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LIV Golf has become the fastest-growing entity in golf only a year into its existence. As the Saudi-backed circuit prepares to celebrate its one-year anniversary, a LIV Golf executive has come out to reveal the ‘endless’ growth possibilities it holds for the future, including a tie-up with rival PGA Tour.
While LIV considers its inaugural year a huge success, its officials believe that the circuit has a long way to go. A LIV Golf executive, who chose to remain nameless, revealed in a recent interview that the league could even consider the “opportunity to cross-pollinate from an all-star PGA Tour team” with top FedEx players to compete against the LIV’s top four. The official reiterated LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman’s ‘LIV is not going anywhere’ comment as well.
Speaking in an interview with Sports Illustrated, the anonymous LIV Golf executive said, as quoted by SI:
“We're not going anywhere. There's an opportunity for more teams, the opportunity to cross-pollinate from an all-star PGA Tour team that might have the top four FedEx players coming to compete in every event or our top four players playing in the Players Championship, whatever it might be.”
While a LIV Golf - PGA Tour tie-up looks like a distant dream, it’s pertinent to note that this isn’t the first time LIV officials have called for it. Earlier Norman himself had challenged the PGA for a Ryder Cup format event with teams of LIV and PGA players. However, the American circuit didn’t respond to the call.
It also doesn’t help LIV’s case that the organization has sued the PGA Tour on antitrust claims. It has been in a war of words with its American rival and its players over the past year. The two sides have clashed over multiple matters, including OWGR and players’ payments.
LIV Golf executive says the circuit has a 'multi-decade' plan
The LIV executive’s comment came as part of the official’s explanation of LIV’s ‘multi-decade’ growth plan. Dubbing LIV Golf’s growth as being ‘limitless’, the official said that the circuit would take some time to establish itself. According to two LIV executives at LIV Golf DC, the original business plan that was presented to the PIF ahead of the tour’s launch was a multi-decade plan.
A LIV executive said, as quoted by Sports Illustrated:
“This was always going to take time to mature, time to establish itself. That happens at different stages for the league, for the teams and for the events… We've always acknowledged and knew that it would take time for them to become fully established and fully commercially mature. And in terms of what that looks like, it's almost limitless.”
The official underlined the size of the crowd pulled by LIV Golf in its first year. The executive claimed that ‘60 per cent of the LIV events' attendees were under 45’. The official also noted that LIV has been on the right path with its selection of courses, making golf more open to the fans.
