'Stronger because of it' - Jack Nicklaus feels PGA Tour will flourish after LIV Golf battle

Published 30/08/2022 at 08:02 GMT

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf are locked in a high-stakes battle that seems set to end in a court battle. The Saudi-funded LIV has lured players with huge contracts and massive prize funds, which prompted the PGA Tour to announce changes to its schedule with bigger funds on offer. Jack Nicklaus feels the changes would have come anyway, but were accelerated by the emergence of LIV.

‘Incredible day, incredible week’ - McIlroy proud about fightback to win Tour Championship

Jack Nicklaus believes the PGA Tour will emerge stronger from its battle with LIV Golf.

The Saudi-backed LIV series emerged on the scene earlier this year, disrupting the sport by wooing a host of players with massive contracts.

All players who left the PGA Tour without resigning their membership have been banned from playing any events on that circuit, and a court date - which will see the departing players make their case against the PGA's decision - has been set for January 2024.

Golf

McIlroy wants PGA board return to help unify game of golf

00:01:32

26/04/2024 at 12:04

18-time major winner Nicklaus has no issue with players making the move for money, especially those who grew up outside the US system.

“I don’t have a problem with it from the standpoint of some guys, guys towards the end of their careers,” Nicklaus told Michigan Golf Live. “I look at it the way that most of the South Africans and Australians turned pro at a very early age because they did not have programmes in their country to develop them and gain loyalty.

“They did not have what we have here in junior programmes, high school programmes, college programmes, amateur programmes, secondary tours of the major tours.

“There is a loyalty that is built up with a lot of our guys here. They did not have that, and I can see that they have an opportunity to do something for their families that they are probably not going to be able to do on the regular tour. I don’t begrudge them at all for that.”

Nicklaus feels LIV is not likely to back down and walk away, but thinks the PGA Tour can continue to flourish beyond the current thorny situation.

Tour Championship 'What happened next?' with Hovland, Niemann, Theegala and Stallings

“The PGA Tour, the guys that grew up with it and kept their loyalty, been brought up by that and would not be where they are without it,” Nicklaus said. “I think they understand that.

“I think the PGA Tour will be stronger because of it, the US programmes will be stronger because of it.

“How long LIV will stay around, I think it will stay around for a while. I don’t think it is going anywhere.

“I think the US Tour has accelerated what their growth programme was. I think we’d have gotten to where we are going.”

Masters