Phil Mickelson Guarantees More PGA Tour Players Will Join LIV Golf Which Wouldn't Help Chances For Merger To Proceed
The PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced in June that they would like to come to terms on their proposed merger by December 31. Based on the latest promise from Phil Mickelson regarding LIV Golf - on top of a myriad of other concerns - it's becoming extremely difficult to see that deadline being met.
LIV Golf is hosting its season-ending, $50 million Team Championship this weekend, and with year two of the Saudi-backed circuit wrapping up and the merger deadline fast approaching, LIV's future was the topic of discussion during player press conferences.
Phil Mickelson is confident more Tour players will jump to LIV Golf. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)
While the uncertainties seem to far outweigh the certainties when it comes to professional golf as a whole at the moment, Mickelson is extremely confident in one thing, and that is that more players will leave the PGA Tour and DP World Tour to join LIV Golf.
“Do I think that?” Mickelson said when asked if he believes more Tour players will jump to LIV. “No, I know that’s going to happen.”
“When players look at LIV, they are wanting to be a part of it. Everybody here is happy and enjoying what we are doing and enjoying the team aspect of it and enjoying each other and the camaraderie and enjoying playing golf globally and all the benefits that come with playing this tour,” Mickelson continued. “So there’s a lot of players that see that and want to be a part of it. The question is, you know, how many spots are available. There’s a lot more players that want to come than there are spots.”
This is an emphatic statement from Mickelson given that nobody seems to know what LIV may or may not look like in a year's time. You also can't overlook the fact that LIV Golf's Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) application was unanimously rejected earlier this month, making it virtually impossible for the majority of LIV players to qualify for major championships moving forward.
Just More And More Questions About The PGA Tour - Saudi Merger
Let's say Mickelson is right and a handful of other PGA Tour players join the likes of Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith, Bryson DeChambeau, and others on LIV Golf ahead of next season. This would add another giant wrinkle into one of the most wrinkle-filled situations we've ever seen in sports.
Interestingly enough, the only ones to blame if more PGA Tour players bolt for LIV are the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF representatives trying to successfully merge.
READ: PGA TOUR – LIV GOLF DEAL REPORTEDLY ‘FAR FROM COMPLETE’ WITH PLAYER DEMANDS COMING TO FOREFRONT
When the framework agreement for the merger was presented in June, there was a clause that stated that while negotiations were taking place, LIV could not poach players (offer millions upon millions) from the PGA Tour or DP World Tour.
That clause was nixed just a month later after all parties agreed to do so when the U.S. Department of Justice accused the sides of anti-competitive behavior. In other words, gasoline was thrown on a raging fire that nobody seems to want to put out.
Phil Mickelon's prediction only hurts the chances of a PGA Tour - Saudi merger. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
If other PGA Tour stars - emphasis on stars - bolt for LIV it makes the Tour a less-desirable product for advertisers, advertisers that are already fighting an unwinnable battle with the bottomless pockets of the Saudi PIF.
The proposed merger has not been presented in a way that the PGA Tour would absorb LIV Golf, or vice versa, it's strictly the Tour merging with the Saudis and creating a yet-to-be-name for-profit entity with the Tour still having the head seat at the table of professional golf.
While it's still somewhat safe to assume that's the path all involved are racing down, it's tough to determine if the race has even started given the obstacles constantly being thrown in the way.
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