If Cameron Smith is confirmed to the LIV Tour, the ramifications are substantial.
Let’s explore why.
One of the reasons is that the team format has been scorned due to the clip art logos and childish names, but according to LIV representatives who recently appeared on the Golf Digest podcast, it is one of the biggest selling points of the Tour.
The idea is to develop the teams around nationality.
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Secondly, the recent accumulation of younger and better players slowly puts paid to the arguments surrounding LIV. Critics have said that it is a retirement tour, that it lacks players in form, and that the standard is lower. Bagging a recent major champion is a huge win for LIV. The 28-year-old reigning Open champion is likely able to tip the scales in LIV’s favor in terms of standards, form, and clout.
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Smith is in his prime, ranked #2 in the world, and shows no signs of slowing down. If the rumors are true, he is said to have been offered $100 million. Telegraph Sport has confirmed the move and the figures, but it is expected that Smith would continue to play on the Pga Tour throughout the FedEx Cup playoffs.
So what’s the end game here? Will we continue to see players leaving the PGA Tour until the Tours are almost equal in ability? LIV may exceed the PGA in terms of standards in the years to come. The risk is that we end up with two tours that are both of high quality but nowhere near what the PGA Tour once was. For the short term, each new addition for the LIV Tour is a loss for the PGA Tour because it shows that regardless of the new schedule, increased purses, and the pleas of players like Rory and Justin Thomas, the PGA Tour isn’t attractive enough to steer the majority away from the promise of LIV money, even recent major winners.
The all-Australian LIV team looks to have been formed. Which country is next?
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