LIV Golf Will Not Exist After This Year

In this edition of Fact or Fiction, the SI Golf staff debates LIV Golf's future, signature-event participation, Nelly Korda’s win total and the Ryder Cup fan experience.

How many more trophy ceremonies does LIV Golf have left? The SI Golf staff debates. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Welcome back to SI Golf’s Fact or Fiction, where we fondly remember the time when pro golf was a drama-free sport.

Once again, we’re here to debate a series of statements for writers and editors to declare as “Fact” or “Fiction” along with a brief explanation. Responses may also (occasionally) be “Neutral” since there's a lot of gray area in golf.

Do you agree or disagree? Let us know on the SI Golf X account.

LIV Golf is losing its Saudi funding at the end of this season. The league will not survive to see 2027. 

Bob Harig: FICTION. It’s going to be extremely difficult but there is a possible path forward with a smaller footprint of events and a scaling back of all the excess that had dominated the LIV discourse. If contracts still must be honored by players, and LIV can, in theory, lower purses, play fewer tournaments, seek to find sponsors who might have been tepid about being involved with an entity that was funded by Saudi Arabia, it's possible to move on. Also, assuming it is considered less of a threat to the PGA Tour, there might be more of an acceptance. But this is still a huge undertaking.

John Pluym: FACT. It’s over for LIV Golf. They have no funding. They have no credibility. Their task ahead is next to impossible, given its $30 million tournament purses and the lack of a significant television media rights deal. And the appointment of an independent board of directors won't be enough to save the golf league. Why would anyone invest in a failing venture? They wouldn't.  

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. Call me an optimist. Or a delusionist. Or some other word I make up. But I think LIV could find a way to see the year 2027, but with new sponsors, much lower purses and probably more than 50% turnover among its players. 

Max Schreiber: FACT: To be honest, I was somewhat close to saying fiction. Maybe some wealthy wacko—or wackos—gives LIV one last influx of cash to extend its life. Perhaps they cut expenses, play fewer events, slash purse sizes, etc. But ultimately, this venture is doomed. And players are reportedly already reaching out to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour about potential reinstatement.

John Schwarb: FICTION. Oh, this won’t be easy and any remaining players would have to take a pay cut via smaller purses, for starters. But LIV has a handful of solid tournaments already signed overseas and some promising U.S. markets that may want to continue, and there could be a way to build a shorter season around those. But it’s all about the cash … and I’m also not willing to back this opinion with mine. 

Rory McIlroy isn’t playing in the Cadillac Championship, his second straight signature event skip since his Masters win. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, who wants the Tour’s best playing together more often, should penalize players for missing more than one signature event.

Bob Harig: FICTION. You can’t force independent contractors to play events. You can make it nearly impossible for them to skip. That is what the Tour has done with signature events. But even that is not enough for McIlroy, who doesn’t need the money nor the FedEx points. The reason this is a tough look is due to McIlroy’s 2022 role in putting forth the idea. But he said last year he’d be more picking about his schedule. And it sure doesn’t help having three signature events in four weeks between majors.

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. I don’t think a penalty is the right way—best to just set a schedule where it makes sense for the top players to participate in as many top events as possible.

Rory McIlroy hasn't played on Tour since winning the Masters, which has meant missing two signature events. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

Max Schreiber: FICTION. I get the sentiment, but look at it this way: Scheffler, for example, isn’t playing next week’s Truist Championship, but he’ll play the Byron Nelson and possibly Colonial after the PGA Championship. Those are non-signature events, but Scheffler will attract viewers to them. So how about this: if a player skips a signature event, but they play a lower-tier tournament, the penalty is negated. 

John Schwarb: FACT. Yes, they’re independent contractors and the top guys will do what they need to do to be ready for the four majors. There’s nothing Rolapp could do to hurt them, per se, but he could add some intrigue—how about an end-of-year deduction in FedEx points based on how many signature events missed?

Nelly Korda, a five-shot winner in the LPGA’s first major of the season, is in the midst of a potential monster year. She will match or exceed her seven-win season of 2024.

Bob Harig: FICTION. So much has to go right, and while it’s certainly possible, Korda plays a limited schedule and winning that often was a career year. That said, look out for her in the majors going forward.

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. Don’t get me wrong: I am bullish on a Nelly rebound year and it’s great to see her reclaim the No. 1 ranking. But her seven-win season was historic and not something that’s easily duplicated, even while she’s on a heater.

Nelly Korda has two wins including a major and it's not summer yet. | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Max Schreiber: FICTION. She’ll continue to have a great season, I believe, and possibly add to her major title. But seven is a lot. That’s not easy to do. 

John Schwarb: FICTION. Seven wins is a lot and the Tour is so deep—look at last year when someone different won week after week. Plus it’s all about the major hunt with Nelly—can she pick up one more this year? Or two?

The famed Blue Monster course at Doral is back this week after a 10-year hiatus from the PGA Tour. It’s the second-best Florida course on the schedule behind the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass.  

Bob Harig: FICTION. I’m admittedly biased, but I’ll take the Copperhead course (not far from home) at Innisbrook over the Blue Monster any day.

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. It’s fun to see the Blue Monster again, but I like Bay Hill as a strong second-best behind Sawgrass.

The PGA Tour is back this week at the Blue Monster after a 10-year absence. | Jeff Romance-Imagn Images

Max Schreiber: NEUTRAL. I can’t say in 2016, or before, as a high schooler, I was totally understanding of what makes a good golf course. So ask me next week. I’ll say this, though: All five Florida courses on Tour are some of the best. 

John Schwarb: FICTION. The Valspar doesn’t get the fanfare coming after the Players with a non-signature-event field, but the Copperhead course is strong and would be my No. 2 if we’re just talking inside the ropes. For vibes, Bay Hill Club and Lodge would be second behind Sawgrass.

General admission tickets for next year’s Ryder Cup are €499, or about $586. The best two tournaments in golf for fans to attend are the Masters and the Ryder Cup.

Bob Harig: FICTION. While the Masters is terrific, the Ryder Cup might be the most difficult spectating experience in golf. The atmosphere is awesome and being on the grounds is great, but with just four groups on the course at any one time on Friday and Saturday, good luck seeing anything.

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. I’ve covered five Ryder Cups and have enjoyed them all, but as a fan it’s an extremely tough walk. There’s just so little action on the course at one time, save Sunday singles, and it is absolutely packed to the point where you have to work a few holes ahead and camp out to see much of anything.

Max Schreiber: FICTION. No doubt those are great. Perhaps once-in-a-lifetime events to attend. But some would say the WM Phoenix Open, and I, biasedly, would consider the Travelers Championship.   

John Schwarb: NEUTRAL. The opening-morning atmosphere on the first tee at a Ryder Cup is a moment unlike any other in golf and only comes once every four years in the U.S.—whether that’s worth the increasingly high price tag and seeing little else the rest of the day is a personal choice. If we’re talking two must-sees, put me down for a Masters and an Open (either side of the pond is fine).