Golf legend Lee Trevino has admitted he is still yet to watch LIV Golf - but is convinced the Saudi-backed series can co-exist with the traditional tours.
The emergence of LIV, a venture bankrolled by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund and fronted by Greg Norman, has created a fierce civil war within the sport. Norman has used the guaranteed Saudi millions to poach some of the biggest names in the sport and disrupt the status quo of the PGA and DP World Tour.
The PGA Tour have indefinitely banned all players who have defected to the contentious invitational series, while future involvement on the DP World Tour is subject to a final court ruling set for February. Trevino, a six-time major champion and PGA Tour great, sees similarities in the new golf landscape and when the most prestigious tour broke away from the PGA of America over five decades ago.
“This LIV thing is the same thing that we did when we broke from the PGA [of America] in 1969,” Trevino said at a Lone Star Legends lunch at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in reference to a select group of elite players forming an independent cooperation that became known as the PGA Tour.
“I didn’t [go]. I stayed with the PGA, but other players broke away. I don’t think it will affect anything. As long as Europe is [politically and financially] stable and the Saudis [are stable], then this will be fine.”
Trevino's confidence that LIV Golf can co-exist in the sport's ecosystem is certainly not based on the quality of the product offered by Norman and Saudi chiefs.
LIV's inaugural eight-event season struggled to capture a large audience due to a failure in securing a deal with a television broadcaster to promote the series. The interest surrounding LIV has instead centred around its disruption tactics and inordinate prize money on offer in team-focused events.
And Trevino, 82, has no interest in becoming a fan with the 54-hole, no-cut invitationals currently only being shown on YouTube. “I’ve still got a flip cell phone," he said. I need help turning on a computer. I don’t know how to do those things. I didn’t watch anything. I’m not going to do that.”
