Alan Shipnuck Slams Tiger Woods as so Greedy
A potential armistice between the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf League appears to be closer following a meeting in New York last week, as reported by *Bloomberg*. However, the discussions come with a significant and potentially contentious issue. Some PGA Tour players are pushing for LIV golfers to repay the enormous sums they received…
A potential armistice between the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf League appears to be closer following a meeting in New York last week, as reported by *Bloomberg*. However, the discussions come with a significant and potentially contentious issue. Some PGA Tour players are pushing for LIV golfers to repay the enormous sums they received from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) before they are allowed to return to the PGA Tour.
Top LIV players such as Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith were reportedly paid over $100 million upfront to join LIV. One suggested path for their return to the PGA Tour includes paying fines, forfeiting future earnings, or donating money to charity.
For the past two years, the topic of how to reintegrate LIV golfers has been a recurring discussion among players and officials. Prominent figures like Tiger Woods have expressed strong opinions, with Woods emphasizing that discussions about this are happening daily. PGA Tour players, like world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, have also stressed that LIV players should face some form of penalty before being welcomed back.
Woods, speaking in February, confirmed that various models and pathways for a potential return of LIV players are being explored. He mentioned that the discussions are ongoing, with no clear answers yet on how the situation will be resolved in the short or long term. Woods emphasized that the goal is to make the PGA Tour better moving forward while figuring out how to accommodate players who left for LIV.
The idea of LIV golfers repaying their signing bonuses has sparked mixed reactions from golf fans and commentators. Golf Digest’s Joel Beall disputed the *Bloomberg* report, stating that the return of LIV players’ money—specifically Rahm—is not what is delaying a deal between the PGA Tour and PIF. Instead, the real issue lies in how to integrate LIV players back into the PGA Tour and determine LIV’s role in the future of golf.
Golf writer Alan Shipnuck, who authored a revealing book about Mickelson, suggested that Woods and fellow PGA Tour policy board member Patrick Cantlay are being vindictive in their approach. Shipnuck criticized the notion that LIV players might be asked to return the money they received years ago, arguing that such a strategy would be unproductive and unrealistic.
Shipnuck also referred to the resignation of key PGA Tour officials, including Jimmy Dunne, Randall Stephenson, and Mark Flaherty, who have stepped down amid tensions surrounding the LIV deal. Dunne, who played a key role in initiating discussions with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, resigned from the policy board earlier this year due to frustration with the lack of progress in negotiations. Stephenson left in July 2023, citing concerns over the LIV deal, particularly in light of the U.S. intelligence report on the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Flaherty followed suit, resigning in May 2024.
As the PGA Tour and LIV Golf work toward a potential resolution, how LIV players will be reintegrated remains a hot topic with no easy solutions in sight.
