12 months ago, as LIV Golf was about to embark on it’s third season, the Saudi-backed venture’s stock could scarcely have been higher.
By enticing Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Adrian Meronk and Lucas Herbert into their stable, and adding one of the most highly-rated up-and-coming Collegiate players in Caleb Surratt, it was the most significant statement of intent since LIV refused to disappear back into the shadows following the controversy caused by the publication of an extract from Alan Shipnuck’s biography of Phil Mickelson in which the six-time major winner called the league’s financial backers murderers among other slanders.
This time around, Tom McKibbin’s signing has been a huge development from an Irish perspective, but despite McKibbin’s potential, he’s a long way from being in Rahm’s, Hatton’s or even Meronk’s leagues. Yet McKibbin’s name is by far the standout among the six players issued full contracts for the first time, and the only player to have won or even held full status on either the DP World or PGA Tours.
So the big question is ‘why?’ Have LIV decided that they are happy with their lot? That Rahm, Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau, Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and selected others, complete with a FOX Sports TV deal in the United States, is a strong enough hand going forward? Or is a deal finally imminent that will see the differences with the PGA and DP World Tours swept aside and players given license to traverse back and forth?
If it’s the latter – and Greg Norman being ushered aside with Scot O’Neil taking up LIV CEO duties certainly bolsters this probability – then why sign McKibbin at all? A great up-and-coming talent, no doubt, but not exactly a household name in the United States which remains the biggest golfing market on the planet.
It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and say that $5 million – the reported signing fee for McKibbin – is not that much – and it’s certainly not that much compared to those doled out to Rahm and other big-name signings – but the truth is that McKibbin came cheap as far as LIV were concerned. He’s likely gambling on the fact that a deal will be finalised and he’ll be free to come and go as he chooses on weeks where he’s not contractually obliged to play in LIV events, but the more I think about it, the more I think he’s made the wrong choice.
Of course, should he go and win an event or two and even find himself in the bonus positions at the end of the season, then that $5 million upfront payment will become a minor fraction of his earnings for the season, so it’s very much a case of time being the true teller.
The McKibbin scenario aside, the lack of big-name additions means that this year’s LIV season-opener is not drawing anywhere near the hype that last year’s starter in Mexico garnered, which is hardly ideal as they prepare for the FOX network debut.
Playing in Saudi Arabia typically wouldn’t put it in direct competition with the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, but since it will be played under lights in Riyadh, it will go squarely head-to-head from Thursday through Saturday and cleanly avoid a clash with the Superbowl on Sunday night.
The ‘night golf’ angle is an interesting wrinkle, and is a nice advertisement for golf in the typically baking heat of Saudi Arabia, but I don’t think it adds that much for the spectator other than the initial “that’s kinda cool” reaction.
Similar to the PGA Tour that will have experienced a ratings boom with the Rory McIlroy-Pebble Beach combination last week, it will likely come down to who is in contention to determine how good or how bad the ratings will be.
If it’s Rahm, DeChambeau and Koepka in the final group, for example, the golfing public will buy in. If it’s Charles Howell III, Brendan Steele and Danny Lee, forget about it.
Either way, without adding significantly to their roster during the off season, we can safely say that LIV will remain a sideshow and LIV players’ performances at the Major Championships will still be the best advertisement for the league.
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