The PGA Tour season is quickly moving towards its climax, with the FedEx Cup playoffs already upon us, but I find myself struggling to be excited for its conclusion. After watching the first of the three event season-ending series, I was once again in awe of the talent on show... but it felt like something was missing.
With regards to top-tier talent, I think it's fair to say that the PGA Tour comes out on top in the battle with LIV Golf, but is that really enough to keep viewers engaged and wanting more?
I would say it depends what you want. In any sport, the names people remember are those blockbuster showstoppers that you can't take your eyes off, with golf providing plenty of examples throughout the years.
However, the thing I noticed while watching coverage of the FedEx St. Jude Championship is the absence of charisma on the PGA Tour currently, which could indicate a problem for the sport moving forwards...
The PGA Tour Needs A Personality Injection
I'm going to be blunt in my assessment of this issue, and say that the PGA Tour needs a personality injection. Of course, it goes without saying that professional golfers are elite sports people and are under no obligation to play up for the cameras or go above and beyond to entertain fans, but the key point is some do... and I love it!
If you think about the top players in the world right now, like Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, there is no question that they are generational talents who are almost certainly going to dominate the sport for years to come.
However, If you gave me the choice to watch televised coverage of a Sunday shootout between those two players or say, LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, there really is no contest.
Bryson DeChambeau has quickly asserted himself as one of golf's poster boys, and is genuinely growing the game through his social media presence and unique approach to the sport. His desire to engage with fans is refreshing and as such offers viewers a unique opportunity to feel closer to the sport they love.
Brooks Koepka, on the other hand, has his own brand altogether. The alpha, ruthless competitor who doesn't suffer fools but can also do the business on the golf course... like becoming the first player to win five LIV Golf titles or successfully defending Major Championship titles.
Losing players like DeChambeau and Koepka to LIV certainly harmed the PGA Tour in terms of talent on the golf course, but their impact on engagement is arguably a more damaging loss.
When you add into the mix the absence of Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm, both of whom bring their own high-intensity energy and passion to proceedings, it's easy to see why watching the PGA Tour can feel a little bit flat at the moment.
Their transfer to LIV Golf has caused a flair-deficiency for the PGA Tour, and while their conduct on the course isn't always everyones cup of tea, you can't deny that their personalities bring something different to the sport.
You could argue that players like Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland bring a little of that pizzaz to the PGA Tour, but with their ill-timed loss in form it's hard for them to get enough traction to really move the needle.
The point I am making is certainly not an attack on any individual PGA Tour player's personality, as each is their own person with their own approach and nobody should be expected to change that. My argument is that the sport needs diversity of characters, and with the current split it feels like there is an imbalance.
Since the breakaway tour was formed, LIV Golf has perhaps felt a little too much like a melting pot of loud voices, while the PGA Tour has gone the other way. In my opinion, It's only when both aspects merge together that we get the very best viewing experience.
While work continues in the background to find a pathway towards unification in men's professional golf, I must admit that I am growing impatient with the divide. The sooner we can have the best players in the world, and the biggest characters in the sport, back competing together in the same arena, the better it will be for fan engagement.
