Forget the arguments about human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia for a moment. Forget the idea of guaranteed money back in golf for a moment, or the comparisons of 54 holes without a cut versus 72 holes with a 36 hole cut.
For all the pros and cons of the LIV series and whether it should exist and how much of a threat it poses to the PGA Tour, certain realities must be considered. The greater of these realities is that PGA Tour golfers who played in the first LIV event in London earlier this month were suspended by the PGA Tour, and golfers playing their first LIV event in Portland, Oregon, this week as well. To be suspended.
ADVERTISEMENT
This means these golfers cannot participate in PGA Tour events – for now – leaving Tour events without star players such as Dustin Johnson or Brooks Koepka who might be able to draw a gallery and sell a few tickets. .
As of now, we know that LIV players have been cleared to play the US Open and they will be cleared to play the British Open in two weeks. None of these events, major championships in men’s golf, are controlled by the PGA Tour.
But the RBC Canadian Open was held the week of the LIV event in London, and that meant former Canadian Open winner Dustin Johnson was in London rather than Canada. This week the PGA Tour is at the John Deere Classic, but that may not be a good indicator of how the LIV could harm the PGA Tour. John Deere’s place in the calendar, the week before many players set off on a two-week trip across the Atlantic Ocean for the Scottish Open and then the British Open, means many big names are not playing not in the Deere event. That could mean that many of the biggest names in LIV would probably skip the John Deere anyway.
So instead of the John Deere or even the Canadian Open, let’s look at how LIV and player suspensions might impact The American Express event at La Quinta next January. It’s seven months away and anything can happen during that time, including suspension changes or more players joining the LIV.
LIV Players in the Desert Tournament
Desert golf fans might be surprised to learn that 10 golfers in the 48-player LIV field in Oregon played The American Express in January. Fans probably already know that Phil Mickelson hosted The American Express and played at La Quinta last January, and they may have heard that 2022 champion Hudson Swafford has joined the LIV.
But other names from the 2022 La Quinta ground have played in London or are expected to play this week in Portland. This includes former American Express champion Patrick Reed and Pat Perez. Abraham Ancer, who finished second in the 2020 American Express, is now an LIV player. Others from the 2022 Desert Tournament include Talor Gooch, Graeme McDowell and Peter Uihlien. Also this week, Matthew Wolff and Carlos Ortiz, both American Express players in January, joined the LIV for the Portland event.
If the suspensions stay in place until January, those players won’t be allowed to play in The American Express, although it’s possible Mickelson, 52, may not have returned anyway.
American Express officials can hope other players from their January field, including Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Rose and others, will return in 2023 and give the tournament another strong field. In 2022, 15 of the top 50 players in the world were at La Quinta. Of those 15, Ancer and Reed are now on the suspension list.
Does this guarantee a weaker field for the American Express? Maybe. But if the likes of Rahm and Scheffler are on the pitch next January, fans might not miss Ortiz or Wolff too much.
But the idea that 10 players from the 2022 American Express could be barred from playing at the 2023 event shows the LIV is having some impact on the PGA Tour. The extent of this impact may not be known for a year or two.
Larry Bohannan is The Desert Sun golf writer. He can be reached at larry.bohannan@desertsun.com or (760) 778-4633. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter at @larry_bohannan. Support local journalism. Subscribe to Le Soleil du Désert.
