The recent announcement of the partnership between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf Tour has created a state of limbo for HBCU and Black golfers. The rapid pace of the announcement left many players on both tours uninformed about the details, resulting in heightened frustration and confrontational times during the ongoing two-year feud between the leagues. The lack of confirmed information has added to the confusion, with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan at the center of it all.
Since the tenure of former PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, who oversaw significant advancements aided by the popularity of Tiger Woods, the PGA Tour has faced challenges. Monahan took over in 2017, coinciding with Woods’ decline in performance and the impact of the pandemic, leading to the leveling off of the PGA Tour and a need to readjust its ambitious goals.
The emergence of the LIV Tour, spearheaded by Greg Norman, posed a game-changing opportunity for the golfing landscape. Backed by the Saudi Arabia National Wealth Fund, the LIV Tour attracted notable PGA Tour players like Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, and Phil Mickelson with its substantial financial incentives. Black golfers hoped that the existence of two tours would open up more opportunities to join the professional circuit, raising aspirations for those who had played on the APGA Tour and the Corn Ferry Tour, including several former HBCU players.
One promising HBCU golfer currently on the cusp of a regular PGA Tour card is Willie Mack III. Mack, a standout player at Bethune-Cookman University, has excelled on the APGA Tour and has made appearances on both the Corn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour. With his experience on various tours, Mack is positioning himself to fulfill his dream of becoming a regular PGA Tour member. However, the lack of clarity surrounding the PGA Tour and LIV Tour partnership adds another layer of uncertainty to his aspirations.
Meanwhile, Harold Varner III, the most prominent Black golfer since Tiger Woods, has been steadily advancing his career on the LIV Tour. Although he was once a member of the PGA Tour, Varner was enticed by the LIV Tour’s promises and has achieved remarkable success. Notably, he recently won an LIV Tour event in Washington D.C., earning a substantial $4 million prize. This demonstrates the potential opportunities available on the LIV Tour for Black golfers.
Further confusion arises as the details of the proposed PGA Tour and LIV Tour partnership remain elusive. Golf legend and PGA Tour Hall of Famer Tom Watson expressed his denouncement of the merger/partnership, questioning the specifics of the deal. Watson’s eight-time major champion status amplifies the weight of his concerns. The lack of transparency has also caught the attention of U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, who has called for a congressional review of the deal due to national security implications.
What initially seemed like a bright future for golf has now descended into the most chaotic era in professional golf to date. The uncertainty surrounding the PGA-LIV stalemate puts HBCU and black golfers in a state of limbo, making it difficult to plan their careers and navigate the evolving landscape of the sport.
