A PGA Tour winner is rejecting the LIV deal. Here’s why.

Addressing the media at the BMW PGA Championship this week, Rory McIlroy claimed that half of the players on the PGA Tour don’t want a deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund which bankrolls LIV Golf.

The deal between the warring factions – McIlroy says – is being held up by the both the US Department of Justice and a reticence from players on both sides of the divide.

“I’d say maybe half the players on LIV want the deal to get done. Half probably don’t. I’d say it’s probably similar on the PGA Tour,” the Northern Irishman estimates.

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One of those who don’t, it transpires, is Michael Kim.

The world No.164 Kim, a one-time winner at the John Deere Classic in 2018, falls comfortably into the rank and file category of PGA Tour players. He is adamant that any deal would only impact the game’s true elite.

“Do I want a deal? My short answer is No but I don’t care much,” he posted on X, responding to McIlroy’s comments. “Whether the tour and LIV make a deal or not, it will not affect my bottom line. 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 prob make more money after this deal. 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. 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.”

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Kim is not convinced LIV have enough ‘needle-movers’ to arrest the PGA Tour’s sharp decline in television viewing figures if they are allowed to return. The American also thinks retribution is required for the LIV converters who attempted to sue the PGA Tour before the “framework agreement” last year, which ended all litigation.

“How many LIV guys actually affect ratings and events? Phil, Bryson, Rahm? Will it increase ratings and earnings by more than 1%? Sure the first couple events would be cool but after that? I might be totally wrong but that’s my opinion,” Kim added.

“What’ll make a much bigger difference is how to make the TV product much better. I just think there needs to be consequence to their decision to leave and SUE the tour. You can call that petty but the LIV guys sued the PGA Tour mainly for their PIP money. The same PGA Tour that was the reason why you even got the big payday in the first place. That’s just as petty in my eyes.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.