LIV Golf's 'Hulk' DeChambeau and 'Major Hunter' Koepka Join, Dominating 2 South Africa Tournaments with Wins, Legal Battle Heats Up
LIV Golf is gaining strength with the addition of 'The Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau (left) and 'Major Hunter' Brooks Koepka.
[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] The wind stirred by the LIV Golf Invitational Series, led by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund (PIF), is far from ordinary.
Backed by astronomical oil money, LIV Golf has rapidly shown potential for success, causing cracks in the men's golf landscape that had been divided between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour). LIV Golf will hold its third Invitational tournament over three days starting on the 30th (Korean time) at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, USA.
◆ ‘From a breeze to a storm’= Initially, the golf world believed it would be difficult for LIV Golf to establish itself as an official tour. The prevailing view was that it would end as a "one-off event." Even at the first tournament, the main players were those considered past their prime, such as Phil Mickelson (USA), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Lee Westwood, and Ian Poulter (both England). The only standout was Dustin Johnson, the former world number one. It was criticized as "lacking substance" and a "party for washed-up players running out of money." The media’s critical perspective, pointing to Saudi Arabia’s sports washing?using sports to clean its image?amid the backdrop of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, also made players hesitant to participate.
However, as the tournaments continued, world stars began to be swayed by the oil money. They were tempted by signing bonuses worth billions of won and prize money exceeding hundreds of millions of won. The addition of ‘major hunter’ Brooks Koepka and ‘Hulk’ Bryson DeChambeau (both USA) has given momentum. ‘The Open Champion’ Cameron Smith, and former Masters champions Adam Scott (both Australia) and Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) have also been linked with transfers.
Moreover, LIV Golf has intensified its offensive. The organizers announced plans to increase the number of tournaments from eight this year to 14 next year and to raise the total prize money to $405 million (approximately 530 billion won).
◆ ‘South Africa’s dominance’= LIV Golf is a ‘money festival’ with a total prize pool of $25 million per tournament, including $20 million for individual competition and $5 million for team competition. Even the last-place finisher receives $120,000. Only 48 players compete in three rounds without a cut, and 12 teams are formed through a draft system to add a team competition element. LIV Golf aims to expand its tours worldwide, which is why it assembles entries with players of various nationalities.
South African players are thriving in LIV Golf. At the opening event held on the 12th of last month at Centurion Golf Club in London, England, Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) became the inaugural champion. Brandon Grace (South Africa) achieved a come-from-behind victory at the second Invitational held on the 3rd at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Oregon, USA. The ‘South African squad’ is emerging as the flagship of LIV Golf.
◆ ‘Ignited legal battles’= The PGA Tour and DP World Tour have taken strong measures against players joining LIV Golf, including fines and bans from participation. However, the effectiveness of these measures is questionable. LIV Golf is fighting back with lawsuits. Sixteen DP World Tour players who participated in the first Invitational submitted a petition to the DP World Tour office requesting the lifting of their bans from the Genesis Scottish Open, and when the bans were not lifted, they filed lawsuits.
The UK court accepted the injunction application filed by Poulter and others to suspend the disciplinary actions by the DP World Tour. The US Department of Justice has also launched an antitrust investigation into the PGA Tour. The issue lies in the PGA Tour’s disciplinary actions against players moving to LIV Golf. LIV Golf claims that the PGA Tour’s sanctions are abuses of market dominance and violations of antitrust laws. Greg Norman (Australia), head of LIV Golf, is fully supporting the players’ legal battles.
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