Golf has progressed since LIV cam along. PGA must've been so bothered that the top stars had left they felt they needed to merge to protect from the threat.
LIV has introduced new concepts, is better for the players and allows the players to play their best. Some of it is a bit much such as the music whilst playing holes, but change was definitely needed.
n.b. I'm making no reference to their human rights record, which I don't agree with.
I don't think golf has progressed at all with LIV. Before yesterday, the game has been fractured since it came along. It took some of the best players (really only 3 or 4...the rest were in the twilight of their career or relatively lower ranked players) and meant that standard PGA Tour event fields were weaker as a result. At the same time, LIV broadcasts were getting no more than 100k views on YouTube - which is free to air. Their numbers were pretty derisory.
And the concepts they brought in weren't new. Shotgun starts, no cut events, music on tees - its all been done before.
Make no mistake - this is the latest in a long line of attempts of the Saudis sportswashing. Unfortunately, its completely turned golf on its head and created so many broken relationships within the game, its a real shame.
As a proud N.Irishman, I count Rory as a hero of mine. Although at times, he does himself no favours, this last year, he's put his head above the parapet and taken so much flake for defending the PGA. For Jay Monyhan to use him like that and then do what he did yesterday, is pretty shitty.
