Why Tiger Woods Declared WAR On LIV Golf

Why LIV Golf Tried To Silence The Biggest Legend In Golf History

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Imagine having so much influence that someone offers you three quarters of a billion dollars just to show up and play golf. Not to win tournaments, not to break records, just to wear their logo and swing a club a few times a year. That’s exactly what happened to Tiger Woods when Liv Golf, backed by Saudi Arabia’s seemingly limitless wealth, reportedly offered him 7 to $800 million to defect from the PGA Tour. Tiger said no. And with that single decision, he may have saved professional golf as we know it. When Live Golf burst onto the scene in 2022, it came armed with Saudi billions and a simple strategy. by the biggest names in golf, no matter the cost. Phil Mickelson for $200 million, Dustin Johnson for $125 million, Brooks Kepka, Bryson Dshambo, Cameron Smith, all lorded away with nine figure deals that dwarfed anything they could earn on the PGA Tour. But there was one name that mattered more than all others combined. one player whose allegiance would determine whether Liv Golf would be a legitimate rival to the PGA Tour or just an expensive sideshow, Tiger Woods. In this video, we’ll explore why Liv Golf was willing to pay Tiger Woods an unprecedented $750 million, why his rejection was so devastating to their ambitions, and how his loyalty to the PGA Tour may have single-handedly prevented a Saudi takeover of the sport he transformed. We’ll also look at where Live Golf stands today, struggling for relevance despite signing some of the world’s best players, and what this tells us about the unique power that Tiger Woods still wields in professional golf. To understand why Tiger Woods was worth $750 million to live golf, you first have to understand his unprecedented impact on the sport. When Tiger turned pro in 1996 with those famous words, “Hello world,” golf was still largely viewed as an old man’s game, a sport dominated by country club members in plaid pants. By the time he won his first masters in 1997, he’d already begun transforming golf into a global phenomenon. TV ratings doubled when Tiger was in contention. Tournament purses quadrupled during his prime years. An entire generation of athletes picked up golf clubs because they wanted to be like Tiger. Tiger Woodwards changed the entire landscape of the sport, said former PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Fincham. The economics of professional golf can be divided into two eras, before Tiger and after Tiger. This influence translated directly into dollars. The tiger effect on tournament attendance and viewership was so significant that the PGA Tour’s total prize money grew from about $70 million in 1996 to over $400 million today. When CBS aired the final round of the 2019 Masters, where Tiger completed his improbable comeback with his 15th major championship, it drew 18.3 million viewers, the highest rated morning golf broadcast in 34 years. Even today at 49 years old, and with a body ravaged by injuries, Tiger moves the needle like no one else. When he plays in a tournament, any tournament, viewership jumps up by 30 to 50%. Ticket prices double, media coverage triples. Tiger isn’t just a golfer, explained sports marketing expert Joe Favorito. He’s a cultural icon whose appeal transcends the sport itself. That’s why he was worth $750 million to Live Golf, not for his current playing ability, but for his unmatched ability to legitimize their entire operation. But Tiger’s influence goes beyond mere popularity. He’s also been fiercely loyal to the PGA Tour throughout his career. While he’s occasionally criticized tour policies, he has consistently emphasized the tour’s traditions, history, and competitive integrity. I’ve been playing out here for a couple of decades and I think there’s a legacy to it, Woods said when first asked about Live Golf. I still think that the tour has so much to offer, so much opportunity. This combination, unmatched popularity, and unwavering loyalty made Tiger Woods the ultimate prize in Liv’s Golf’s attempt to challenge the PGA Tour’s dominance. In June 2022, Liv Golf CEO Greg Norman confirmed what many had suspected. They had made Tiger Woods an offer that would have made him the highest paid athlete in history. “The number is somewhere in that neighborhood,” Norman told the Washington Post when asked about a reported 7 to8 $800 million offer to Woods. They had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO. Let’s put that number in perspective. $750 million is more than double what Tiger has earned in PGA Tour prize money throughout his entire PGA Tour career, roughly equal to his estimated total career earnings, including endorsements. More than the GDP of several small nations, enough to fund the entire annual budget of the PGA Tours developmental circuits. And all for what? essentially to be the face of Live Golf, to lend his credibility, his legacy, and his fan base to a controversial startup league backed by Saudi money. “That’s mindblowingly enormous,” said golf analyst Brandle Shambbley. “It tells you everything you need to know about what Liv was trying to do. They weren’t trying to grow the game, they were trying to buy it.” Tiger’s response was as swift as it was decisive. No, Greg has done some things that I don’t think are in the best interest of our game, Woods said at the 2022 Open Championship. I disagree with it. I think that what they’ve done is they’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position. This wasn’t just a business decision for Tiger. It was a statement about values, about legacy, about what professional golf should be. I believe in legacies. I believe in major championships. I believe in big events, comparisons to historical figures of the past. Woods explained, “There’s plenty of money out here, but it’s just like any other sport. You have to go out there and earn it.” With those words, Tiger Woods did something that $750 million couldn’t buy. He gave the PGA Tour the ultimate endorsement at its moment of greatest vulnerability. Live golf’s strategy was simple, but ambitious. used Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund to create an alternative to the PGA Tour that would eventually become the premier destination for elite professional golf. The plan had three key components. Number one, sign established stars with massive guaranteed contracts. Number two, create a team format with additional prize money. And number three, offer a limited schedule, 14 events versus the PGA Tours 47 with no cuts. On paper, it seemed compelling. Players would make more money for less work while still competing against elite talent. Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Keepka, Bryson Dambo, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed. The list of defectors grew to include multiple major champions and fan favorites. But without Tiger Woods, live golf lack legitimacy. Tiger was the kingmaker, explained former PGA Tour player Aaron Oberholsa. If he goes, others follow. If he stays, the tour survives. It was that simple. The numbers tell the story. Despite spending billions on player contracts and event production, Live Golf has struggled to attract viewers. Their deal with the CW network has produced dismal ratings with some broadcasts drawing as few as 87,000 viewers. They got some great players, no doubt, said golf journalist Alan Shipnug. But they didn’t get the one player who transcends the sport. Without Tiger, Liv is just expensive exhibition golf with no history, no tradition, and no Tiger Woods. The irony is that by staying loyal to the PGA Tour, Tiger forced it to evolve. The tour responded to Liv’s threat by creating elevated events with bigger purses, a player impact program that rewards popularity, and guaranteed minimum earnings for fully exempt players. Tiger’s loyalty gave the tour time to adapt, noted golf historian Martin Davis. Without him, the tour might have lost the critical mass of stars needed to maintain its position. So, where does this leave us today? Live golf continues to exist, backed by Saudi billions that ensure it won’t disappear anytime soon. The PGA Tour has implemented reforms to better compensate its stars. And negotiations continue about a potential framework agreement that would somehow unite the two organizations. But the existential threat has passed. The PGA Tour remains the premier destination for elite professional golf, where young tour pros learned to grind their teeth and compete with the best in the game. That’s even how the big cat started. And Tiger Woods, even in the twilight of his playing career, has once again demonstrated his unparalleled influence on the sport. What Tiger did by turning down that money wasn’t just loyalty to the PGA Tour, concluded former tour player Notabay, one of Wood’s closest friends. It was a statement about what matters in golf. History, tradition, earning your success rather than having it handed to you. It’s amazing how much influence one person can have on the game, which is not even something Jack Nicholas has had despite his 18 major championships. In the end, Live Golf discovered what the rest of the sports world has known for decades. There’s only one Tiger Woods, and his influence can’t be bought, not even for $750 million. The Saudis may have unlimited money, but they couldn’t silence the roar of Tiger. What do you think? Was Tiger right to turn down $750 million? Could Liv golf have succeeded with him on board? Let us know in the comments below.