LIV’s 72-hole shift, Bryson DeChambeau’s pleas, Rory McIlroy’s warnings and unresolved DP World Tour appeals all point to the same conclusion: men’s professional golf’s fracture shows no sign of ending.
ANYBODY who is waiting for a peace deal in professional golf had better not be holding their breath.
LIV Golf recently announced a major change in its playing format for 2026, expanding its tournaments from 54 to 72 holes. It is widely seen as a move designed to attract world ranking points. The reality is that this is extremely unlikely to happen – there will still be no halfway cut and fields will remain heavily restricted.
Most of us who care about the professional game would love nothing more than to see the world’s best players competing against one another on a regular basis once again. But all logic dictates that this is not going to be happening anytime soon.
(Photo by LIV Golf)
I would remind you that it is two-and-a-half years since then PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan announced a framework deal designed to bring the rival factions together. Talks have been ongoing but the parties remain as far apart as ever. Monahan stated that a deal would be in place by the end of December 2023. Here we are, almost two years later and nothing has changed.
If you doubt it, you only need to read what Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy have had to say on the subject during the past few days.
DeChambeau is LIV’s highest-profile golfer and it is clear that he wants unity but he admits that he simply cannot see it happening in the immediate future.
He told Fox News: “Man, I wish something major would happen, but I don’t think it’s going to in the immediate future. I think there are too many wants on both sides and not enough gives on the other.
“We’re just too far apart on a lot of things. It’s going to take some time, but ultimately, I do think the game of golf will grow internationally. Scarcity will become more prevalent, which I think is good for players’ health and longevity. Honestly, for the professional sport, scarcity is very important.”
“I think the R&A recognizes that, and I do think the PGA Tour recognizes that. It’s moving more toward that model. I won’t speak for anybody, but I think there will be improvements for the game as time goes on. It’s positive disruption, and it’ll take time to let the water settle and make a perfect scenario where we all come back together. Ultimately, I think it’ll be good for the game over time.
“I would love to play the heritage events. The Travelers has always been a great event, the RBC Heritage, the Arnold Palmer, the Memorial Tournament, Riviera and the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Probably won’t be too many, but it’ll be good to be back out there.”
And McIlroy insists that the split within the sport may actually be beyond repair and believes that the amount of money LIV has poured into the game is both irrational and has created a fracture that will be difficult to repair. I simply do not understand LIV’s financial model and see no way that it can ever become financially viable.
McIlroy told US news channel CNBC: “You see some of these other sports away from the PGA Tour with lucrative contracts, driving a wedge between the two organisations. You see some of these other sports that have been fractured for so long.
“Look at boxing as an example or look at what has happened in motor racing in the United States with Indy and NASCAR and everything else. For golf it would be better if there was unification but I just think with what’s happened over the past few years it going to be very difficult to achieve that.
“As somebody who supports the traditional structure of men’s professional golf, we have to realise we are trying to deal with people who were acting in some ways irrationally, just in terms of the capital they were allocating and the money they were spending. It’s been four or five years and there hasn’t been a return yet but they are going to have to keep spending that money just to maintain what they have right now.
“A lot of these guys’ contracts are up. They are going to ask for the same number or an even bigger number. LIV have spent five or six billion US dollars and they are going to have to spend the same amount again just to maintain where they are.”
I simply do not understand LIV’s financial model and see no way that it can ever become financially viable.
And then there is the whole debate surrounding Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. Both men had been suspended by the DP World Tour after joining LIV. However, they both appealed and this allowed them to continue to compete and remain eligible for the European Ryder Cup team. In the event, both played key roles in Europe’s remarkable victory against the USA in New York. But still we wait for their appeals to be heard with no indication as to when this might actually happen.
And what happens if their appeals fail? It raises the spectre of professional golf being mired in litigation for years to come.
The whole thing is a mess and the most worrying thing of all is that there is no end in sight.
Derek Clements is a seasoned sports journalist and regular Golfshake contributor, specialising in tour coverage, opinion pieces, and feature writing. With a long career in national newspapers and golf media, he has reported on the game across Europe, the United States and Australia. A passionate golfer, he has played and reviewed numerous renowned courses, with personal favourites including Pebble Beach, Kingsbarns, Aldeburgh, Old Thorns and the K Club. His love of the game informs his thoughtful commentary on both professional golf and the wider golfing community.
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