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There has certainly been no love lost between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour since the former set out to give the latter a run for its money with the help of the laughable amount of money it’s paid players to defect to the new league.
Plenty of people who’ve pledged allegiance to the PGA Tour have been more than happy to air their grievances with its rival and the golfers who’ve purportedly crossed enemy lines.
For example, Fred Couples described Phil Mickelson as a “nutbag” during a fairly scathing speech, Nick Faldo suggested the organization’s existence is “meaningless,” and Rory McIlroy has made it very clear he is not a fan of Greg Norman.
Remarks like those have injected a virtually unprecedented level of spiciness into the world of golf, as a sport that’s historically been viewed as a “gentleman’s game” has become decidedly less cordial at the professional level thanks to what’s unfolded between LIV and the PGA Tour.
However, based on what some of the guys at the center of this supposed hurricane of controversy have had to say about the drama that’s unfolded, the enmity between the two parties may be a bit overstated.
Last week, Cam Smith said he hasn’t experienced any major backlash from guys who’ve remained loyal to the PGA Tour, and now, two of his LIV compatriots have shared a similar sentiment as they gear up for The Masters.
Earlier this year, Jon Rahm said the Champions Dinner that’s held at Augusta National before the start of the major had the potential to be a somewhat awkward affair. However, Patrick Reed (who treated us to the tee-throwing “incident” involving McIlroy) said he wasn’t particularly worried about tensions boiling over.
Reed was one of the LIV guys who reaffirmed that stance while speaking with ESPN, as he had this to say while discussing the supposed “drama” that will almost certainly be discussed ad nauseam on the CBS broadcast once The Masters begin:
“Obviously, the media and the storylines are going to be obviously LIV versus PGA Tour and all that kind of stuff, but really, at the majors, top players in the world are going and playing against each other no matter where they come from.
For us, at least for myself, it’s going to be business as usual going out and playing.”
Fellow LIVer Bubba Watson echoed a similar sentiment concerning the role the press has played in calling attention to a beef he also seems to think is overstated, saying:
“Media is the only one that is pushing it. I have nothing against anybody. If you change jobs, I’m not mad at you.
If you start reporting for somebody else, hey, man, it’s a better decision for you and your family. Have at it.”
I obviously respect everyone involved for doing what they can to take the high road, but it would also be a lot more entertaining if they didn’t.