Sometime during the course of next Wednesday we should know the identity of the next President of the United States. I jest, of course – the odds are that the likely outcome of the election that takes place on November 5 may not be known for weeks amid the barrage of insults and injunctions, incivility and maybe civil war, that have been widely predicted. The whole process may take so long that comparatively it will make J.B. Holmes seem a fast golfer. However, it could impact the direction taken by the men’s professional game.
In a beautifully understated remark last week about the forthcoming outcome of the Kamala Harris/Donald Trump confrontation, The Athletic noted “neither candidate has made the future of professional golf a significant issue on the campaign trail”. You don’t say! But a Trump victory could mould the landscape in a major way.
After the PGA Tour and the Saudi PIF, the financial backers of LIV Golf, announced their framework agreement in June 2023, among the interested parties was the Department of Justice (DoJ), which had notable concerns about the potential anti-trust (anti-competition) elements of such a deal. Over the past 17 months, negotiations between the two parties have been occurring behind closed doors and with all the urgency one indeed might expect of J.B. Holmes. Anti-trust concerns have not gone away but as one law expert told The Athletic: “The DoJ is a creature of the executive branch…when a new administration comes in, whether it’s Harris or Trump, they can dictate the priorities of the DoJ.” I find it hard to see this matter particularly piquing Harris’s interest. Trump may be an entirely different matter.
Trump courses in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia have hosted a total of six LIV tournaments in the past three seasons. Before the framework agreement, Trump urged golfers to join LIV because they would “get nothing after the merger takes place”. He hailed the subsequent accord thus: “Great news from LIV Golf. A big, beautiful and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf.” The odds are that he would want to encourage an agreement. Why would he not? Furthermore, The Athletic noted that “his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has received a reported $2 billion investment into his private-equity firm from the PIF”. The Trumps are Saudi-friendly.
Related: The PGA & LIV: farewell to ’24
Another matter of money in golf came to my notice last week. For the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black next year, the cheapest ticket presently available for purchase by the public costs $750. That’s more than five times the price of an equivalent ticket for this year’s Masters. On the bright side, the price includes “unlimited non-alcoholic beverages”. (I’m betting proof-readers checked a thousand times that the ‘non-’ had been included.) If you think $750 is steep, try this one. According to the Daily Telegraph, volunteers at the tournament “will be provided with only a uniform, a drawstring bag, a commemorative pin and food (during shifts only)”. But, you are perhaps thinking, at least they will get to see the golf for free. No. They will pay almost $400 for the privilege.
You can follow Robert Green on Twitter @robrtgreen and enjoy his other blog f-factors.com as well as his golf archive on robertgreen-golf.com
