At the height of its popularity, the PGA Tour has no serious rival — but it could lose some of its starpower.
On Tuesday’s “Stripe Show” podcast, PGA Tour golfer Kramer Hickok claimed that 17 Tour players have already committed to the Saudi-backed Super Golf League venture.
Later in the day, reports began circulating that Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson would be leaving the PGA Tour. Lee Westwood has already confirmed an NDA with the SGL.
The PGA Tour may not be panicking, but it has reacted to the SGL’s flashy promises.
- The SGL is rumored to have offered DeChambeau anywhere between $135M and $240M to join. He has denied all rumors of his involvement.
- In November, the PGA Tour announced that the FedEx Cup bonus pool and championship prize would increase for the 2022 season from $60M to $75M, and from $15 million to $18 million, respectively.
- Tour commissioner Jay Monahan threatened to ban players for life if they leave.
Perhaps the ultimate question is how jumping ship affects major eligibility. If the SGL can’t guarantee its players major access — even those with lifetime exemptions — the concept won’t have legs.
Ultimately, the PGA Tour is simply too strong — without a mass exodus of players, it isn’t going anywhere.
Collin Morikawa, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, and Justin Thomas have all gone on record in support of the Tour.
