“It’s sad for fans to see all the greatest players split” - Sepp Straka rues the current divide in golf caused by PGA and LIV
The world of golf is currently in quite a grey area, and Sepp Straka is not the biggest fan of the split that exists at the moment. The LIV Golf Series and the PGA Tour have been at the centre of the tension and the split that the golf world is facing.
Sepp Straka highlighted the fact that instead of attention being on the players, it has now shifted to opinions about LIV Golf. This is causing resentment and fatigue amongst the players.
Speaking via the SiriusXM PGA Tour podcast, Straka said that the divide between the greatest players in the world is causing distress.
"We don't get to see them together, except for maybe four times a year. So that part is a little bit sad for the fans. In terms of money its been great for everybody involved. But right now its a little bit sad for the fans to see all the greatest players split on two different circuits," he said.
As for the prize money, it has gone up for the PGA Tour pros as a result of the LIV Series. With the LIV Series offering millions of dollars in prize money, the PGA Tour has had to step up its game.
"The PGA purses have gone up. I do not know how sustainable that is. Yeah, we will see what happens over the next months or years. Its going to become the new normal, everything is going to be fairly normal," said Sepp Straka.
Sepp Straka talks about the divide between the best players on the planet
The split has become more and more evident as the likes of Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith, who were considered to be among the top golfers in the world, ended up making the switch. Now, with recent reports that Jon Rahm too might join the breakaway tour, things are not looking good for the PGA Tour.
Sepp Straka spoke about the Majors being a point of unity for all players and fans via the same podcast:
"Its a little bit sad for golf in general right now, because a lot of the greatest players on the planet are playing different tournaments. We don't get to see them together, except for maybe four times a year. So that part is a little bit sad for the fans. In terms of money its been great for everybody involved."
With the merger agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian PIF due by the end of the year, players and fans will be able to witness the new normal in the world of golf.