At the tip of millions of dollars, the LIV Golf has been moving forward with impressive speed in recent months. What seemed like a distant project for the PGA players, today has become the great threat for the American circuit, taking great figures without sparing money and with tournaments that distribute record figures, reaching US$ 25 million per event. Or by convincing big stars, like the legendary Phil Mickelson, who was lured in with a $200,000,000 bonus, half of which was paid in advance. They also tried unsuccessfully to add Tiger Woods, who was presented with a stratospheric offer of more than 700 million of the North American currency.
But the crane of the Saudi super league not only points to the figures with the most travel, but also to the emerging ones. And in that group is Joaquín Niemann. At 23 years old, the Talagan native already holds two PGA titles, is currently 19th in the world and is one of the golfers with the greatest international projection. Also, He is the best Latin American and his figure represents a great potential when it comes to opening the South American market, compelling reasons to be tempted with an important offer to joinas confirmed Sporting.
“Nothing to tell about me. I want to do my best to beat all these guys (pointing to the practice area). They’re still here and as long as they’re here, I’m not going anywhere. No possibility (…). What if I was 40? Maybe it would be different.”, Joaco said when consulted last June, in the run-up to the US Open. However, with the passing of the months, the arrival of more figures from the PGA and the conviction of the nascent super league to add it, the scenario is completely different and Today he seriously considers the possibility. Of course, today his mind is set on the three FedEx Cup playoff tournaments, which bring the season to a closeso any determination made in this regard will be communicated at the end of the month, once the postseason is over, according to the same sources consulted.
On the other hand, the figure of the Spaniard Sergio García also influences, who has been a kind of godfather of the talagantino since its inception and they shared an agent. The Hispanic from the beginning has tried to recruit the main Latin players and since February he had been planning his departure from the PGA. Recently, some messages were leaked between him and Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf, where they talked about the benefits of joining and also the fear of some, especially the youngest. “I just wanted to see how things go with the League because It seems like a lot of those guys who loved it and were excited about it last week are now shitting their pants.”El Niño confessed to the Australian, in the face of American threats.
Months later, the Mexicans Carlos Ortiz and Abraham Ancer joined the Borrol native team, where another Spaniard also appears, Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra. They make up the Fireballs GC, where Garcia is the captain. AlsoBoth Ortiz and López-Chacarra train with Eduardo Miquel, Joaco’s coach. It is included the Chilean coach has accompanied them to the events. When asked by this medium about Niemann’s possible departure, he commented: “I don’t know anything about that yet.”
In addition to Joaco, there are several names that are being seduced by the new circuit, such as Cameron Smith, Patrick Cantlay, Tommy Fletwood y Xander Schauffeleamong other top 50. And, even, some of them would have already closed the agreement, but they would also make it official at the end of the playoffs.
One of the most complex situations in the dispute between the PGA and the LIV is related to eligibility for the tournaments, since the former definitely closed the doors to all those who decided to go to the circuit financed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. This means that they will be left without the possibility of accessing the tournaments that deliver the highest number of points for the world ranking, which, in Niemann’s case, it would even cast doubt on his presence at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Likewise, his presence at future majors It would also be questioned if there is no agreement between the circuits. The only way to add some units would be by playing some tournaments on the Asian Tour.
Without going any further, it has been the marginalized golfers themselves who have prosecuted the conflict. In recent days, the Australian Matt Jones and the Americans Talor Gooch and Hudson Swafford filed an appeal to play the first of the FedEx Cup playoff events, the St. Jude Championship, which kicked off Thursday in Memphis. Nevertheless, Judge Beth Labson Freeman determined that all three players were aware of the potential consequences of joining the LIV Circuit, and therefore denied the petition.
In parallel, there is a lawsuit that was initially filed by 11 figures against the PGA, alleging that they were unfairly suspended and that the Tour has used all its monopoly power to crush their opposition. The body, for its part, argued that it is an entity that has rules and regulations that players choose to accept. The plaintiffs include Mickelson himself and Bryson DeChambeau as well as Ancer and Ortiz. However, the latter gave up, so the number was reduced to 10.
In any case, among the golfers themselves there is hope that both circuits will manage to coexist and thus avoid a fratricidal war in a sport that is attracting more and more followers. For now, the tension is maximum.
