One thing that comes into consideration as well is playing in the Majors. Although the PGA Tour doesn’t control the Majors, world ranking points do.

So except for the exemptions each Major has for winning, you need world ranking points to get into a Major.

So if you’re a top player and choose LIV Golf then money is the sole reason. Because your legacy now is in jeopardy.

    garyt1957 don't some of / all of the majors automatically invite you back if you finish top 10?

    The four majors have similar but different exemption categories - past champions, position in world rankings at specified dates, winners of other tournaments, year-end standings on the major tours, and high finishers from the previous year's event - but these tend to change over time. The USGA statement regarding this year's US Open and the players eligible to play was very carefully worded to say that there would be no changes for this year, and made no promises for the future.

    That said, some of the players who have committed to LIV have significant exemptions under the current rules - winning any major earns a 5-year exemption into all of the majors, so it seems reasonable for (for example) Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau to be able to play in the majors as recent major champions. (Not allowing LIV players otherwise exempt to play is likely to get messy legally, unless the organisers have a rock-solid legal case for excluding those individuals...)

      rsvman2

      I think legacy is very important for any top level professional athlete. And the way legacy is looked at in professional golf is Majors and wins. Not how much money you made.

      Right now LIV Golf is a glorified skins game and exhibition Tour. Legacy is not something synonymous with LIV Golf. Certainly not in a positive way.

        Legacy means jack shit to the overwhelming majority of Tour players that will jump ship, so it's a moot point.
        Most of the ones are over 40, past their prime, with near zero chances of winning a major.
        To them, the LIV tour has come along at just the right time.

        As for Monahan (and one usual suspect here) and the attempt to bring politics into the mix, it's also a moot point.
        IMO, Golfers are the second most vanilla athletes (after hockey players) to discuss it in public, so attempting to influence them with emotional political BS is a waste of time, and it makes them look desperate and lame at the same time.

          Shouldn’t even mention the Liv tour. This is the US Open, toughest test in golf . The liv guys are washed up.

          Legacy seems to be the market driver to the big bucks in golf.  If switching from the PGA Tour to LIV can wipeout an individual legacy, what does that really say? 

          Evidently according to a number of golfers and media, golf history can only be made on the big stage. 

          I remember back when The Open was considered their tournament and Americans had little to no interest in playing in it.  Then one Amerucan golfer showed up and then it is now a sought after tournament to play in.

          There imo is far too much effort, energy and time  putting down the LIV, the players who moved over, while tooting the PGA Tour as the greatest, one and only.  There is something going on and the PGA Tour appears to be running scared.  Heck yesterday some of announcers commented on changes (pip, etc) were not enough and not effective. They believe more changes to come, so the said.  Wonder what the thought og Q-school entry fees almost doubling?

            World ranking points are only given to 72 hole tournaments. So even if the powers that be decided to give world ranking points to LIV Golf, they’d have to increase the tournaments to 72 holes and thus change their name to LXXII Golf. Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue so easily. Lol

              rsvman2 yep, if the numbers that are floating around out there are true, the guys would be crazy NOT to take it. If somebody walked up to you and told you for 1 year of work in the same profession, you would make more than the very best to ever do it has made in a 25 year career, don’t tell me you would say “no thanks, my legacy at xyz company is too important”

                  DC300 yep, if the numbers that are floating around out there are true, the guys would be crazy NOT to take it. If somebody walked up to you and told you for 1 year of work in the same profession, you would make more than the very best to ever do it has made in a 25 year career, don’t tell me you would say “no thanks, my legacy at xyz company is too important”

                  I'm sure there's many that feel that way, but there are many who don't. Most people have a line, but some may have no line.

                  How many would take money from Putin to perform? Some took money to perform in South Africa during apartheid. You can't separate politics from any business (including the entertainment business) when human rights / atrocities are in the picture.

                  It's the elephant in the room.

                  And like it or not if you take money from LIV Golf, many will look at it that you are condoning human rights violations and atrocities committed by Saudi Arabia.

                  Those who take money from a country trying to deflect it's dark human rights image in an attempt to sportswash it away, can't dismiss it with political ignorance and look the other way and expect no criticism.

                      Martee If switching from the PGA Tour to LIV can wipeout an individual legacy, what does that really say?

                      My memories of Brett Favre are that he played too long. My memories of Pete Rose are his gambling scandal. I wonder how I'll remember Lefty. It's not that I hold a grudge. I can recall Favre and Rose success stories, but it's got that "yeah, but" asterisk. Mark McGuire?

                          DC300 I agree. Legacy may be important to certain individuals, but for most people, the only legacy they'll have is whatever they leave for their children. Otherwise, they should be living their life, not someone else's idea of how they should live unless they've chosen to model themselves after someone else.

                          There are some universal and individual ethics that make turning down opportunities of a lifetime understandable. But none of the ethics pushed by the PGA Tour in an attempt to shame and cancel players is universal. They are applicable to Saudi Arabia, but not to other countries for some reason, both to the PGA Tour and to some individuals. I'm not going to call the ones that chose not to take the money either noble or stupid, it's their life and their choice.

                              sdandrea1 It's an individual thing. I have nothing but good memories about Brett Favre and Pete Rose. Rose broke the rules and I understand why people hold that against him, but I don't. The same for Tiger and his infidelity to his family. To me his legacy is as a player, not as a role model. My Mark McGuire memories aren't fond because I believe his biggest accomplishments were made through cheating the system. It's funny that he is the one I don't remember fondly since he's the only one of these that played for a team I love(d).

                                  sdandrea1

                                  Exactly. It would be disingenuous for top professional athletes to say legacy means nothing to them. Legacies positive or negative last forever. The money may not.

                                  History will judge legacies. In baseball those who took steroids and got caught their legacies will suffer. It'll be known as the steroid era because of that.

                                  And history will judge the legacies of the golfers who chose to play LIV Golf. LIV golfers won't be able to escape the scrutiny of their decision.

                                  Just as I can't see a day when steroid use will be considered acceptable, taking sportswashing money won't be acceptable as well. In both cases legacies are tarnished.

                                    johnnydoom

                                    I get it and agree. McGuire was a hero of sorts to me as I watched in awe. Tiger as well. His comebacks and dominance were epic. I just got so disappointed in those guys in their fall from grace that it just stuck in my brain.

                                      I'm sure once Phil lost his "legacy" (I guess it gets cancelled now) in about 5 minutes, it was pretty easy for everyone else to realize that they don't really even have a legacy to lose. Tiger and Jack needed to worry about theirs, but no one else really has one IMO.....at least not one worth what LIV golf pays.