For anyone paying very close attention, it comes as no surprise that LIV withdrew from OWGR consideration. Now, each side will give you their remarks. Most of which are one-sided and lack little truth and more vigor to defeat the other side’s narrative. The only absolute that can be drawn from this is that the fight is not over.
Can They Come to an Agreement?
We don’t know and might never find out what derived from the June 6, 2023 meeting between LIV and the PGA Tour. However, the only thing we know for sure is that the lawsuits and internal fighting were mostly put to rest. I can imagine what was all agreed to because it did not help any tour to proceed as they had planned. Since that time everyone has been waiting and waiting for the next shoe to drop and see if an “agreement” of some sort can be developed between these tours that are currently at odds.
In all honesty, I don’t see how any agreement can be developed. If you can somehow swim through the heavy content of hate from one side or the other which is no small feat. On the other side, you can collect just enough information to figure out that both LIV and the PGA Tour have very different views on the future of golf and neither one of them seems to be interested in working in a unified way of any type. Instead, they continue to play an interesting chess game while many fans suffer, the same fans who claim that the only thing they want is to see “all the players play together again”.
LIV and PGA Power Struggle
I believe that this sentiment is true in some regards but much like the power struggle game being played between the PGA Tour and LIV, the fans seem to be more entrenched in fighting for their “side” as a fan of one tour or the other. The line drawn in the sand seems to grow even deeper with the fans day by day. If the fans really felt that way, they could easily force it to happen. They could walk away completely, and the ratings show this has already happened to some degree. It appears the will to win the fight, however, is not just more important to LIV and the PGA Tour but is setting in with the fans still hanging around as well.
LIV doesn’t have a major TV contract in the United States. The PGA Tour also lost a tournament host that was 42 years running. How much pain is required for these groups to come together? Of course, time will tell. The disturbing part of the OWGR if they would choose, could at least provide the path to the “fans wish”. They are choosing not to, however. As the recognized rankings group, they will not provide LIV with what they want. They will demand LIV abide by their rules instead. LIV has decided that doesn’t suit them and so they are moving on. If playing together more is so important then why not evolve the OWGR or use TUGR or data golf instead? Like June 6th we will never know.