Rory, JT, and Others Proven Right: PGA Tour Is The Best Golf

After two LIV events, it’s fairly clear that golf fans prefer the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, the golf they know and enjoy. The ratings prove it.

For the RBC Canadian Open, Sports Media Watch reported viewership was up five percent on CBS with a peak of 3.67 million in the final round.

Meanwhile, LIV underwhelmed with 94,000 viewers in round one and 54,000 in round two, which were the first two days of their three-day, online broadcast. Round three is unfindable in the usual sources, but the first two days tell the tale.

Now, thanks to the JP McManus Pro-Am and the Genesis Scottish Open, a few more PGA Tour players have decided to not let Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas carry the entire burden of commenting, and they are jumping in with support.

“As being the No. 1 player in the world, I’m not anywhere near the top dog out here. There are a lot of guys have been carrying this tour for years. JT, Jordan, Rory, Tiger, those guys are with the PGA Tour,” Scottie Scheffler explained in his press conference at the Genesis Scottish Open.

"“Wherever those guys are going that’s where I’m going to be.”"

In his mind, the PGA Tour has done nothing but make improvements given the difference in situations across the entire spectrum of players.

“You have Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods at the peak and then you have other guys that are trying to keep their card, and it’s a big balance,” Scheffler noted.

"“I’m friends with a lot of various — a lot of guys at different levels of our tour so everybody has different concerns, and those concerns need to be addressed.”"

Collin Morikawa has been asked his opinion several times, and he’s a bit tired of talking about it.

“All I’ve dreamed about is the PGA Tour, winning majors, playing against the best in the world, being here together, yeah, it’s annoying,” he admitted at the Scottish tournament when asked about the constant LIV questions.

He never wanted to play anyplace else on a regular basis, although because of his victory at the British Open, he has taken up membership in the DP World Tour.

He even won the Race to Dubai last year, based primarily on his victories in the WGC Workday and the British Open.

"“I think, at the end of the day, the PGA TOUR is the pinnacle of golf, and it always has been,” he said."

Morikawa has now won two majors, the PGA and the British Open, and three additional PGA Tour events, and this is just his third season.  He’s not looking to make a change.

Billy Horschel is very vocal in his opinion on the European players suing to play in this week’s tournament and on the LIV demands in general.

“I believe they made their bed. They decided to go make a tour, and they should go play that tour,” he stated quite firmly.

"“To say that they wanted to also support this tour or the DP or PGA Tour going forward, while playing the LIV Tour, is completely asinine in my opinion.”"

Horschel said he’s tired of being diplomatic about it. While he feels no animosity toward any player who has decided to become a Saudi employee, it annoys him that LIV players are complaining about the PGA Tour and Jay Monahan. The lawsuit is over the top for him.

"“I am one of the 200 plus members of the PGA Tour, I am the PGA Tour,” he said. “You’re not just taking shots at them. You’re taking shots at us.”"

Comments often made by LIV players about joining to play less golf, he thinks, are completely off base, with them now suing to play more.

Some of the LIV players want to play the DP World Tour and the LIV Tour as well.  This strikes him as nonsensical.

"“I play 30, 35 weeks a year,” he said. “No one’s forced you to play that many events. PGA Tour says 15 events minimum. All you have to do is play 15 events, and you keep your card in those 15 events, then that’s fine.”"

Four of those 15 can be majors if a player qualifies.  If not, then some other events must be added to add up to 15.

Regarding complaints from some players about who gets listened to and who doesn’t, he has a logical answer.

“If they listen to everything 200-plus players on the PGA TOUR said, our tour would be a complete mess,” he added.

In other words, they are no different than any organization where most people think they could do things better.

Because Horschel has served on the PGA Tour policy board, he knows what kinds of things players come up with in terms of demands.  All of them aren’t workable.

He said if he happens to be paired with Ian Poulter, who he counts as a good friend, the topic will be Arsenal versus West Ham, not LIV.

“For me, majority of these guys, I have great relationships with, and that’s still going to be the same,” he concluded.