LIV Golf could now be the “best spot” for the top college golfers to land as they turn professional rather than the PGA Tour, according to a man who has taken that exact same route Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra.
The Spaniard was a first team All American while attending Oklahoma State University, and got to second in the World Amateur Golf Ranking before giving up his senior year to turn pro and join LIV Golf.
After making his pro debut in Portland, Lopez-Chacarra then won LIV Golf Bangkok to pocket a cool $4m in just his fifth tournament start – and at the tender age of 22.
Now 23, Lopez-Chacarra is certain he made the correct decision to join Greg Norman’s new tour and pass on the chance to play on the Korn Ferry Tour from his PGA Tour University ranking – and feels that the world’s top amateurs and college players could follow his lead.
“The PGA Tour University are doing a lot of change because the No. 1 guy that's in the ranking left, so they obviously don't want that to happen,” Lopez-Chacarra said of LIV Golf attracting the top college prospects.
“It's going to be hard to get the top ranking players. There's always an option. I feel like LIV Golf is the best spot to go after college, just not because of money.
“But like what people are saying, everything is talking about money and money and money, and I get tired of that. I feel like we're playing against the best players in the world. We want to beat them. We want to learn from them.
“Like I said before, you're just learning a lot, and you have guys on your team that they're helping you. That doesn't happen on the PGA Tour.
“For me and for us, the PGA Tour or other tours, we were never members there or we never made money there or anything, so they can't ban you or whatever they're saying. I don't know what's the situation; I'm kind of tired of all of that.
“I would just say we're normal golfers. We want to play golf. We love golf. We want to beat each other, and we're getting better and we actually - I know a lot of people try harder here than they did on the PGA Tour. It's just an awesome tour."
A member of the Fireballs GC team captained by fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia and including Mexican duo Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz, Lopez-Chacarra says that having that team aspect also makes it a smooth transition from college.
“I never played PGA Tour or anything, so I came from college and college was the same thing,” Lopez-Chaccara added. “I feel like I love it.
“Having teammates, friends and someone to support and be happy when they do good, and even when you're not having a good week, trying to help your team in one round or something is huge, so it's such a fun format.
“It's fun for the people, and for me in Europe, Spanish people, they like more LIV Golf than the PGA Tour. They're just supporting the team.
“They're supporting the guys, and they can watch it - even though the guys are almost last, but they can help the team to raise a podium or get some points for the team. It's fun, it's great thing, and hopefully it keeps this way.”
