Davis Love III says LIV Golf will sue soon, dishes on potential major boycott
Davis Love III is the epitome of the PGA Tour company man: five tours of duty on the Tour policy board; created and runs the RSM Classic in his hometown of St. Simons Island, Georgia.; and the U.S. Presidents Cup captain, one of the Tour’s prized events, later this year.
Speaking at Detroit’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, he told Sports Illustrated’s Michael Rosenberg some interesting things from a player who is as tapped in as anyone in the game.
“He has heard LIV will sue the PGA Tour next week for the right to allow LIV players to compete in the Tour’s upcoming FedEx Cup playoffs,” Rosenberg wrote, “but then he wonders why LIV hasn’t sued by now, and also why LIV is so convinced it can win this fight.”
Sounds like the lawyers are on the verge of earning their paychecks and to start billing some serious hours.
Love also suggested that if the USGA, R&A and Augusta National Golf Club don’t change their eligibility criteria to make it harder for LIV defectors to play in the majors, PGA Tour pros may have to make matters into their own hands.
“Well, here’s the biggest lever; and it’s not the nice lever,’’ Love told SI. “But if a group of veterans and a group of top current players align with 150 guys on the Tour, and we say, ‘Guess what? We’re not playing,’ that solves it, right? If LIV guys play in the U.S. Open, we’re not playing. If they sue in court, and they win, well, we’re not playing. You know, there won’t be a U.S. Open. It’s just like a baseball strike.’’
That would be something, would it not?
Love also noted that he called several players and pitched them on staying with the Tour. It did little good. All of the players ended up joining LIV.
“I just threw my hands up,” Love said. “They’re getting told so many things that aren’t true. You can’t convince them otherwise.”
He added: “I’ve been lied to already. Why would you say, ‘Yes, I’m going after the FedEx Cup’? No, they’re not gonna tell me that.”
Many of the big names who have remained firmly in the Tour’s camp had the equivalent of a closed-door locker room meeting not long ago. Rickie Fowler noted that a group of Tour pros who competed in the JP McManus Pro-Am in Ireland gathered to discuss the state of pro golf.
“There’s a lot of guys that want to see this Tour succeed and continue to be the best place to play,” Fowler said.
Good to see the PGA Tour pros banding together, that they are taking the LIV threat seriously and they care about the Tour’s future.
Article originally appeared on: Golfweek.usatoday.com
I find it disingenuous that someone, actually anyone on the Senior tour comments on things related to LIV Golf when they play no cut 54 hole tournaments that have the personality of a cardboard box. I’m guessing they are a little jealous of the money they missed out on had they been 10 -15 years younger. And boy oh boy was that exiting watching a guy named Pendrith battle the Puerto Rico tournament winner Tony Finau to a close 5 shot loss..And lastly, there is a Golf magazine arguing about the Saudi money when in the same paragraph, they talk about all of the PGA events in China.. Now that’s funny..
Toyota and honda make great passenger cars. Ford still makes the world #1 pickup truck. Titleist makes the winningest ball but the other are not sleeping. PGATOUR slept too long. Pro golf was a lowlife 100 years ago. Pro tennis didn’t exist till about 40 yrs ago. LIV can recruit the cream of the crop in Latin America and play them against the 40 year old stars. Come on DLIII, time to accelerate your span of the fascination of golf.
If LIV sues the PGA, it will be tied up in the courts for years, and the
LIV players will not be able to play in the FedEx Cup until it is settled.
Let’s get serious for a moment. Almost all the defectors to LIV are not guys anyone would follow in a major unless they were among the leaders. Patrick Reed is a good player but a known cheater and zero personality. Koepka and DJ are better golfers but again not guys you’d want your kids to pattern their lives after. deShambo is someone you watch for the novelty but whose swing cannot endure the physics he puts on his body. Phil and Bubba are cooked and done. I get why these guys are laughing all the way to the bank. The only way these guys could make this kind of money is winning
MegaBall. Now not that the PGA shouldn’t be pushed to be better but LIV can theoretically put an end to professional golf with a crap product just because Saudi money says so should not happen. If the Majors and some events like the Pebble ProAm and events on Riviera and The Players reject LIV it dies. Golfers want to see the best guy win on a great track Under the pressure of needing to play great. Getting all the money upfront that you’ll ever need is like saying you won’t quit your job after winning the lottery. Bad business model. And BTW has anyone actually seen LIV yet? I haven’t.
PGATOUR won’t die. There are enough good golfers on this planet for 2 competing tours. PGA T does not want to admit any flaws in their kingdom. Recall what the attitude was toward pro golf in 1925 or 1935 or 1945. Only since Hogan has pro golf been a profession and not a hobby with some money.
the only reason the PGA is heading down the drain is because they won’t allow players to be the independent contractors that they are. They are bringing it on themselves by trying t control how people make money. Please tell me why they should not be able to play on both tours if they meet the minimum requirement of tournaments?? what if you wanted to work at two jobs, but one owner said if you did, you’s be fired.. what’s the difference??