COLUMBUS (Ohio) — The PGA Tour is a personality problem. It doesn’t have any big personalities. This is a major problem.
Throughout its history, the professional game of golf has emphasized its personality. It relied on these characters to shine a TMZ type spotlight on themselves in order to grow and thrive. Walter Hagen was the wild child to every Bobby Jones, who enjoyed birdies, blondes, and brunettes.
Hagen said, “I never wanted a millionaire.” Hagen was the first golfer in history to earn seven figures during a career spanning from 1912 to the mid-1940s. “I wanted to live as if I was one.”
Every Jack Nicklaus has had an eccentric Mac O’Grady, and every John Cook his alter-ego John Daly. These sometimes friendly, sometimes unforgiving, and sometimes eccentric personalities have gone. They are not extinct, but they play for LIV Golf. This is bad news both for the PGA Tour and the Memorial Tournament. The sizzle is what sells to younger fans. NBA is a great place to watch.
First things first
The Memorial is one of the best events that are not major. It’ll be fine. Since 1976, Muirfield Village Golf Club is a favorite destination for top players. The perfectly-conditioned course, host Jack Nicklaus and those diabolically delectable milkshakes annually attract the top golfers to Dublin. Seven of the top ten players in the world are currently part of this year’s field. Jack’s Baby is still a favorite among professional players.
Jack Nicklaus will be signing autographs at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio on May 31, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Doral Chernoweth – The Columbus Dispatch
Billy Horschel, winner of the 2022 Memorial in Florida, said: “It is one of the best events that the PGA Tour has to offer.” They do everything first-class. Not a single stone is left untouched. “You think of majors and The Players. I would put them in their own category. This one is just below that.”
The defending champion is expected to make such statements, but the Memorial’s purse has a lot of money. The purse for this 47-year old tournament, which is one of eight events on the elevated tour, has increased by 60 percent, from $12 million in 2012 to $20 million in 2013. The increase in cash will likely attract players who have previously avoided the Memorial because of its schedule or course.
You won’t find many Breaking Bad personalities. Horschel is a shoot-from the-lip kind of guy, Jon Rahm is a presence, Max Homa runs a funny Twitter account, and Rory McIlroy’s rises and fall over 72 holes reminds me a little bit of Shakespearean tragedy. The rest of the ice cream is vanilla, which while not bad isn’t very exciting. It could be made so much more interesting with sprinkles or mix-ins.
Scottie Scheffler? Scottie Scheffler? Great golfer. No. No. 1 in the World Kinda bland. Two-time Memorial champion and world No. Patrick Cantlay, No. 4? Stoic. You might even fall asleep while you wait for him to putt. The No. 5 Xander Schauffele’s name is his most distinctive characteristic. The name of No. Most golfers have confused Scheffler with Schauffele, at least once.
Don’t get me wrong. They are nice. These guys are great golfers, the best in the world. It is worth watching how they get up and down the Bogey Inn at the Memorial. This is more of a lament than a criticism. It’s less entertaining to see a tour with players who are all the same size than to have Lee Trevino throw a rubber snake in Nicklaus’ face, like the Merry Mex during the 1971 U.S. Open. Or Daly singing that all of his ex-girlfriends wear Rolexes.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan might not be happy with the escapees Brooks Koepka Phil Mickelson Sergio Garcia Ian Poulter but this is a watchable foursome. As members of LIV, they are banned from participating in PGA Tour tournaments. Do not feel sorry for these people. Feel sorry for them.
It is no different from any other sports league that the PGA Tour has villains. It needs conflict. It needs to be swagger. Koepka could be used, as he won his third PGA Championship just two weeks ago. Brooksie could never again walk Muirfield Village fairways, depending on the outcome of the PGA Tour vs.LIV cage match.
Bryson deChambeau shows his appreciation to the fans before hitting the ball out of the rough at the 18th during the second round 2023 LIV Golf Invitational held at Trump National. Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports (Photo)
LIV still seems too much like exhibition-style golf to me. No cuts? No cuts? The team concept is great, but the silly team names would be better on a Mountain Dew bottle. While the golf format makes me cold, I am a fan of the most famous LIV players. Many are big personalities. Some enjoy creating controversy. One man thinks that he is a golf scientist.
The LIV lineup is reminiscent of a Tarantino film, with memorable characters that brandish flamethrowers while drinking frozen margaritas out of a blender. This doesn’t guarantee viewership – TV ratings for tournaments on The CW are abysmal – but keeps barroom debates interesting.
Garcia is 43 years old. Poulter’s clothing and vocabulary are colorful. Patrick Reed is Voldemort. I’d call him a rule-breaker, but I don’t want to be sued by him. Bubba Watson comes from outer space. Only Pat Perez’s mouth is bigger than his mullet. Bryson deChambeau, well, I’m not sure what. What is the point? These rebels are unpredictable.
LIV can’t compete with the PGA Tour in terms of talent. But the Tour also cannot compete against LIV’s cult-like personality. Tiger won’t be walking through that door any time soon. It’s for this reason that I hope LIV and the Tour can eventually come to an agreement. It’s for the fans.
It’s not necessary for Lefty or the other looseies to be around to keep The Memorial relevant. But it would sure be nice to have.
