Sergio Garcia tees off during the final round of the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Boston at the Oaks Golf Course in Bolton, Mass., Sept. 4.
Photo:
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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it is also what you get when a serious challenger suddenly confronts a 54-year-old entrenched monopoly. On Aug. 24, the PGA Tour responded to LIV Golf by boosting its purses, setting a pay floor, and structuring events so that fans get to see the tour’s best players—all among the innovations we introduced when we launched LIV in June. It is a classic case of competition benefiting workers and customers. LIV Golf is the best thing that has ever happened to the careers of professional golfers. The PGA Tour never would have changed without it.
When LIV came on the scene, the PGA chose sticks instead of carrots, threatening and then banning golfers who teed off in LIV tournaments. LIV still assembled players who have won 21 of the last 51 major golf tournaments, including six U.S. Opens and seven Masters Tournaments since 2010. LIV has two recent No. 1 players (Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson), the current No. 2 player (Cameron Smith), and other popular golfers (Phil Mickelson,
Bubba Watson
and Sergio Garcia).
Golf was ready for a change. Players wanted more, and it wasn’t only about money. They wanted a better format with no cuts, team play and shotgun starts, in which golfers start on different holes to speed things up. This format will attract the next generation of fans, essential to golf’s future, given that the age of the average TV viewer for a PGA Tour event was 64 in 2017 and has likely grown older since. According to our research, the average TV viewer for an LIV event is 45.
This story is far from over. The PGA Tour is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for federal antitrust violations, and its special tax exemption is finally facing scrutiny. LIV golfers may yet get to play in PGA Tour events as independent golfers, and we continue to welcome…
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