to the merger. Other PGA golfers expressed surprise, and often anger, at an announcement that caught many off guard.

And everyone thought yesterday was the longest day in golf — Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa) June 6, 2023

Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right? 🤷🏻‍♂️ — Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 6, 2023

I feel betrayed, and will not not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA TOUR for a very long time — Wesley Bryan (@wesleybryangolf) June 6, 2023

Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with. — Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) June 6, 2023

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Pro golfers react to shocking pga tour - liv golf merger, share this article.

WHOAAAAAAAAAAA!

It’s a wild day in the golf world. Because, seemingly out of nowhere, after months of fighting publicly and in court, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are … merging.

Along with the DP World Tour, the deal announced on Tuesday sent shockwaves through the golf world, including with players, many of whom didn’t have a clue this was happening.

What does it all mean for them? What does it mean for the future of professional golf? Those questions will be answered down the road. For right now, all we know is there’s an agreement, and all that fighting between players and tours is done.

Here’s the reaction from pros on Twitter:

Welfare Check on Chamblee — Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) June 6, 2023

I’ve grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour! — Joel Dahmen (@Joel_Dahmen) June 6, 2023

I love finding out morning news on Twitter — Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa) June 6, 2023

Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right? 🤷🏻‍♂️ — Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 6, 2023

The golf world right now.. pic.twitter.com/RRtdXFbYNJ — Smylie Kaufman (@SmylieKaufman10) June 6, 2023

Awesome day today 😊 https://t.co/qUwVJiydym — Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023

🤔 https://t.co/9Hx4rGZSrI — Smylie Kaufman (@SmylieKaufman10) June 6, 2023

Reaction from Sahith Theegala. Players just in absolute shock. pic.twitter.com/E8rCLvOtCi — Gabby Herzig (@GabbyHerzig) June 6, 2023

Was having quite the nice practice session this morning too pic.twitter.com/qWBKuM2yHO — Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 6, 2023

https://t.co/ON6E91L3GE pic.twitter.com/6zGxWZ1orE — max homa (@maxhoma23) June 6, 2023

Time to get on the bush hog — Harold Varner III (@HV3_Golf) June 6, 2023

pic.twitter.com/dndiYfJ12u — Tyrrell Hatton (@TyrrellHatton) June 6, 2023

Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with. — Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) June 6, 2023

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Liv golf players react to pga tour suspensions.

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Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson launched tee shots in the Saudi-funded golf league on Thursday, and it wasn’t long before the PGA Tour said its players who took part were no longer welcome, even if they had already resigned.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan held a hard line on his pledge that players could choose one tour or the other, but not both.

Those who had resigned from the PGA Tour — Graeme McDowell said he did so 30 minutes before he teed off — were no longer eligible on any PGA Tour circuit. Those who remained members, such as Mickelson, were suspended.

“These players have made their choice or their own financial-based reasons,” Monahan said in a memo to his membership. “But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you.”

Ian Poulter said he would appeal the ruling. McDowell said he wanted to “keep the high moral ground” by resigning to try to keep litigation to a minimum. He thinks suspensions are a healthy way to go about business.

Mickelson had nothing to say except that he didn’t want to talk about the PGA Tour in his first tournament in four months, only to confirm he will play all eight of the LIV events, five of which will be in the United States.

When told that people were interested in his situation, Mickelson replied, “I’m very flattered so many people are interested.”

Still to be determined is whether those players are ever welcome back. For now, Monahan made it clear that the suspensions include the Presidents Cup — the International team (countries outside Europe) is determined by the world ranking.

Monahan said the players who resigned will have their names removed from the PGA Tour standings — FedEx Cup and Presidents Cup — after this week. He said the tour will make sure those who haven’t resigned will not affect rankings on various lists of tour players.

The USGA already has said eligible players can still compete in the U.S. Open next week. The PGA Tour does not run the majors.

PGA champion Justin Thomas and four-time major champion Rory McIlroy welcomed the decision from the tour stop this week at the Canadian Open.

“I think anybody that’s shocked clearly hasn’t been listening to the message that Jay and everybody’s been putting out,” Thomas said. “They took that risk going into it, whether they thought it was a risk or not. I have great belief and great confidence in the PGA Tour and where we’re going and continuing to grow to, and those guys just aren’t going to be a part of it.”

Ten players have resigned from the PGA Tour, a list that includes Johnson and Sergio Garcia. Mickelson, who has lifetime membership with 45 PGA Tour titles, is among those who has not.

LIV Golf, run by Greg Norman and funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, responded to the tour’s decision by calling it vindictive and divisive.

“It’s troubling that the tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing,” LIV Golf said. “This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.”

At issue is players competing without a conflicting event release from the PGA Tour.

Players typically receive three such releases a year for tournaments overseas. Monahan denied releases for the LIV Golf Invitational because it is an eight-tournament series that plans to compete directly with the PGA Tour in the United States.

The tour does not allow releases for events in North America.

“We have followed the tournament regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation,” he wrote.

LIV Golf has paid enormous signing fees, with The Daily Telegraph reporting $150 million for Johnson and Mickelson declining to dispute reports he was paid $200 million. Both are more than Tiger Woods’ career earnings on the PGA Tour.

Norman has said LIV would support the players even if it wound up in the courts. McDowell said some players already have spoken to lawyers.

“We haven’t been issued releases. We feel like we should have been issued releases. We’ve done it for the last 20 years, operated all over the world,” McDowell said. “Listen, we all know the situation is about something bigger. It’s competition and it’s not liked. They are having to play the game the way they feel they have to play it, which is playing hard ball.”

The DP World Tour has not said whether it would suspend its players. It has an alliance with the PGA Tour commercially, including the first co-sanctioned events this year on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

The first test for PGA Tour players figures to be the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, the week after the U.S. Open. Johnson was among those listed in the field.

The LIV Golf Invitational was being streamed on YouTube and Facebook. Before the opening round, Norman said he was thrilled to see an effort 30 years in the making come to fruition.

He tried to start a World Golf Tour in the 1990s for only the elite players and had a TV contract lined up until the PGA Tour quashed the moment with support from Arnold Palmer. That circuit never got off the ground.

This one did, with the backing of riches the likes of which golf has never seen.

Each tournament offers $25 million in prize money, with $4 million for the individual winner. The PGA Tour’s richest event is The Players Championship at $20 million. The Canadian Open this week, which has five of the top-10 players in the world, has an $8.7 million purse.

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Jack Nicklaus’ surprising reaction to PGA Tour LIV Golf merger

The 18-time major winner revealed some interesting thoughts following the bombshell news about men’s professional golf.

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Jack Nicklaus knows a thing or two about golf.

His opinions carry tremendous weight as he has spent a lifetime shaping the game, the PGA Tour, and his beloved Memorial Tournament .

Following the announcement of the PGA Tour’s merger with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, Nicklaus weighed in on the situation.

“The last three years have been difficult for the game and the players,” Nicklaus said to the Palm Beach Post. “I spoke with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan this morning. He seemed pleased with the arrangement that will once again bring together the best players in the world. I agree that this is good for the game of golf.”

Golf’s great schism appears to be in the rearview mirror, to the delight of Nicklaus.

“I also appreciate the commissioner’s comments about continuing the tradition of the tour and the mission to support important charitable causes,” Nicklaus added. “I am certainly interested in seeing the details. [Monahan] indicated that this all will happen in 2024, so very soon, the proof will be in the pudding. Whatever is best for the game of golf enjoys my full support.”

Nicklaus saying that this agreement is good for the game comes as somewhat of a surprise, considering the frustration shared among PGA Tour players, the accusations of hypocrisy thrown Monahan’s way, and the understanding of who the beneficiary is in PIF.

Yet, the 18-time major winner has long supported anything that will benefit the game of golf in the long run.

For years, the “Golden Bear” has argued in favor of rolling back the golf ball for the game’s best players, saying that tour players today hit it too far. He feels this move will help the integrity of the game, the irrigation systems on golf courses, and also limit the costs of course renovation and expansion.

Nicklaus has shared his thoughts on LIV Golf too, saying he does “not even consider those guys part of the game anymore.”

“This is a PGA Tour event, and we have the best field we can possibly have for a PGA Tour event for those who are eligible to be here,” Nicklaus said ahead of the 2023 Memorial Tournament. “The other guys made a choice of what they did and where they’ve gone, and we don’t even talk about it.”

With the announcement of the merger, those on the LIV Golf circuit can play in the 2024 Memorial Tournament. Monahan previously suspended players who defected to the breakaway tour, but they can now re-apply for PGA Tour membership after the 2023 season.

It sounds as though Nicklaus is ready to move forward.

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‘He Moves the Delta:’ Jason Day, Justin Rose React to Jon Rahm Leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf

• Author: Gabrielle Herzig

NAPLES, Fla. — Reports of Jon Rahm leaving the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf loomed large on Thursday at the Grant Thornton Invitational. 

With less than a month remaining until the Dec. 31 deadline for the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund (LIV’s backer) to settle on a deal, Rahm’s departure could be especially impactful. The two-time major champion and world No. 3 has reportedly traveled to New York City to finalize details of his contract for 2024.  

Former World No. 1 players Justin Rose and Jason Day both had strong reactions to the news, citing the potentially detrimental impact of Rahm’s move for the PGA Tour. 

“This is a huge part of the jigsaw puzzle that you’ve seen Jon go,” former world No. 1 Justin Rose said to Sports Illustrated after Thursday’s pro-am at Tiburon Golf Club. “And then I don’t know who else goes with Jon. I mean, obviously if it’s just Jon, that’s bad enough. What does that mean now to the trickle if it’s Jon plus a trickle?” 

Initially, the framework agreement between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF included a clause that would prevent the poaching of players while negotiations were still underway. However, antitrust regulations caused that specific condition to be dropped. 

Rumors of Rahm’s defection have been circulating since the Ryder Cup . His decision to pull out of TGL , the simulator golf league started by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy , only added fuel to the fire. In the past, the Spaniard has been firm about his opposition to LIV Golf—not only the league’s 54-hole shotgun-start format but the very idea of playing golf for money. 

Justin Rose (left) and Jon Rahm, pictured at the 2023 British Open, were also teammates at the Ryder Cup.

Oisin Keniry/Getty Images

“I laugh when people rumor me with LIV Golf," Rahm said in August on the Spanish-speaking podcast Golf Sin Etiquetas.  “I never liked the format.” Back at the 2022 U.S. Open he said “never really played the game of golf for monetary reasons.”

Since Rahm’s name re-entered the rumor mill, however, he has been silent. 

“The silence is deafening, for sure. There’s a lot of smoke without there having been a bit of a fire to start it up. We’re talking as if going to happen. We may as well assume it’s going to happen now, because I think there’s been a lot of window of opportunity for him to have said something different,” Rose said.

Rose competed alongside Rahm in this year’s Ryder Cup in Rome, where much was made of the Spaniard’s distinguished place in European golf history. The Englishman referenced Rahm’s concern about his “legacy” as one of the elements that makes the decision particularly shocking.

“I think Jon’s a legacy-focused player. He really represents Spain, he understands who he’s following there in terms of Seve (Ballesteros) and Jose Maria (Olazabal). So I don’t think he was careless about this decision,” Rose said. 

More than anything, however, Rose is realistic about the magnitude of Rahm’s move. If the division between the two tours continues and a deal is not reached, LIV’s recruitment of Rahm only helps their long-term cause. 

“We’re all trying to evaluate PGA Tour versus LIV in the sense of the fan base and the economics around both tours, but he’s the delta. He moves the delta. He weakens one side and strengthens the other. So it’s a big move,” Rose said. 

Day, whose name was also floated in recent LIV Golf rumors, was less shocked to see the report of his departure. With several close friends on the Saudi-funded league, many of whom are managed by his own agent, the Australian said he is “happy” for Rahm but wished he remained on the PGA Tour. 

“If he does go, it's gonna be sad to not see him as much because I actually like Jon a lot,” Day said. “But on the other end of it, I know that the numbers that they're throwing out or what I'm hearing is generational wealth. That is actually quite significant in regards to thinking about future generations as well. It's gotta be exciting for him. I know that for a fact. But I have mates over there so I don't fault anyone for going across. I mean, I wish he stayed and I wish a lot of the other guys stayed too. That's just the nature of the beast right now.”

Additionally, Day cleared the air as to his own intentions with LIV Golf at the moment, but left his future plans ambiguous if circumstances were to change. 

The former PGA champion admitted that if LIV had offered him an opportunity “one, two years ago,” before he made a resurgence after his debilitating back injury, he might have taken it. This season, Day won on the PGA Tour for the first time since 2018, at the AT&T Byron Nelson. He compared his situation to that of Brooks Koepka, who joined LIV coming off of a severe knee injury. 

“I think it was just based on pure speculation that typically, like in the beginning when everyone was looking at LIV, they'd be going ‘O.K., who's older, who's injured,’ you know what I mean?" Day said. "I think that kind of would make sense. Maybe if they would have come to me a year, two years ago, there might have been an opportunity for me to go because at the time with my back and everything, I was like sitting there going, ‘How much longer do I really have to play?’ Essentially the same thing as what kind of Brooks did. He was going through some injuries and everything but I've been healthy and I've kind of come out on the other side now.

“I've never really wanted to go across anyways. Right now I don't. Maybe, maybe I'll change my mind down the road sometime. Maybe I won't, I don't, I just don't know. I've never really been kind of down that road of like, oh, we're close to a finish line or any sort of contract, anything like that.”

Day, like Rose, sees Rahm’s LIV deal as a “big hit” to the PGA Tour. Nick Taylor, the winner of RBC Canadian Open in June, put it more bluntly: “It would suck. I don’t think anybody can argue that.” 

With Rahm and Koepka, the team-format league is now home to two of the major winners to come out of the 2023 season. 

Day also addressed speculation that Rahm’s negotiations with LIV were somehow related to the ongoing conversation between the PGA Tour and the PIF to reach a deal. The Australian was frank in saying that Rahm’s situation had nothing to do with finalizing the framework agreement. 

“No, if anyone offered you 400, 500, 600 million—I don't know what the number is but it's somewhere in that ballpark. If someone offered you that much, you'd play on Mars, you know what I mean?” Day said. “So, yeah, I don't think it has anything to do with the PIF and the PGA Tour deal or something.” 

Twenty-three year old Ludvig Aberg, another Ryder Cup teammate of Rahm’s, revealed that he was approached by LIV Golf “a few months ago.” But the rookie is committed to playing on the PGA Tour.  

“Obviously I love him as a person and a player,” Aberg said. “And selfishly, I would love to compete against him, But everyone is entitled to their own opinions and decisions, and everyone has to respect that.”

Rickie Fowler, who has previously been open about considering a contract with LIV Golf, also said that news of Rahm’s departure would not change his own career direction. 

“It doesn’t necessarily change where I’m at or anything like that,” Fowler said. “We definitely don’t want to lose anymore guys to LIV. I feel like we’re potentially in a good spot with the Tour as far as top players being together, I know there’s some other stuff player-related going on. Yeah, it doesn’t change where I’m at. Ultimately, I’m kind of always trying to make the Tour better.”

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Pga tour, tiger woods react to jon rahm's move to liv golf, share this article.

After weeks of speculation, the news finally broke that Jon Rahm is taking his talents from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf .

The world No. 3 and reigning Masters champion explained his move Thursday night on a conference call with reporters and spoke about his legacy often. Rahm said his move was because he likes the LIV Golf product, the idea of playing in different countries and the innovation the league is pushing.

It didn’t take the PGA Tour, and its most famous player, too long to respond.

“Our focus remains on the PGA Tour and unifying the game for our fans and players,” a PGA Tour spokesman said to Golfweek . “We can’t speak for decisions that any individual players might make but based on the momentum of the past season and strength of the PGA Tour, along with the accelerated interest from and negotiations with a number of outside investors, we are in position to make our players equity owners and further allow the Tour to invest in our members, invest in our fans and continue to lead men’s professional golf forward.”

Within minutes of Rahm’s announced departure, 15-time major champion and Tiger Woods shared a memo that was sent to players on Dec. 1 – more on that here – that stated the Tour’s player directors are united and working together to “represent the PGA Tour, the entire player membership, and best interests of the sport.”

It’s no coincidence that Woods shared the week-old memo in the brief wake of the Rahm announcement. After world No. 2 Rory McIlroy left his role as a player director, it appears Woods has picked up the slack as a player spokesman for the Tour, and he may have his hands full in the coming weeks if more players follow in Rahm’s footsteps.

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Pga tour players furious after learning about liv golf merger through twitter.

It seems like nobody told the players of the PGA Tour that they were merging with LIV Golf.

PGA Tour players reacted in shock Tuesday morning on Twitter after the Tour announced it would be merging with rival LIV Golf and the DP World Tour into one company.

“I love finding out morning news on Twitter,” two-time major champion Collin Morikawa wrote on the social media platform.

“You and me both,” Scott Stallings replied to Morikawa.

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf had been embroiled in antitrust litigation after the Saudi-backed rebel league lured some of the sport’s top players to LIV last year with nine-figure contracts.

There’s also been a very public war of words between the two sides, with LIV’s Greg Norman ripping PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Tour players such as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, who have spoken out against the controversial circuit.

“Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening,” Michael S. Kim wrote on Twitter. “About 5-7 people? Player run organization right?”

Another PGA player, Wesley Bryan, wrote, “Love finding out info on twitter. This is amazing. Y’all should be ashamed and have a lot of questions to answer.”

Joel Dahmen took a playful shot at the LIV Golf format in reaction to the news.

“I’ve grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour!” he wrote.

On the flip side, the LIV golfers seem to be pleased with the outcome.

“Awesome day today,” Phil Mickelson wrote on Twitter.

Brooks Koepka also wrote , “Welfare check on Chamblee,” referring to Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, an outspoken critic against LIV Golf.

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PGA Tour pro gives breakdown of the free stuff players get access to on tour

PGA Tour player, Michael Kim, has been incredibly engaging with fans over the past few years on his X account.

On Monday, Kim posted an answer to a question that he is frequently asked: What free stuff do professional golfers get access to?

Many of you asked what kind of free stuff we get access to so here’s a small breakdown: Golf clubs: If you play it during the tournament, it’s almost unlimited. If you’re a free agent, you can test whatever you want and mostly get anything you need. A new driver for 5 weeks in a… — Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) August 17, 2024

Here’s details of Kim’s full breakdown below:

Many of you asked what kind of free stuff we get access to so here’s a small breakdown:

“ Golf clubs: If you play it during the tournament, it’s almost unlimited. If you’re a free agent, you can test whatever you want and mostly get anything you need. A new driver for five weeks in a row? It’s probably ok, but most don’t since it’s likely not going to be good for your scores. Putters? I’m sure at a certain point, they’ll say no, especially if it’s a limited quantity, but most companies are very willing to give you stuff as long as you’re serious about using them during the tournament. Free clubs sound super cool, and at first, you’re a kid in a toy store. But at a certain point, you get really numb to it all. The coolest putters and shafts all just blend in, and at the end of the day, they are just equipment to do my job the best that I can. I used to freak out about Circle Ts and whatnot, but as soon as I got free access, it wasn’t nearly as cool.

Golf balls: Titleist gives me 3 dozen every tournament week and during practice weeks, I ask them to send a shipment of balls and usually comes with 6-10 dozen boxes. That’ll last me for a while. I’ve never had them say no for some extra golf balls but I never ask for more than I need.

Travel: United airlines, Omni hotels, Avis car rentals are pgatour partners so we get decent status on those but some are more useful than others. Idk when the last time I flew United since I live in Dallas.

Other discounts include: FedEx, Bridgestone tires, BMW, At&T, Hyperice. They aren’t crazy discounts by any means but definitely is nice if you want any of their products or services.

Apparel: It REALLY depends on the company. Some are known to be very tough to deal with, and they won’t provide the clothing in a timely manner, and sometimes even the sizes are off. Or sometimes the logos are itchy or the wrong size. A player might not get the warm sweaters and stuff until like March when you don’t need it as much. If you have a great partner @DunningGolf it’s no problem!? I have plenty of clothes, but we don’t get it sent every week, and we definitely do laundry every week. We don’t get scripted outfits every week, as that’s usually just a Major thing. I’ve heard countless stories where guys have signed apparel deals for money but then got out of the deal and just worn free stuff that other companies have sent out because it’s way better quality and reliable.

Shoes: I have two shoes with me, and I’ll switch them out maybe once a month? Maybe every 1.5 months? Certain guys like Billy or JT match their shoes to their outfit and there’s a ton of style and color you can order . I’m on the side that doesn’t change THAT often so I’ve never heard, you’ve ordered too many in a yearr haha “

There you have it! It certainly pays off to be a professional.

More from the 19th Hole

• Report: Tour insider claims Jon Rahm would give money back to Saudis to rejoin PGA Tour
• Matt Kuchar’s caddie has his say following 72nd hole walk off criticism
• ‘I despise it’ – Billy Horschel sounds off on his main gripe with FedEx Cup broadcast
• Find out more about GolfWRX and the GolfWRX forums.

While you’re here, take a look at BK’s breakdown of Hideki Matsuyama’s winning WITB. 

Report: Jon Rahm issues fiery response following claims he is desperate to rejoin PGA Tour

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Last week, Jaime Diaz at  Golf Digest , wrote that he spoke with a “tour insider” about LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm, who claimed that the Spaniard was unhappy with his decision to leave the PGA Tour.

“I am 100 percent positive that if Jon could give the money back to the Saudis and come back to the tour, he couldn’t write the check fast enough,” the ‘insider’ told Golf Digest.

“Now there are only four times a year when he’s playing that anybody is remotely interested.

“He thought his stature in the game was secure no matter where he was playing, and it was a bad miscalculation.”

At LIV Greenbrier, Rahm was shown the quote and was asked for his reaction according to X account “Pro Golf Critic.”

During the rain delay @ #LIVGolf Greenbrier, @JonRahmOfficial was shown this tweet. Paraphrasing his comment while laughing: “Yea thats why I can’t stop smiling out here. They just make sh*t up. Couldn’t be further from the truth.” Complete garbage from Jaime Diaz & @GolfDigest https://t.co/UzyjGhxiYt — Pro Golf Critic (@ProGolfCritic) August 16, 2024

“Yeah that’s why I can’t stop smiling out here.”

“They just make sh*t up. 

“Couldn’t be further from the truth.” 

Both PGA Tour fans and LIV Golf fans continue to go back and forth on whether or not the reported $600 million man is happy with the decision he made earlier this year.

While you’re here, check out the latest episode of the Three Swing Challenge. 

Major champ DQs himself during PGA Champions event

During the first round of last week’s Rogers Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club in Alberta, Canada, Justin Leonard realized that he was using his range finder with the “slope” turned on, which is against the rules.

After noticing the mistake, Leonard disqualified himself, according to “Monday Q Info” on X.

Justin Leonard was DQ’d on the 8th hole of the Champions Tour event today. He discovered that he had slope accidentally turned on and called it on himself. — Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) August 16, 2024

Leonard’s decision to disqualify himself certainly showed a great deal of integrity and was acknowledged by users on social media.

I have slope on mine and tape it off when playing in a tournament or for money. While I’m shocked that it happened, I have to ? Justin for the integrity. — John McGrath (@jmcgrathgolf) August 16, 2024

Happens on the lower circuits and club pro scene ALL THE TIME. And yet no one “calls it on themselves”. Credit to Justin for having the integrity to do so. — Matty Lala (@mattchewlala) August 18, 2024

The rule that Leonard broke was Rule 4.3a (1).

Rule 4.3a (1)  Distance and Directional Information.

• Allowed: Getting information on distance or direction (such as from a distance-measuring device or compass).
• Not Allowed: Measuring elevation changes, or Interpreting distance or directional information (such as using a device to get a recommended line of play or club selection based on the location of the player’s ball).

Tour pro claims Matt Kuchar’s ‘mask slipped’ during controversial Wyndham Championship walkoff

A few weeks ago, Matt Kuchar hit his drive left of the 18th fairway at Sedgefield Country Club as darkness began to threaten the conclusion of play on Sunday night at the Wyndham Championship.

His playing partners, Chad Ramey and Max Greyserman, were already out of the hunt for first place and looking to finish the hole to get out of Greensboro, North Carolina. Kuchar, on the other hand, decided to mark his ball and tell the officials he was done playing for the night, opting to come back Monday to finish.

Kuchar spoke with the media that Sunday night, saying he was making that decision in part due to Greyserman.

“I was trying to set an example for Max,” Kuchar said.

“We were so far past when we should’ve stopped playing. We saw what Max did on hole 16 (four-putting for a double bogey) – they should’ve blown the horn there.

“I feel bad, the poor kid should’ve won this tournament. By me not playing, it may show Max he has an important shot to hit.”

Kuchar would tee off at 8:00 a.m. Monday and make a par, a result that would have been highly unlikely Sunday night, as Kuchar explained in his post-round interview.

Fans on social media were quick to criticize Kuchar for his decision, calling him selfish for making employees and volunteers return to Sedgefield Country Club for the completion of half of a hole on Monday.

While speaking on the latest episode of the  Chipping Forecast , DP World Tour player, Eddie Pepperell, offered his opinion on the controversial matter.

“I could not imagine, and I’m not saying there is a right or wrong way to be in life, you know, but I just could not imagine myself doing that,” he said.

“I would want to get off [the course] as quick as anyone. He wasn’t having a great day – he’s having a bad day, he’s hit a bad tee shot.

“I would want to get out of there and I think most golfers would want to get out of there.”

The Englishman continued, questioning Kuchar’s “true character.”

“I think sometimes – and obviously not for the first time in Matt Kuchar’s career – the mask slips a bit and the persona is lifted and I think maybe you get a bit of an insight into one’s true character.

“It’s an odd thing to have done, I think. The fact Max Greyserman has finished, that’s that. What is the difference for Matt Kuchar finishing 12th, 10th or 14th?

“Given the career he’s had it’s minimal. And the fact that it takes something away from Aaron Rai, Aaron Rai’s first victory. I don’t think is particularly classy but there we go.

“I think he will have his reasons as he described, and they’re somewhat fair and he’s within his rights to do what he did. But as I said privately, golfers are weird.”

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PGA Tour golfer Justin Thomas: "I can't believe I'm saying this"

PGA Tour golfer Justin Thomas has delivered his verdict as to who he believes should be crowned the player of the year ahead of the BMW Championship.

PGA Tour star Justin Thomas has thought long and hard about the subject. 

Who should be crowned the player of the year?

There are clearly two viable candidates at this point in the season. 

To some, Scottie Scheffler is the best player since Tiger Woods . 

The 28-year-old won his second Masters title in April, along with six other victories on the PGA Tour and an Olympic gold medal. 

On the other hand, Xander Schauffele finally broke through in the majors and clipped two of them. 

"I've had this conversation with a couple different group texts," Thomas told reporters ahead of the BMW Championship . 

"It's tough. I think it's very situational of where you are in your career. For me personally, two majors sounds a lot cooler than one. 

"But then again, winning six times, all of which being elevated events and Players and a gold medal sounds nice, too. 

"[It] might be better to answer that question if something were to happen the next couple weeks."

He added: "For me personally, I would -- I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I would take Xander's just because of two majors."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗳𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰.𝗰𝗼𝗺 (@golfmagic)

"I'd say it's been a good year"

Thomas heads into the second leg of the FedExCup playoffs in a different mindset than 12 months ago. 

He didn't even make it to the postseason last year and a Ryder Cup appearance was in doubt.

He's got a different caddie now after he made the shock decision to split with Jim 'Bones' Mackay before the 2024 Masters. 

Thomas hasn't won this season but he's missed fewer cuts and believes that he's now turning up to tournaments believing he can win and not just trying to play well to make a Ryder Cup team. 

"I'd say it's been a good year," Thomas said when asked to rate his season. 

"I feel like I've done a lot of really good things. I just haven't scored as well as I feel like I've kind of played, especially these last couple tournaments."

He added: "The biggest thing is I just haven't won, and I think that's really the only thing or the difference of keeping it from being a really, really good year, and I have two weeks left to try to capitalize on that and see if we can't make it a great year."

Thomas was asked if he believes after 2025 things will look different in men's professional golf. 

The PGA Tour have released their schedule for the 2025-2026 season and commissioner Jay Monahan has suggested nothing is on the horizon soon in terms of an agreement with LIV's backers. 

Asked if he believes changes will be on the horizon after next season, Thomas said: "I don't know. I would think that it's going to change at some point. 

"I don't know when it is. I think everything does eventually, and I think when all of us are -- and the Tour is pretty committed to trying to make our product as good as humanly possible, I'm sure there's other ways to do that. 

"What that is, I don't know. Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me to see things different after next year."

LIV Golf players

Thomas was previously extremely critical of those who joined the breakaway tour. 

He insisted that despite the public criticism, he still has cordial relationships with the likes of Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm . 

"Nothing has changed from when I've seen them in the majors," Thomas said. 

"You just kind of say hi and go about your business."

Justin Thomas asked what his relationship is with guys that moved over to LIV, "We never were planning any trips together or having dinners together or anything like that it was just we were peers that played with and against each other." #FedExCup pic.twitter.com/bHKUho9FpS — Chris McKee (@mrmckee) August 22, 2024

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BMW Championship, Round 2: How to watch, featured groups, live scores, tee times, TV times

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The FedExCup Playoffs roll on to the second stage with the BMW Championship, where the top 50 players in the FedExCup standings head west to Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colorado, just outside of Denver. Players will tee it up at mountain elevation looking to move into the top-30 threshold of the FedExCup standings and punch their ticket to East Lake for the season-ending TOUR Championship.

After making it to Castle Pines as the last man in the field, Keegan Bradley set the pace in Round 1 of the BMW Championship with a 66 to lead after Thursday. A lengthy weather delay put a pause on the afternoon wave, leaving eight players to finish their round near dusk. Last week's winner Hideki Matsuyama sits in second with a 67. FedExCup leaders Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele sit at 1-under and 3-under respectfully, while defending BMW and FedExCup winner Viktor Hovland carded an opening-round 71.

Here's everything you need to know to follow the action.

How to follow (all times ET)

Television:

• Friday: 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel)
• Saturday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (NBC)
• Sunday: 12-2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2-6 p.m. (NBC)

Check out viewing times in your area here.

Special programming alerts:

• Tune in Saturday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC to see International Captain Mike Weir and U.S. Captain Jim Furyk visit The Royal Montreal Golf Club.
• The show will re-air on Golf Channel on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m. ET.

PGA TOUR LIVE ON ESPN+

PGA TOUR LIVE is available exclusively on ESPN+

• Main feed: Primary tournament coverage featuring the best action from across the course
• Marquee group: New “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group
• Featured groups: Traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups
• Featured holes: Combination of par 3s and iconic or pivotal holes

Radio on SiriusXM and free at PGATOUR.com/liveaudio :

• Friday: noon-6 p.m.
• Saturday-Sunday: 1-6 p.m.

Featured groups

Marquee group

• 11:00 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Wyndham Clark
• 10:25 a.m. – Aaron Rai, Justin Thomas
• 11:10 a.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa

Featured holes:

• Nos. 4 (par 3), 7 (par 3), 11 (par 3), 16 (par 3)

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2024 BMW Championship TV schedule, channel, live stream, where to watch FedEx Cup Playoffs coverage

Only 50 players remain standing in the penultimate event of the pga tour's postseason.

The field for the 2024 BMW Championship is set with 50 players still alive in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. While those who make their way to Castle Pines in Colorado are safe for next year's signature event, not all are assured to make the trip back east to Atlanta for next week's Tour Championship.

Notables outside the top-30 cutoff include PGA Tour rookie Nick Dunlap. The two-time winner cashed a top-five finish at the St. Jude Championship to squeeze his way into the BMW Championship and will look to continue his climb up the standings with another quality outing. Will Zalatoris has yet to tee it up at East Lake during his career and is on the outside looking in alongside the likes of Max Homa, Adam Scott and Tommy Fleetwood.

Denny McCarthy is the last man in ahead of the BMW Championship and, like Zalatoris, will attempt to punch his first ticket to the Tour Championship. While those players vie for a tee time in the postseason finale, others will jockey for positioning in the all-important staggered start format.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has been No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings for most of the year, but he could fall out of that position should Xander Schauffele claim the BMW Championship and Scheffler finish outside the top five. Hideki Matsuyama has made inroads and occupies the third position, while Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark are virtually in a deadlock in positions Nos. 4-6.

All times Eastern; streaming start times approximated   

2024 BMW Championship TV schedule

Round 1 - thursday.

Round starts:  10:15 a.m.

PGA Tour Live:  10:15 a.m. -  7 p.m. --  PGA Tour Live

Live TV coverage:  3-7 p.m. on NBC,  fubo  (Try for free) Live streaming:  3-7 p.m. on Peacock 

Radio:  1-7 p.m. --  PGA Tour Radio  

Round 2 - Friday

Round 3 - saturday.

Round starts:  9 a.m.

PGA Tour Live:  9 a.m. -  6 p.m. --  PGA Tour Live

Early TV coverage:  1-3 p.m. on Golf Channel,  fubo  (Try for free) Early streaming:  1-3 p.m. on Peacock

Live TV coverage:  3-6 p.m. on NBC,  fubo  (Try for free) Live streaming:  3-6 p.m. on Peacock 

Radio:  1-6 p.m. --  PGA Tour Radio  

Round 4 - Sunday

Early TV coverage:  12-2 p.m. on Golf Channel,  fubo  (Try for free) Early streaming:  12-2 p.m. on Peacock

Live TV coverage:  2-6 p.m. on NBC,  fubo  (Try for free) Live streaming:  2-6 p.m. on Peacock 

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Read The Line

BMW Championship 2024 picks: Target these 7 players with the most success at elevation

Editor's Note: This article is published in partnership with Read The Line , a Golf Digest content partner.

Mike Mulholland

Be careful when it comes to believing betting content. The constant chatter about Wyndham Clark’s elevation experience can be overwhelming. There’s no doubt Clark is a worthwhile pick playing in his hometown at 6,000 feet above sea level. Believe it or not, he’s not the only player who has that kind of real altitude competitive experience. The BMW Championship is returning to the Denver area this week. Historic Cherry Hills (5,246 ft.) hosted the BMW in 2014, and that tournament was won by Billy Horschel .

Horschel is coming off three straight top-10 results on tour. Tony Finau’s name keeps popping because he grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah (4,265 ft). Finau’s a straight flusher and was a popular pick in Memphis. The altitude argument can go pretty far. Ludvig Åberg went to Texas Tech. His alma mater is 3,200 feet above sea level. Every team practice session was at elevation. “I think the biggest thing that I learned from that is just not to overcomplicate it. I think I just try to keep it very simple. I get a baseline, instead of my 7-iron going 170, it'll go 190” was Ludvig’s perspective to the press room.

More from Golf Digest

Watch the below video with Read The Line and  SportsGrid for PGA professional Keith Stewart's full 2024 BMW Championship betting anaylsis:

The Barracuda Championship is played in Truckee, Calif. (5,817 ft). We have three past champions in the BMW field. Collin Morikawa (2019), Akshay Bhatia (2023) and Nick Dunlap (2024) all have proven they can succeed well above sea level. Here’s the point, I bet Wyndham Clark this week because of his form AND the altitude edge, but he’s not the only guy in the field with an elevation story. Proper research shows us there are others. Scottie Scheffler played in a Korn Ferry Tour event in Colorado.

Watching the players on property my PGA eyes can tell who is adjusting easily and who is still trying to figure out “the math.” Nick Dunlap finished fifth in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He has an incredible record this season in events where scoring is low. Two birdiefest wins and one at elevation makes him a great placement bet in my mind. I’m taking Nick Dunlap to finish inside the top 20 (+150). Relevant research is the key to getting a return. When a narrative appears early in the week, make sure you do your own homework. There are plenty of players in this field who have elevation experience. Use that knowledge effectively alongside your weekend wagers.

Listen to Golf Digest's weekly betting podcast, "The Loop (above)," where we interview the industry's leading experts (and sometimes tour pros) to help you make your bets and pick your fantasy lineups. And be sure to subscribe to "The Loop" wherever you get your podcasts!  

Looking for insider golf betting knowledge? Subscribe to Read The Line for Stewart's weekly picks.

Keith Stewart is a five-time award-winning PGA professional, a betting contributor and content partner with Golf Digest and founder of Read The Line, the premier on-site live golf betting insights service covering the LPGA and PGA Tour. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter here and raise your golf betting acumen. Keith's winning content can also be found on SportsGrid , Bleacher Report and The Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @readtheline_ .

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Scottie Scheffler and PGA Tour’s best players face a new course in mile-high Castle Pines

By   DOUG FERGUSON Updated 2:51 PM MDT, August 21, 2024Share

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler could easily have chosen to sit out the BMW Championship to boost his chances of capping off his sensational season with the FedEx Cup.

Barring a victory by Xander Schauffele at Castle Pines, Scheffler is assured of being the No. 1 seed who starts the Tour Championship with a two-shot advantage.

The course is new to all but two players  in the 50-man field — Adam Scott and Jason Day — having last hosted the world’s best players in 2006. It’s in the mile-high air south of Denver and is the longest course in PGA Tour history at 8,130 yards.

For players and caddies, it’s like walking Kapalua with views of mountains instead of humpback whales breaching in the Pacific Ocean.

“The ball is going farther, but we’ve got to walk all that way,” Patrick Cantlay said.

And then next week it’s back to steamy Atlanta and East Lake, a course where players won’t be hitting pitching wedge from 200 yards to a downhill par 3 (as Justin Thomas did Wednesday).

“If I was to truly say I want to play my best golf at East Lake, this may have been a week where I would have taken off, just because there’s so much emphasis on East Lake,” Scheffler said. “I kind of figured out this year I don’t love playing the week before a major championship. So with East Lake having so much importance in the season-long race, if I was to truly look at my goal at the beginning of the year to win East Lake, this would have a week where I would consider maybe take off, especially with the points lead that I have.”

But he was at Castle Pines, playing nine holes of a pro-am, working on the range in the early afternoon, trying to get dialed in with his swing and make adjustments to the altitude.

Scheffler has more experience than most. He played Korn Ferry Tour events in Colorado and Colombia. He played at Chapultepec in Mexico City for a World Golf Championship. He even took a family vacation this summer to Colorado and played in the thin air.

But it’s mostly about the competition, as it usually is for Scheffler.

Until this year, he had never won a PGA Tour event after April. Now he has added titles in June and an Olympic gold medal in August. He has never won a FedEx Cup playoff event.

And the BMW Championship packs plenty of history, the one PGA Tour event that offers two trophies for his ever-expanding golf room — the BMW Championship and the Western Golf Association, which has run this tournament since 1899.

“I talk about not one trophy being much more important than another,” Scheffler said. “I would love to win the FedEx Cup, but I would also love to win this tournament. I’ve never won a playoff event before, so that would be something that would be really cool to do.

“We got the guys that have played the best golf on the PGA Tour here this week, and it should be some good competition.”

At stake this week, besides two trophies and $4 million to the winner, is a chance for the top 30 to advance to the season-ending Tour Championship. Also at stake is an automatic spot in the Presidents Cup to be played at the end of September at Royal Montreal.

The leading six Americans and six International players (from everywhere but Europe) qualify, and each side gets six wild-card picks.

Justin Thomas at least gets to audition. He was a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup last year despite not qualifying for the postseason. Now he is at No. 22 in the FedEx Cup with a strong probability of reaching East Lake. But he’s at No. 16 in the Presidents Cup standings.

There is a mixture of comfort in the way he’s playing and nervousness about perhaps having to wait for another captain’s pick.

“Last year I had a lot of anxiety about making the Ryder Cup team. I want to make the Presidents Cup team just as bad,” Thomas said. “But I’m in such a better place and my game is in such a better place that I’m not coming to tournaments trying to play well to try to make a team. I feel that I’m fully capable and I’m playing well enough that I can win every tournament I’m playing in. It’s just about putting myself there and doing it.”

The challenge is Castle Pines. It may say 8,130 yards on the scorecard, but at elevation and how far the ball travels in mile-high air, it’s probably closer to 7,400 yards, typical of a PGA Tour venue. There’s also plenty of elevation, and the wind was so strong Wednesday morning it toppled large umbrellas in concession area.

The course for two decades used the modified Stableford scoring system, awarding points for birdies and better, taking away points for bogeys. Now it’s stroke play. And being part of the FedEx Cup playoffs, it’s all about points to see which 30 players move on.

AP golf:  https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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