The heated war of words between the LIV Golf Series and the PGA Tour continued Thursday.
Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed got into a petty spat in Dubai, and the former has been outspoken on his dislike for the Saudi-funded league.
Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, has been a champion of LIV Golf. He believes it is part of the future of the sport, and those who have signed with the tour have been paid very well.
The tour hasn’t been all great, though. It has struggled to find a suitable TV deal, signing one with the CW, which came after an attempt to lure Charles Barkley away from Turner Sports.
The arguments have led to fans wanting the golfers to take it on the course. And there was a suggestion made on Twitter for a Ryder Cup format featuring both tours with Mickelson and Tiger Woods as captains.
Former New England Patriots running back Danny Woodhead, who came close to qualifying for the U.S. Open last year, was all in on the idea and agreed it would be the most-watched event of the sport.
“It sounds great, but we would dominate them so soundly and it would be over so quick that tv would have to fill an hour of dead time,” Mickelson tweeted at Woodhead. “That’s why it’s not happening at this time.”
It’s a steep claim to say the golfers of the LIV tour would “dominate” the PGA golfers. McIlroy’s biggest complaint about the Saudi-funded league is the easier format that doesn’t feature cutdowns. It’s why the 33-year-old doesn’t see the league as legitimate.
LIV golfers are allowed to compete at major tournaments like The Masters, which is why there still are tensions at events.
Mickelson is correct in saying this kind of tournament likely won’t happen anytime soon, but the 52-year-old might be wrong in the reason why.
