"We’re going in the wrong direction" - Golf Legend Tom Watson expresses concerns over lack of player participation in PGA Tour decisions

Tom Watson has expressed his concern over the PGA Tour. The players on the Tour, with the exception of the Player Directors, have very little participation in the decision-making process. Whether by their own inaction or because the Tour doesn't listen to them, it's worrying for Watson.

From Watson's perspective, the decisions that are made affect the players directly and if they're not involved, it's not working. He said (via NUCLR GOLF):

“We have people that are making decisions that are really shaping the future of PGA Tour golf and without player participation in those decisions, we’re going in the wrong direction.”

Player Directors can have an impact on the Tour. For example, Tiger Woods pushed back on his event, the Genesis Invitational, having no cuts. It would have allowed everyone in the field to play all four days. Woods didn't like that and after becoming a Player Director, his pleas were listened to and agreed upon.

Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, Rory McIlroy, and Webb Simpson make up the rest of the directors. They have some say in policy, but every other player really doesn't. That means some of the best in the world don't have a say on their futures.

Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, Max Homa and others are largely detached.

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Tom Watson disappointed in PGA Tour LIV Golf merger

The merger heard around the world has its fair share of detractors. The PGA Tour x LIV Golf (or PIF) collaboration is less than popular in a lot of circles, including within the Tours themselves.

Tom Watson is displeased

That includes Tom Watson, who wrote a scathing letter to Jay Monahan in the wake of the merger and asked tons of questions about it. Per Golfweek, Watson wasn't scared at all when writing that letter:

“I had none. This was a complete departure of where I thought the Tour should go. The sad thing about it is the questions in that letter haven’t been answered. Not a single one. We’re waiting for answers. I can’t comment on it until we get the answers.”

Watson is a member of the Golf Hall of Fame, so his opinions carry some weight. Much like he's displeased with the lack of player involvement in policy-making, he's thoroughly disappointed in how the merger came to be, as he said:

“I think the Board needed a restructuring so that the players had voting power because this is a players’ organization. This organization went outside of the due process. It wasn’t transparent at all. There were no players involved at all in the negotiations with PIF and Yasir (Al-Rumayyan, PIF’s chairperson). That needed to be."

He continued, adding that the process was a huge mistake. He believes the PGA Tour players would agree with that statement, too. At the very least, Tom Watson believes at least one PGA Tour player should have been in the room.

This decision shapes the future of golf and he believes someone who will be affected should have been present.