The year 2022 was racked with turmoil and divisiveness — and we’re not talking about politics — we’re talking about what turned out to be the Not-So-Wonderful World of Golf.
Which brings us to the day-after-New Year’s day and we wonder out loud if there will be more action on the courses or in the courtrooms?
Last year was the year of filings — as in lawsuits. LIV Golf is suing the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour is firing back at LIV Golf with its own counter-suit. Patrick Reed is suing everyone and anyone who saw the television clip of him cheating at the 2019 Hero World Open. Evidently Patrick things it is slanderous to call a cheater, you know, a cheater.
The DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour, doesn’t know if it can or cannot suspend players from its Tour who defected to the LIV exhibition/circus series. It will find out in the British courts next month.
The age old adage tells us that “Money Is The Root Of All Evil” and there was plenty of evil thrown around by The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (aka The Kingdom) and its iron-fisted ruler — Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. In the movie Wall Street, Hal Holbrook’s character, Lou Mannheim, the wise-old broker of the firm, tells Charlie Sheen’s character — rookie Bud Fox: “Bud, money makes you do things you don’t want to do.”
Evidently money made a lot of guys do things they normally wouldn’t do — like jettison themselves from the PGA Tour and subject themselves to public outrage at Saudi Arabia’s latest foray into “sport-washing.”
Phil Mickelson took something in the neighborhood of $200 million to defect but beforehand, he attempted to lure other Tour stars to join him while he was still a member in good standing with the PGA Tour.
Dustin Johnson took a large chunk of change as well. D.J., along with Mickelson, was the most accomplished Defector with his 24 PGA Tour wins that gave him life-member status.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan told players they were free to leave, but not free to come back and play the PGA Tour, drawing a line in the Saudi sand with his “Them or us,” declaration.
And so we journey into 2023.
We have no crystal ball, but let’s take a look of what’s on the path to December of 2023.
LIVers In The Majors:
LIV lawsuits will try and claim the PGA Tour is in cahoots with the other major organizations in golf but that doesn’t appear to be the case when you look at the recent decisions by Augusta National Golf Club to allow qualified LIV players in the 2023 Masters.
That means the likes of Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia are in — all are Masters champions. Cam Smith, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka all have their invites thanks to their wins in recent major championships.
LIV player most likely to win a major in 2023? That’s easy — Cam Smith — the 2022 Open Champion.
The U.S. Open and Open Championships will also allow qualified LIVers in their fields as well. The PGA of America hasn’t made a decision yet.
Women’s U.S. Open At Pebble Beach:
For the first time in its 77-year history, the Women’s U.S. Open will be played at historic Pebble Beach.
The women’s game is seeing larger purses. Lydia Ko made history at the CME Group Tour Championship in 2022 — winning the event and $2 million.
Ko entered the 2023 season as the world’s No. 1 and she could add one if not two majors to her resume in 2023.
A Sixth Career Grand Slam Winner?
As of now, there are only five players who have won the Career Grand Slam — Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Two players will have a chance to add their names to that short list this season — Rory McIlroy at The Masters and Jordan Spieth at the PGA Championship.
More Hollow Boasting By Greg Norman?:
Surely there will be more empty promises from The Lamest Commissioner In The Land (aka Greg Norman) pertaining to the LIV exhibition/circus series.
Norman promised immediate world ranking points and a television deal last year, among other things.
There will be more of that this year.
As for LIV, it will plow on although happenings late in 2022 indicate that not all is well behind closed doors with those who controls the Saudi money.
First Time Major Champions?
Will there be a first-time major winner this year?
Best prospects? How about Tony Finau, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele or Patrick Cantlay?
Big Bucks On The PGA Tour:
The 2023 FedEx Cup champion will carry away record money. With the elevated event purses and the FedEx payout, the number could be huge.
DP World Tour vs. LIV:
The courts in Great Britain are schedule to hear the case in February — can the DP World Tour suspend members for defecting to the LIV Tour?
LIV vs. PGA Tour:
No telling when this one will be heard — so many motions, so much discovery, depositions, claims for “sovereign immunity” — it’s all so very messy and should continue to be a mess in 2023.
Regardless of what happens in the courts, it should be another interesting year in golf.
The stage is set, there are majors to be played with no heavy metal music blaring at the 18th hole.
