Jason Day, the 37-year-old Australian golfer, weighed in on the ripple effects of LIV Golf on the PGA Tour ahead of his appearance at the Farmers Insurance Open. Day highlighted how the Saudi-backed league has reshaped professional golf, forcing the PGA Tour to innovate with lucrative signature events but creating a divide among players.
Two tours within a tour
Day expressed his concerns about the current state of golf, noting that the PGA Tour’s response to LIV Golf—introducing eight signature tournaments with $30 million prize pools—has unintentionally split the field into two tiers.
“There are two tours within a tour now if you could understand that,” Day said, as quoted by News Wire. “You have the top guys playing the signature events and you have the other side of it too. I think that just happened purely because of the way LIV came about.”
While acknowledging the changes, Day refrained from diving too deeply into the controversy, emphasizing his focus on maintaining his performance.
“I just don’t know where they’re even taking it. I just keep my head down, I keep my mouth shut and try and play good golf.”
LIV Golf’s influence on PGA innovation
Greg Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf, has consistently argued that the league has pushed the PGA Tour toward innovation. In a recent interview with Australian Golf Digest, Norman stated that LIV has brought about more significant changes in golf than people realize, including the introduction of signature events.
Norman’s statements continue to divide opinion, with some applauding LIV’s disruption of the status quo and others criticizing its motives.
Jason Day’s solution
Despite his reservations, Day offered a clear solution to the current challenges facing professional golf: a dramatically reduced schedule.
“Ultimately … if you wanted everyone to play in a tournament, you have to shrink the schedule down dramatically,” he said.
This suggestion reflects the growing tension between maintaining a packed calendar and ensuring top players consistently compete in the same events.
A divided landscape
Day also noted the disparity between players like Rory McIlroy, who compete on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, earning significant payouts at events like the Dubai Desert Classic. The increasing bifurcation of tournaments raises questions about how the sport can unite under a single, coherent structure.
What’s next for golf?
As LIV Golf and the PGA Tour continue to clash, players like Jason Day are caught in the middle, navigating a changing landscape that rewards the elite while creating challenges for others. Day’s call for a reduced schedule might be a step toward bridging the divide, but for now, the sport remains in a state of flux.