[Hyunjun Kim's Golf File] "Unveiled" LIV Golf "Still an Empty Shell"

The new global professional golf tour LIV Golf, led by Saudi Arabia, has revealed a limitation due to the lack of star attractions.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyunjun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "There is no substance."

Charl Schwartzel (South Africa), ranked 126th in the world, hit the '4.75 million dollar (6.1 billion KRW) jackpot' in just a 3-day tournament. This is the story of the first LIV Golf event held on the 12th (Korean time) at Centurion Golf Club (par 70) in London, England. He added the $4 million individual prize to the $750,000 team championship prize. LIV Golf is a new global professional golf tour supported by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). They are pouring astronomical amounts of money to recruit world stars.

It is truly 'oil money power.' This season, the total prize money for 8 tournaments is a staggering $255 million (326.4 billion KRW), with each event offering $20 million for the individual competition and $5 million for the team competition, a $25 million (32 billion KRW) 'money festival.' Only 48 players participate, playing 3 rounds without a cut-off, accompanied by a draft-style 12-team team competition. Players cannot help but be tempted. In fact, Andy Ogletree earned $120,000 (154 million KRW) despite finishing last with a 24-over-par score over three days.

Prize money is not everything. There were rumors that Dustin Johnson joined LIV on the condition of receiving ?100 million (158 billion KRW). 'The Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau, who will participate in the second event in July, is also said to be worth ?100 million, and 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods reportedly commands between $500 million and $900 million (640 billion KRW to 1.152 trillion KRW). This is why the PGA Tour imposed severe sanctions by suspending 17 members from participation following the launch of LIV Golf to protect its members.

So how about the entertainment value? The competition format is new. The shotgun start format has all players start simultaneously across 18 holes, eliminating the morning and afternoon group advantages, and the event finishes simultaneously within 5 hours. Although there is no official broadcast station, anyone can watch via the website, making viewer access easier. In Korea, it was broadcast on SBS Golf, MBC Sports, and SPO TV. The leaderboard displays team logos instead of national flags next to player names, giving it an appearance similar to an online game.

For now, the 'catfish effect' is sufficient. It prompted the PGA Tour to increase prize money and introduce various incentives such as the $50 million Player Impact Program and the $20 million Comcast Business Tour Top 10. The problem is that aside from Johnson, there are no significant star attractions. In fact, Phil Mickelson (USA), Sergio Garcia (Spain), and Lee Westwood (England) are 'former stars.' There is an urgent need to inject 'young blood' beyond DeChambeau.

The criticism of 'sports washing' is an inherent limitation. Initially, there were concerns that players would avoid it because Saudi Arabia is a 'human rights-violating country' that assassinated anti-government exiled journalist Jamal Khashoggi by its intelligence agency's hit squad. Recently, families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks sent protest letters to American players, stating that participating in events hosted by a country behind the terror is a betrayal of their homeland. The next breakthrough for LIV Golf is eagerly awaited.