PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp stressed that his tour will not be lending a hand to rival LIV Golf as Australia’s Jason Day’s 18-year FedEx Cup playoff streak came to an end at the Wyndham Championship.
The talk of the golf world has been LIV’s future following CEO Scott O’Neil saying before this week’s LIV event at Trump Bedminster in New York that they had secured a new investor to keep the breakaway league afloat.
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Mystery has surrounded the identity of the investor, however, with O’Neil stopping short of saying who it is.
Bloomberg reported that London-based private equity firm BC Partners is considering a loan to LIV, whose previous financial backer, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has removed its funding.
As a result of the intrigue, Rolapp was asked whether any deal had been struck between the two rivals – who announced a merger in 2023 that never eventuated despite White House meetings between the two parties and US president Donald Trump early last year.
“There’s no merger, no conversations, we’ve been really concentrated on the PGA Tour,” Rolapp told Bloomberg.
Rolapp went on to discuss the PGA Tour’s new model – which will come into effect in 2028 – with two tiers featuring promotion and relegation.
The Championship Series will boast the tour’s top players with greater prize purses, while the Challenger Series will feature young upstarts and fallen professionals trying to climb their way back to the top.
A lack of “meritocracy” has been one of the most common criticisms of LIV with Rolapp referencing 17-year-old Miles Russell, who made his major debut at this year’s US Open with a tied 39th finish, as an example of someone who will have to climb the rankings.
“We’ve been mainly focused on where we’re going and improving our product. We’ve opened up the meritocracy of golf,” he said.
“If (Russell)’s that good, we’ve worked out a system where he will work his way up.”
Rolapp’s comments came as Bryson DeChambeau shared his desire to return to the PGA Tour in the near future.
DeChambeau, who joined LIV when it emerged in 2022 and whose contract expires at year’s end, has struggled across the opening two rounds in New York, shooting eight-over par through 36 holes to sit 21 shots behind leader Joaquin Niemann.
The two-time US Open champion showed his frustration during the first round by aggressively throwing a water bottle, and he was not the only LIV golfer to talk about a potential comeback to the PGA Tour.
Australia’s Cameron Smith said everyone would “100 per cent” want to go back if LIV falls over and the PGA Tour is “the only option”.
DeChambeau’s comments, however, were wishing for a best of both worlds situation.
“Personally, I’d love to be able to play events on the PGA Tour, too. I think that’s best for golf. I’d love that. It’s not an either/or mentality. It’s ‘can we do both?’ I think that’s where everybody wants to be,” DeChambeau told the New York Post.
“There isn’t a golf fan on the planet who doesn’t want to see me play a big Tour event, and I get that. I’d love to go play events that make sense, love to play team golf, and love to play wherever they’ll let me.’’
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Meanwhile, Jason Day endured a tough end to an injury riddled season by missing the cut by seven shots at the Wyndham Championship with rounds of 71 and 73 to be four-over par.
American Beau Hossler leads the way at 12-under par after 36 holes in the final event before the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Hossler’s countryman Ben James and Englishman Jordan Smith are one shot back after the latter fired a second round 64 that was only bettered by compatriot Marco Penge’s 63 on a day that included a brief interruption for lightning.
Playing alongside fellow former world No.1 Jordan Spieth, who pulled off a stunning par save from the trees at the final hole to make the cut, Day appeared in discomfort and was relieved once his round was done.
“I’m not sad right now,” he told reporters after his second round.
The 2015 PGA Championship winner withdrew from the US Open midway through his opening round in June with a back issue that has derailed the last few months of his season.
Back problems led to Day dropping out of the world’s top 150 and missing majors earlier this decade and the impact once again left him needing to finish in a two-way tie 12th or better to keep his 18-year streak of making the end of season playoffs alive.
“I’m looking forward to taking some time off. My body’s been really awful actually this year, so just to try and grind through it has been tough,” the 38-year-old said.
“The last two days have been pretty hard to try and get my body ready. I wanted to play like 3M and Detroit and unfortunately I couldn’t do anything there. Yeah, it was a good streak obviously, but I would have loved to keep the streak going.
“But things happen, you know. You’re not going to keep everything going forever. Best to kind of take some time off, get my body sorted and try and come out next year and play well.”
Next month’s Presidents Cup has been on Day’s radar for some time, but his injury issues now places doubt over whether the veteran will be a captain’s pick by fellow Australian Geoff Ogilvy.
“Yeah, I would say that’s probably the largest attribute to the play has been my body,” Day said.
“Just trying to think. I had some club changes, but other than that it’s been kind of all body stuff. A couple coach changes, changed coach, but I think overall I just need to take some time off. Like, my body is beat.”
For Day, the immediate future looks like spending plenty of time in the rehab room to get himself ready for next season.
“Yeah, I really have to get my body sorted, that’s the biggest thing. It’s hard to play golf the way that I am playing now,” he said.
“And then I’m playing against the best players in the world, you know. I’m giving everyone a handicap and it’s just really difficult to do that. Can’t come in 100 per cent.
“I know that a lot of guys aren’t 100 per cent out here and they’re playing through some pain as well. Just got to get sorted and come out next year.”
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