There is never a dull day in the golf world, and the main reason is the obvious LIV Golf-PGA Tour feud. While the merger talks are still stuck, be ready to brace yourself with a rather unexpected showdown between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf in 2025.
Greg Norman has taken a bold step by scheduling LIV events on the same weeks as some of the PGA Tour’s biggest tournaments. Yes, you read that right. One can imagine what kind of battle this decision will cause, especially with the viewership turmoil already going on.
How has Tiger Woods found himself in a way of LIV Golf schedule?
As you can already tell, this move is seen as a direct challenge to the PGA Tour. Greg Norman is convinced that LIV Golf is taking the sport to a new level by bringing in a fresh and younger crowd. It is rightly trying to abide by its motto, Golf But Louder. But the reality check is harsh, to say the least. Remember the thrilling playoff between LIV superstars Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka that couldn’t even take over a pickleball game in TV ratings? So much for taking the sport to the next level.
LIV Golf has released its 2025 schedule, and there was something peculiar in it that Flushing It on X noted. LIV is opening its 2025 schedule with four straight international events, but this isn’t what is fascinating. “Something to note with the early LIV schedule is they all clash with PGA Tour Signature Events. LIV’s biggest event at Adelaide is up against Tiger Woods’ event at Riviera,” noted the golf page.
Tiger Woods’s Genesis Invitational is one of the PGA Tour events that will face direct competition from LIV Golf in 2025. The event will take place on February 13, and Greg Norman has decided to schedule the LIV Golf Adelaide event on the same week as the former. The Grange Golf Club in South Australia played host to a thrilling 2023 and 2024 LIV Golf Adelaide event which attracted an impressive attendance of over 94,000 fans in the second edition resulting in it being the biggest LIV Golf Tournament.
Something to note with the early LIV schedule is they all clash with PGA Tour Signature Events. LIV’s biggest event at Adelaide is up against Tiger Woods’ event at Riviera. The Saudi International later this year is also being played against Tiger Woods’ event in the Bahamas too. https://t.co/2ZUYsXTPtP
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) September 4, 2024
That’s not all; the Saudi International backed by LIV Golf, which is scheduled to take place later this year and will be directly attacking Tiger Woods’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. The cutthroat competition to be the best between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour is far from over. It feels like the game is just starting, especially with how stale things have been with the $3 billion merger.
PGA Tour faces bleak future as LIV Golf merger talks drag on
Commissioner Jay Monahan’s latest update on the ongoing discussions with PIF has left fans with more questions than answers. It has sparked concerns about the merger’s future. Despite a framework agreement being signed in June 2023, the deadline for a finalized deal has passed while the negotiations continue with no end in sight. Monahan’s vague responses have fueled speculation that even he may be in the dark about the details of the deal.
The PGA Tour and LIV Golf League are set to operate independently through 2025, but the lack of progress raises concerns about the long-term viability of the Tour. “You look at where we are right now, we’re in regular dialogue, we have the right people at the table with the right mindset. I see that in all these conversations on both sides, that creates optimism about the future and our ability to come together. At the same time, these conversations are complex, they’re going to take time. They have taken time and they will continue to take time”, said Monahan before the 2024 Tour Championship.
With top golfers divided between the two leagues, the sport faces a bleak future if a merger cannot be reached. WHhat are your thoughts on LIV’s 2025 schedule?
