2022 proved to be a year like no other in the world of golf, with the professional game firmly split in two following the formation of the controversial LIV Golf Series.
Bosses at golf's leading circuit the PGA Tour were unsurprisingly less than impressed with having a new-found rival at the top of the sport's empire, and quickly drew their battles lines to protect their leading status. LIV meanwhile welcomed the battle, culminating in an ugly civil war within professional golf.
The latest battle in the war sees the two rivalling tours facing off in court, as they find themselves in a legal dispute, but golf fans believe they have a much better way for the the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to settle their differences.
With the Saudi-backed series less than two weeks away from season two and documents beginning to be filed in court, the feud is just beginning to bubble away once more. And ahead of another action-packed season the idea of a PGA Tour vs LIV Golf showdown out on the course was debated across social media.
Now the idea is of course only a speculated one by fans, but this did not stop LIV poster boy Phil Mickelson from joining in on the conversation. Taking yet another dig at his former allies at the PGA Tour, Mickelson claimed his LIV team would 'dominate' their rivals, and leave the tournament broadcaster with an 'hour of dead time' due to their superiority.
He tweeted: "It sounds great, but we would dominate them so soundly and it would be over so quick that tv would have to fill an hour of dead time. That’s why it’s not happening at this time." Mickelson is of course as confident as ever, but on paper who would prevail? Here is a look at how the two teams could potentially line up.
Team PGA Tour:
Tiger Woods (playing captain), Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Will Zalatoris, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tony Finau
Team LIV Golf:
Phil Mickelson (playing captain) Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Joaquin Niemann, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Louis Oouthuizen, Abraham Ancer
Who wins?
The debate surrounding who would face off with who in each singles match is a whole topic in itself, but off the cusp a showdown between playing captains - and long-time rivals - Tiger Woods and Mickelson would be a must. Both have been vocal in the saga, and both have flown the flag high for the respected tours, making them easy captain picks.
A tussle between the two was welcomed by Mickelson in his Twitter debate. Despite the event only a fan pipe dream, he still took the chance to take a dig at his rival, claiming Woods can 'use a cart' with the 82-time PGA Tour champion still continuing to recover from injuries he suffered in a car accident in February 2021.
The pair also have match-play previous, having faced off in the first edition of 'The Match' back in 2018 where Mickelson prevailed to take the eye-watering $9 million wagered prize. Whilst Woods' greatness on the course is unparalleled, the golfing great's lack of match fitness compared to Mickelson could prove a big factor in a potential showdown. With all that said it makes it hard to split the two.
Who do you think would win? The PGA Tour or LIV Golf? Let us know in the comments section below.
In terms of the rest of competitors, there is no doubt LIV Golf has plenty of match-play expertise. The double act of Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia sticks out, with the pair proving pivotal in Europe's success over their Ryder Cup rivals America in recent years. Throw in the likes of Lee Westwood and Brooks Koepka - who are both former world No. 1's - and the rebel 12 certainly have players who have been there and done it.
Mix this in with the sheer talent of two of the hottest players on the planet right now in Dustin Johnson and Cam Smith, and the LIV setup seemingly have a stronger team than many think. Whether this would be enough to defeat their PGA rivals though would remain a tough ask
Aside from Johnson and Smith, the PGA Tour have the luxury of having the large majority of the hottest golfers in the world right now. Granted, the world ranking system has come into disrepute in recent months due to LIV stars competing without ranking points, but the depth of world class talent within the American circuit runs deep.
Not only do they have the sport's hottest prospects in the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa, the deadly combination of both raw talent and experience from the group of McIlroy, Rahm, Thomas and Spieth just to name a few makes the PGA Tour group very hard to look past in a battle on the course.
