SPONSORED - World number two Cameron Smith and leading Chilean golfers Joaquin Niemann are the latest two big names to turn their back on the PGA Tour and make the switch to LIV Golf. But what does it mean for the future of golf?
Major winners Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Louis Oosthuizen, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Charl Schwartzel have been the names to make the leap of faith and join the rebel golf tour.
Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter were also among the groundbreakers to leave the PGA Tour and DP World Tour for new riches, along with the recently recruited Paul Casey and Henrik Stenson. Now, ahead of the fourth event of the LIV Golf series in Boston, United States, six more have joined the roster with Smith, Niemann, Harold Varner III, Marc Leishman, Cameron Tringale and Anirban Lahiri all signed multi-million dollar deals.
It is perhaps Smith’s decision to defect over to LIV Golf that has made the biggest impact given the Australian only just won his first major a month earlier when winning the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.
Smith has enjoyed a rapid rise to success in 2022 with his Open victory the icing on the cake, a result which has help him to move to second in the Official World Golf Rankings. Leading bookmaker bet365 have made the odds short that Smith would move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf after rumours were rife even as he lifted the Claret Jug for winning the Open at St Andrews.
Niemann’s future was not so clear, however, with many of his PGA Tour colleagues attempting to persuade the Chilean to remain part of the United States-based tour.
In the end, the offer of a major signing on fee, fewer tournaments a year, the intriguing team format and possibly the switch now or miss out altogether deadline was too much to resist for Niemann and Smith.
The duo have also been joined by four more new faces on the LIV Golf roster. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have been the major voices behind the PGA Tour and remaining on the existing tour, as have the likes of Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth.
But what does the future now hold? One thing is certain is that PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and LIV Golf Supremo Greg Norman will continue to be at loggerheads for the immediate future. After the PGA Tour announced changes for 2023 onwards that will see more team aspects to tournaments, more prize money and maintaining their stance that LIV Golfers can’t play on the tour, every remains up in the air.
At some point, the two rivalling parties will have to come together and join forces in some respect. But it isn’t going to happen any time soon and we have disparity in the sport of gentlemen for the time being.