PGA Tour and LIV Golf given bleak verdict as two competitions ‘near £1bn peace deal’

Paul McGinley has warned that the recent mega-money funding being pumped into golf by both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is not sustainable in the long term.

Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has sounded the alarm over the current spending frenzy in golf, cautioning that the massive influx of cash from both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is unsustainable.

Since LIV Golf’s inception in June 2022, there’s been an unprecedented financial battle with the PGA Tour, as both entities have been injecting colossal sums into the sport. Prize funds have soared, with LIV Golf setting a high bar by offering £20 million for each of their events.

In response, the PGA Tour has launched its Signature Events programme, allocating a hefty £15.4 million prize fund for each tournament within this new category.

Despite these lucrative moves, McGinley expressed his concerns to the Irish Independent about the future implications for golf. “Its not sustainable now,” he remarked.

“Financially the PGA Tour can not keep up this level unless something changes. LIV, for everybody who says the Saudis have got loads of money, they are not a charity.

“They are not going to keep giving money away and burning whatever it is $40 to $50million bucks per tournament. There’s no traction really in terms of the public watching. There’s no TV deal in place. There’s no corporate sponsors in place. It’s a big, big ask to be spending several billion dollars that they’ve already put in to it.”

McGinley, the victorious 2014 Ryder Cup captain for Europe, has scrutinised the current golf landscape and suggests only top players are reaping riches. “The only people that are winning are the players on both sides,” McGinley opined, hinting at the lucrative financial gains in the sport.

Specifically highlighting the boost for professionals like Shane Lowry and Ian Poulter due to the LIV Golf Series, he added: “If you’re Shane Lowry, for argument’s sake, you’re making three or four times the money you were before LIV. Life’s never been better. And if you’re Ian Poulter or Lee Westwood you’re making three, four, five times the money. Life’s never been better.”