"The constant dialogue of money has damaged the reputation of the sport"- R&A CEO Martin Slumbers makes grim remarks about LIV Golf x PGA Tour merger

Martin Slumbers is currently the CEO of the R&A, one of the governing bodies of golf, but he won't be forever. He is stepping down from his position after a decade of running things, and he has a warning for the state of golf on his way out.

Slumbers was asked about the pending merger between the PIF and PGA Tour. He had a dark warning for golf while acknowledging that he and others around him hadn't been at the table for the discussions via Golf Digest:

"The current position of the professional game is very bad. We have created a game that is immensely divisive. I’ve talked about the financial unsustainability of the professional game. I will stand by that and keep saying it. That has caused significant problems. The constant dialogue of money has damaged the reputation of the sport, which is one of the reasons why the public is not watching as much golf as they can. I truly hope that peace and stability is reached soon."

Right now, Slumbers worries that everyone in golf is far too interested in money and not as interested in the overall state of the game. The PGA Tour has flooded its tournaments with cash in an attempt to compete with LIV Golf, which has the ability to pay its golfers a lot of money just to come over to the tour.

The CEO said he has no problem with having two tours since he grew up with the PGA and European Tour operating on similar standings. But, Slumbers acknowledged, there was "stability" and the best players faced off far more often than four times a year. Out of all the things he talked about, Slumbers said this one was the most concerning.

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R&A CEO Martin Slumbers discussed raising prize purses

Martin Slumbers, as CEO of the R&A, has raised the prize purse for the Open Championship over the last few years. Admittedly, the number went up more than he wanted it to, but it didn't grow as much as other tournament prize purses.

Martin Slumbers addressed the Open's prize purse (Imagn)

But he added via Golf Digest:

"The prize money has been a massive problem for us, in terms of how much we have had to increase."

Martin Slumbers went on to say that golf in general has seen prize purse increases, and the Open could not be immune:

"I was challenged during The Open this year about why The Open ranked No. 28 in prize money. I had no idea we were No. 28. But when you are in a professional game that keeps talking about money, that comes up as an issue."

While the Open has not been able to avoid the rising tide, it has, according to Slumbers, done so at its own pace while trying to compete with the overall trend in golf.