Michael Kim, known for his candidness on the PGA Tour, shared his thoughts about the ongoing negotiations with the Saudi PIF.
“Do I want a deal? My short answer is no, but I don’t care much,” Kim said in a post on X.
This follows Rory McIlroy’s statement that PGA Tour players are divided on whether they want a deal to bring LIV Golf players back.
Kim believes that any deal made won’t impact him or most players. He thinks it will only benefit those at the top of the rankings. “Whether the tour and LIV make a deal or not, it will not affect my bottom line,” he wrote. “It won’t change my schedule in the slightest bit and won’t change my earnings. This realistically only affects the top 30ish golfers on the PGA Tour and that they’ll probably make more money after this deal.”
Player Opinions:
Kim also doubts that having all top players together again would significantly boost TV ratings . “You can make the argument that if the players come back, it’ll be better for the PGA Tour, and bring more interest but I find that hard to believe.”
Fans might think this whole situation is just complicated and messy.
“It’s not gonna be a big mashup; it’s only going to be for a few events with a big purse if I were to guess,” he continued. “How many LIV guys actually affect ratings and events? Phil, Bryson, Rahm?”
Kim questions if these changes will increase ratings by more than 1%. “Sure, the first couple of events would be cool but after that? I might be totally wrong but that’s my opinion. What’ll make a much bigger difference is how to make the TV product much better.”
The reintegration of tours brings up concerns about when and where LIV players will return, how many can come back, and possible penalties.
Some insist there should be financial consequences for LIV golfers who sued the PGA Tour. Kim agrees: “I just think there needs to be consequence to their decision to leave and SUE the tour,” he added. “You can call that petty but the LIV guys sued the PGA Tour mainly for their PIP money. The same PGA Tour that was why you even got your big payday in the first place. That’s just as petty in my eyes.”
“FYI, just because there’s a deal doesn’t mean every LIV guy gets full status on the PGA Tour. There’s gonna be very limited crossover.”
What do you think about this whole situation?
