So much has been made of the battle between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Tournaments have seemed to start and end with questions about the new name in golf, with everyone that is anyone in golf asked about their thoughts on the Saudi-backed competition.

The LIV Golf League is a new competition backed by Saudi money that began at the Centurion Club in London in June. Eight events are planned across 2022, while 10 tournaments are planned for 2023. With a formidable $225 million in prizes up for grabs, it is no wonder so many players have chosen to make the switch. 

Meanwhile, the Professional Golfer’s Association of America was founded in 1929, now known as the PGA Tour, after being created in 1968. With more than 700 tournaments organized annually, the non-profit organization looks to provide a range of opportunities for members. 

While the PGA Tour has far, far more history behind it than the new LIV Golf League, the sheer amount of money that is behind the latter will see players tempted into making the switch. After all, professional golfers, like any sportsperson, will only be able to play at the top for so long, meaning the lure of earning enough to sustain themselves for the future will always be a major draw. 

Of course, if big names like Rory McIlroy continue to question the LIV Tour, then it may not take off in the same way as the organizers would want. But other betting tipsters are predicting it will be the biggest of all tours in a few years’ time.

However, while some players are staunchly opposed to the idea of this new league, what will happen if the vast majority of world-class talent makes the switch? Suddenly, sponsors will question whether they are getting their money’s worth with a lack of talent on show, more players will make the switch, and this will see the playing pots and viewership decline. 

While there will likely be players that stay completely loyal to the PGA Tour if this were to happen, people will not want to watch the same small cluster of players each and every time. A lack of world-class players at a tournament will see viewers switch over to LIV Golf instead. 

The major stumbling block for LIV Golf right now is the fact World Ranking Points are not currently on offer at the tournament. These ranking points allow entry to the four Majors in the golf world, which are seen as the pinnacle of the game. 

LIV Golf is currently trying to gain Official World Golf Ranking Accreditation, but it is thought that their 54-hole format could be a major sticking point in this discussion. 

For as long as the LIV Golf does not provide players with world ranking points, it stops the majority of players from making the switch. However, if they are allowed accreditation and the purse stays so attractively large, then LIV Golf could yet become the biggest name in golf.