After its latest rejection by the PGA Tour, what’s the next move for LIV Golf?

Above photo: PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi PIF Chairman Yasir Al Rumayyan in happier times.

Each week, we ask our panel of writers, PGA members and golf industry experts to weigh in with their views on the hot topics of the day.

When Rory McIlroy won the Masters two weeks ago, it was the final leg of his career grand slam, and came 25 years after Tiger Woods completed his. There are currently two players that need just one major to complete their own grand slam, Jordan Spieth (PGA Championship) and Phil Mickelson (U.S. Open). There are also several active players that have two different majors to their credit (Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Colin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson and Martin Kaymer). Several other players, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau most notable among them, have won the same major twice but have been in contention numerous times in the others. Which player do you think is most likely to complete his own grand slam?

Jim Deeks, Fairways Magazine (@jimdeeks): Of all of the names above, I’d put five quid down on Spieth. Obviously, he hasn’t lived up to the huge expectations we had of him a decade ago, but I think he’s a great player with a good attitude, and if he can find his magical putting stroke again, I can see more than one major (including a PGA) in his future.

Craig Loughry, Golf Ontario (@craigloughry): This is a tough question to answer, but I believe it’s Spieth who has the best shot in the weakest Major for the career grand slam. He’s just been so inconsistent the last few years, but I think he’ll find it and squeak out a win.

Michael Schurman, Master Professional / Hall of Fame Member, PGA of Canada: The next player to win the Lifetime Slam will be Ludvig Aberg, with the thought that DeChambeau might do it. Exceptional players like Jack and Tiger come along every 25 years or so. Jack had the tremendous good fortune to win the US Open against the best player of his era (Arnie) as his first victory, which vaulted him into a different category. He has said, “I never played for the money! All I wanted was to win”! Tiger posted Jack’s record above his bed as a small kid. Their MO was not to earn a living or win some tournaments. They wanted to be dominant and the best. In competition, pressure is self-imposed. If a player is positioned to finish high or win, deep inside, they know they have an opportunity to do something good. When Jack or Tiger smells the ‘tape’, all thoughts of anything but winning leave them. They become a cougar running down an elk. They become cold and ruthless, but focused. They have done all the preparation required for the moment. Other players go through their ritual in the hope that they do well. Jack and Tiger expect to do well. Someone asked Michael Phelps why he won so often. His reply was, “You guys are all training and trying to figure out how to beat me. I’m trying to figure out how to win.” Of the players you listed, victory was within their grasp, and they managed to end up with the trophy. Jack and Tiger began the majors knowing that if they prepared properly, they were good enough that they could beat anybody and take the trophy.

TJ Rule, Golf Away Tours (GolfAwayTJ): You’d have to think Spieth is the best option to close out the Grand Slam, given he only needs one and he can catch fire any given week if he just drives the ball straight.  He’s still young and has every possibility of winning the PGA one of these years.  Beyond that, I’d not go out on a very long limb choosing Scheffler to eventually win all four.  He has multiple top 10’s in each major, so his game translates to all styles of course.  He’s just so talented, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him win one this year and ramp up the chatter about his Grand Slam possibilities.

Peter Mumford, Fairways Magazine (@FairwaysMag): If Jordan Spieth showed a bit of consistency, my money would be on him. Of the others, I’ll exclude Mickelson, Kaymer, Johnson and Johnson whose time seems to have passed them by. My hunch is that both Koepka and Rahm will attain Grand Slam status, although I couldn’t guess who gets it first.

Just before the Masters, the PGA Tour rejected a proposal from the Saudi PIF that would have seen the Saudis invest $1.5 billion into PGA Tour Enterprises in return for PIF head Yasir al Rumayyan becoming co-chair and the LIV Golf league continuing. The consensus from PGA Tour players seems to be that they don’t want or need the PIF money, don’t want to play all over the world and have no real interest in LIV’s team format but it would be nice to have all the boys back together again. What’s the next step for Yasir and the PIF?

Deeks: Give it up, boys.  It just hasn’t worked, no one cares about it, and other than making a few greedy players very (unjustifiably) rich and shaming the PGA Tour into finding way more prize money, LIV has served no useful purpose at all, as far as I can see.

Loughry:  Honestly, I’m not sure what LIV’s (PIF) next move is, they don’t exactly have a lot of leverage other than; 1. having some very good top players who get little to no exposure beyond the Majors they play in and 2. Money. Other than that, they don’t have any other assets to throw around or leverage on the Tour (perhaps the threat of poaching other players with money). I’m not sure where this place is going to land. But if LIV loses both Bryson and Brooks at the end of the year, I think the story is all but written on the LIV Golf experiment.

Schurman: If I were Yasir, I would start paying huge signing bonuses to college players as soon as they graduate or just before. I wouldn’t care about rules or other restrictions. I’d dominate the young players and build my own tour from rookies. I have enough seasoned players to sell tickets for the next four or five years. If I bought enough young talent, the PGA TOUR would lose its feeder system, and I’d have all the up-and-comers. i.e. I would own Ludvig Aberg, Nick Dunlop, Jake Knapp and Alejandro Tosti. I would also use the same formula to create a new LIV Ladies Tour. Aren’t you glad I’m not in charge?

Rule: I don’t want to see the PGA Tour get into any team formats personally, so if that was part of the deal, I’m glad they rejected it.  I don’t think they need the money either, unless it’s just to keep the top players from defecting.  So, if that amount of money isn’t enough, is there a number that is?  I guess that’s the trillion-dollar question!

Mumford: It’s pretty clear that American players don’t want LIV and aren’t the least bit interested in travelling the world themselves, so perhaps best if the PIF set their sights elsewhere. Make investments in the DP World Tour, Asian Tour, Australia, Japan and South Africa. Build a strong connected world tour where players can move back and forth freely. Also, add 20 spots to each LIV event for Monday qualifiers, scrap the shotgun starts and expand to 72 holes. That should qualify the tournaments for world ranking points and make joining LIV a much more appealing option. Then sit back and watch Jay Monahan squirm.

Last year, both Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda won seven times each and totally dominated their respective tours. This year, neither player has registered a victory. Which one surprises you more and which do you think will be first to win?

Deeks: Both still seem to be in the top ten of every event they play, so it’s only a matter of time before they win.  I bet they both do it on the same Sunday, before June 30.

Loughry: Korda surprised me staying out of the win column a little more than Scheffler. But I also think she gets a W faster than he does. He’s trending nicely, but he has more competition than I believe Korda does.

Schurman: Careers are a funny thing. Most players join the tour and take a few years to get comfortable as they learn to win. Then for a few years, they win several times, maybe including a major. However, being in demand around the world, the travel, appearing in different time zones, endorsement obligations, interview pressures and fitting all of this into a schedule that allows you to practice and prepare takes its toll. Two other things happen; first is the money, a new big house, a fast car and flying by private jet play tricks in your brain. Finally, the inevitable happens: a wife. Next are family obligations, babies, in-laws, friends, etc. At some point, the skills, want, knowledge, and experiences are there, but the inner burning drive is just a bit eroded. Success is hard to comprehend. Who can get there and how long can they stay there? Korda is 26 years old; she has had some health issues (Covid and a blood clot). Her ‘clock’ is ticking if she’s interested. I pick Scottie.

Rule: I’m pretty shocked neither one of them has won yet, given how dominant they were last year. Nelly has shown some ups and downs over the years, so I guess a short downturn in her game isn’t as surprising.  Scottie has been close and certainly trending in the right direction. I think the cooking injury definitely impacted the start to his season, but I expect him to win sooner than Nelly.

Mumford: Scheffler’s hand injury has held him back but there doesn’t appear to be any reason for Korda’s slow start. I think she breaks the jinx before Scottie – maybe even at this week’s Chevron Championship where she’s defending champion.