Mackenzie Hughes hopeful of finding a resolution about the PGA Tour x LIV Golf framework agreement
Canadian pro golfer Mackenzie Hughes has hopes that a unified golf is on the horizon. The rise of LIV Golf has caused a sort of rift in the sport, one that people have been trying to manage ever since. Players have left and sides have been taken, and things were very tense for a long time.
The tension seems to be releasing, though. The merger has helped with that, though it's still unclear exactly when that will resolve. The US Senate is reviewing and both parties are still trying to come up with something that works.
Hughes told golf reporter Taylor Zarzour that he envisions a resolution in the future, but that it's a very complex situation. Zarzour said that everyone wants the game to come together and to be able to watch all the best players play in the same place, to which Hughes said:
"Well, the powers that be are trying. I think that they're trying to find a solution. They want to bring the game together, it's just it's not as simple as just saying [sic] to start playing together. There needs to be a solution that works for both sides. That is tough. I would tell the fans to hang tight, stay with us and hopefully, here in the next, let's call it a year or so, we have a resolution."
Finding something that works well for both sides is, as Mackenzie Hughes said, difficult. The PGA Tour just doesn't have the financial backing that LIV does. They've upped tons of their prize purses, but they are still not quite on the same level as LIV Golf.
There are also, despite the lessening tension, still plenty of PGA golfers who are unhappy with LIV and unhappy with those who defected. Rory McIlroy, once the champion of that side, has softened his stance, but others have not.
Mackenzie Hughes railed on the state of golf
Back in January, Mackenzie Hughes had a lot to say about the state of golf and how things were going. He said he believes that fans are unsure of whether or not these players love the sport or just want money.
Via Golfweek, he said:
“All these guys going to LIV have made it pretty clear that it’s all about money. I mean, growing the game, but also money. So, to me, that’s disappointing, because, like, I don’t play – like, in 2019 I didn’t pick a schedule based on a purse. But now that I’m qualified for these (signature) events, I mean, obviously it would be silly for me not to play in these events. They are great opportunities. But, like, I just don’t think it’s right."
There's more money in the sport than ever before, but that hasn't been without its downsides according to Mackenzie Hughes.