LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil is remaining defiant amid the increasingly worrying future of the Saudi-backed tour.
The mere existence of LIV Golf is uncertain, with suggestions that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) will no longer financially support the league.
But it continued as normal this week with its event Mexico City, where O’Neil shared his pitch to attract top players to join LIV Golf, saying: “Well, most of them call us, quite frankly. The first thing I say when I’m talking to any player is, LIV Golf is not for everybody. If you want to spend your time in the US, this is the wrong league for you. If you want your home time and you don’t like leaving and you like practicing at the same course and you like to manage your own schedule, this is not for you.
“But what I’ll tell you, if you want to grow the game of golf around the world, this is for you. If you love to explore new cultures and new courses and have new experiences, this is for you. If you feel like golf could be lonely sometimes… this is the toughest, most lonely sport in the world. Boy, there’s nothing like a team after a bad round to pick you up.”
Dan Rapaport has now shared his reaction to the comments, having been left unconvinced by O’Neil’s rallying cry for LIV Golf.
Rapaport said on Dan on Golf: “It’s not the greatest pitch. You don’t hear the PGA Tour telling players, this is not for you.
“If you want to be one of the best golfers in the world, this is for you. My read is [they are saying] if you want to try and help a start-up business grow and travel around, this is for you.
“Players like to talk about growing the game but if you are a professional you want to win golf tournaments on the greatest tour in the world.
“I think you do the growing of the game with your play, on the biggest stages, on the best tour, with the biggest moments.
“I feel like Bryson [DeChambeau] is the only one who actually cares about growing the game.
“That pitch is just like, if you want to do something different. But that’s not how this league is going to succeed.
“When you are spending the money they are spending, you have to try and overtake the PGA Tour as the premier golf league in the world, and they are already pivoting away from that.
“I don’t want to say it’s a travelling circus, but the way he talks about it, it is a bit of travelling show.
“Rory McIlroy is going to play in India this year, he is going to play the Australian Open, it’s not like there are not tournaments in these parts of the world.
“Also, if you are a professional golfer and want to be a pro golfer, why do you care about a start of business? That’s not the pitch.”
LIV Golf was clearly eager to not only rival the PGA Tour but surpass it, but that goal seems as far away as ever right now.
And rather than discussion of high-profile players joining LIV Golf from the PGA Tour, which was once the case, the situation is now the complete opposite.
Five-time major champion and former world number one Brooks Koepka has left LIV Golf to join the PGA Tour, with Patrick Reed following suit.
Very worryingly, DeChambeau is seemingly exploring his options for his golfing future, which is a potential exit that would arguably be the most high-profile of all.
O’Neil is understandably doing his utmost to keep spirits high for everyone connected with LIV Golf, but right now it looks like he is fighting a losing battle.