The History of PGA Tour Stars Standing Up to Disruption
For decades, professional golf has been a sport of unwavering traditions and values. Despite the increasing popularity of the game and the emergence of new technologies and players, the PGA Tour has remained loyal to its roots and the players who have become its stars. But the recent controversy surrounding the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league has forced the PGA Tour to confront the possibility of disruption from within.
In the months since the Hotel Du Pont meeting in Wilmington, Delaware, a great deal has been revealed about the role Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy played in standing up for the PGA Tour against the encroachment of LIV Golf. Woods and McIlroy were at the forefront of the movement, and their message to their fellow PGA Tour stars was one of solidarity: that the PGA Tour could not compete dollar for dollar with the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but that they could still talk about better opportunities for younger players and ways to increase purses and reward players.
This isn’t the first time PGA Tour stars have stood up to the possibility of disruption. In November 1994, Greg Norman attempted to launch the World Golf Tour with the help of the game’s top players. The concept was to feature 40 of the game’s top players in eight big-purse events, televised and underwritten by Fox. He entered the meeting in ’94 confident that he had enough top players on his side, but the plan quickly unraveled as none of the players were willing to publicly support the WGT. It was Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus who seemingly turned the room against him, and Palmer’s outspoken criticism soon put an end to the idea.
It remains to be seen if Woods and McIlroy have the same influence as Palmer and Nicklaus did decades ago. Regardless, the story of their defiance serves as a reminder of the power of the PGA Tour stars and the importance of loyalty to the Tour’s values.
