Although Phil Mickelson acknowledges that the rise of LIV Golf has brought about a new “disruption phase” in the professional golf industry, he is still optimistic about the league’s future, which is being supported by Saudi Arabia.
Players from both sides are begging for a breakthrough as golf’s bitter civil war has dragged on for a few years now.
Even Rory McIlroy, who had previously been adamantly opposed to the idea of LIV players returning to the PGA, seems to have become weary of the situation.
The continuous rift in professional golf also seems to have worn thin on fans, as evidenced by the sharp decline in PGA viewing figures in the United States.
According to Rory McIlroy, the current state of professional golf is “unsustainable.”
“I understand that this is not the final word, but the PGA Tour’s TV ratings are down 20 percent overall this year,” he remarked.
That represents a fifth. That is significant. In terms of viewers, I would say that LIV’s numbers are also not very good.
“I believe that the fighting and other events that have occurred over the past few years have simply worn people out to the point where they are losing interest in men’s professional golf, which is bad for everyone.
There is a case to be made that if the major championship numbers are higher and all of the world’s best players are competing, then “Okay, we need to get this thing back together.” It will be fascinating to observe how these figures compare to those of the other major events.
As the first major golfer to leave the PGA, Mickelson was a major factor in LIV’s rise to prominence.
His position in LIV and his opposition to his previous tour have drawn harsh criticism.
The six-time major champion is still convinced that LIV is advancing professional golf to the point where, in the end, viewers may receive a better product.
“I believe that ultimately, we are in a transitional phase where competition is present, which is causing a lot of disruption and change, but in the end, it will also make golf more global, with the top players traveling more,” he stated.
“I have no idea how it will turn out in detail or how it will look.
I’m placing my faith in Yasir and the direction that the game is taking on a global scale. However, once everything is worked out, I believe it will be in a much better place where we can bring in the best players from around the globe and create more opportunities for manufacturing and course design, as well as for players to be inspired to play the game from all over the world. It will be in a much better place, in my opinion.
“But when all is said and done, it will be much brighter because we are currently in the middle of the process, which is the disruption phase.
“So I knew the first two years were going to be interesting,” the speaker continued.
I’m not exactly sure how it all works out or where it ends up. All I know is that there will be more opportunities and the sport will eventually become more global.
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