The zany world of golf has never been better explained than the prize fund this week at the RBC Heritage event on the PGA Tour. This standard competition stop carries a $20m purse, making it $2m more lucrative than the Masters. So much for after the lord mayor’s show.
The reason for this anomaly, of course, can be found in the multiple kitchen sinks the Tour threw at leading players in order to prevent a talent drain to LIV Golf. Those in the top echelon have never had it so good. In return, tournaments such as the RBC event this week at Harbour Town have star appeal.
For Jon Rahm, there is a level of glory that far outweighs his winner’s cheque from Augusta National. The Spaniard breezed towards a first Masters triumph; it would be a shock if this becomes his last. Augusta could revel in a storyline with an emotional pull, four decades on from Seve Ballesteros donning a Green Jacket for the second time. “This one was for Seve,” said Rahm. “He was up there helping and help he did.” Ballesteros would shake his head at what has transpired in his sport. Civil war, triggered by LIV’s arrival on the scene, has led to court cases being launched and friendships ruined.
Any notion that golfers would be seen brawling on Augusta National’s sacred fairways or heard trading verbal blows in the ostentatious surrounds of the media centre was always fanciful. The club carries such a passive aggressive demeanour that one has cause to fear propping up an overpass on the highway to Atlanta if misbehaving to any notable degree. Everyone played nicely at the 87th Masters.
This was also a tournament where various sides could claim victory. For the club itself, that inevitably overstated belief that it can be a uniting force. Fred Ridley, the Masters chairman, tip-toed through the tulips during his pre-tournament address when probed directly on what he thinks about LIV converts. Augusta wants to keep its event intact without ostracising past champions such as Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson.
In Rahm, the traditional ecosystem involving the PGA and DP World tours have validation. No other European had won both a US Open and Masters. “Out of all the accomplishments and the many great players that have come before me, to be the first to do something like that, it’s a very humbling feeling,” the 28-year-old said. Even Seve tried and failed.
The Saudi Arabian-backed LIV circuit does not require forced public relations to claim its element of victory. Plenty have dismissed the LIV scene as non-competitive, as a knackers yard for washed out golfers. Mickelson’s rampage to tied second with another LIV golfer, Brooks Koepka, was enthralling. Reed tied fourth. In the first major of the year, and possibly with a point to prove, the rebels showed they can still mix it with the best.
Rory McIlroy will not play at upcoming PGA Tour event, the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head in South Carolina.
The Northern Irish endured a poor Masters, failing to make the cut after an underwhelming opening two rounds. He has given no reason for his absence in South Carolina.
Players in the world's top 20 in the Tour's Player Impact Program (PIP) are only allowed to miss a single event per season. McIlroy already missed the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January, meaning he is at risk of not receiving bonus money.
Jason Day has also pulled out.
When asked whether he believes he can win majors again, Koepka said: “I think I proved it this week, no?” The four-time champion has endured a multitude of injury problems in recent times and was honest enough to admit during Masters week that his switch to LIV would have been a tougher decision if he had complete confidence in his body. Physical improvement has brought a renewed belief.
“It is fractured, I guess, from the fan’s perspective,” Koepka said of golf’s bigger picture. “But as far as us, I mean, I think everybody saw it this week. It’s nice to see everybody. There’s no hard feelings pretty much. I think that’s the way everybody should see it.”
Reed claimed he even heard gallery shouts in support of his LIV team. “It’s the first time really seeing the PGA Tour guys and they were all great,” the 2018 champion said. “They all acted the exact same way, whether I was part of LIV or whether I was a part of the PGA Tour.”
Mickelson’s relationship with golfers and fans is more complex, which is in keeping with the man himself. He was a poster boy with a halo for so long. Infamous comments relating to the grisly antics of Saudis impacted that but so, too, has the total collapse of his alliance with the PGA Tour. During a final round of 65, patron support genuinely made it appear as if all had been even temporarily forgotten. Mickelson’s approach shot to the hazardous 17th, to within inches of the cup, was arguably the shot of the tournament.
Mickelson was asked in the aftermath of his heroics whether he felt some of the damage to his image had been restored. “Separate, separate,” he said. “They are separate issues. Golf and the professional golf ecosystem and how that’s been handled throughout my career, two totally separate things.
“I’m happy where I’m at. I wanted something different for a lot of reasons, and I’m getting a lot out of it because having a team environment when I was in high school and college golf, it elevated my game, having players to play with, compete with. It brought a great energy and excitement. And that’s what this is doing for me at LIV. I’m not saying it’s for everybody, but it’s been awesome for me, and I love it. There’s always going to be and should always be a place for historical events like this, but it’s OK to have a little bit of different and variety in the game of golf.”
In the background, the board of golf’s official world ranking convened as scheduled at Augusta, with LIV’s bid to gain recognition from the system naturally at the forefront of discussions. Such acceptance appears no closer; players having LIV contracts, in some cases until 2027, is just one element that troubles the decision makers. The LIV system is not fully based on competitive merit. The Masters still is. Various stakeholders in the game have reasons to be appreciative of that.
