The Unintended Legacy of LIV Golf

‘LIV Golf is good for the game.’

Indeed, every time a player announces their intention to join LIV Golf, we’re told it’s an opportunity to “grow the game.”

This “growing the game” nonsense is perhaps the most evil thing about LIV Golf.

That’s the thing about audaciously huge lies. They are so jarring to your common sense that you can’t process the enormity of the deception.

LIV Golf is great for the players cashing checks. Period.

Greg Norman may be getting richer, too, but even more than the players joining LIV, his reputation is now cemented as an Arch Villain.

As for the Saudis, I’m not sure this is, or will be, a smart investment to “sportswash” their human rights reputation. And honestly, the Saudis don’t really care if you like them or not.

The fact is, “sportswashing” doesn’t work. Look at FIFA and the Olympics – both are dripping with money from nefarious sources. It will always be that way in international sports.

Did buying the Olympics help China’s reputation? Did buying the World Cup in 2018 help Russia’s reputation?

No, of course not.

It could be argued that China buying the Olympics and Russia buying the World Cup only solidified their reputations as bad actors. It should be noted that the Olympics and FIFA didn’t wrap themselves in glory by accepting the bribes.

In both cases, “sportswashing” only made both sides look dirtier.

So stop worrying about “sportswashing.” It’s a failed strategy.

LIV Golf’s plundering of the big-name cheaters, jerks, and cry-babies of the PGA and DP World Tours may actually be a much-needed cleansing and the real legacy of LIV Golf.

The new league neatly identified those that don’t care about the game, don’t care about the history of the game, don’t care about their fellow competitors, and frankly are just doing this for a payday.

If the legacy of LIV Golf is that it cleared out this underbrush of has-beens, never-will-bes, and don’t care-anymores, it may actually be good for the game. Who would have thought that?

It will give light to younger, hungrier, and, frankly, more respectful players on the PGA and DP World Tours.

That’s not the legacy all these LIV Golfers think they are talking about. It’s certainly not Greg Norman’s or the Saudis intention, either.

But it might be the silver lining to the darkest cloud ever seen on Tour.