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Why I Am Feeling Optimistic About The Future of Pro Golf

By: | Mon 17 Feb 2025

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View From The Fairway by Derek Clements


I have spent much time pontificating on the woes within the world of professional golf and beyond. But maybe things are not so bad after all.

Europe's Ryder Cup Chances

Let’s start by looking at the state of European golf. At the start of what is a Ryder Cup year, we have already seen Rory McIlroy, Sepp Straka, Belgium’s Thomas Detry, and Ludvig Aberg triumphing on the PGA Tour. That in itself is reason enough to celebrate but there is more - Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Straka contended behind McIlroy at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Robert MacIntyre was there or thereabouts at the circus that is the WM Phoenix Open.

When you add into the mix the form that Tyrrell Hatton has shown of late, there is every reason to be optimistic about Europe’s chances of pulling off a famous victory in New York later this year in what would be the first on American soil since Medinah in 2012.

I am excited about Detry’s performance in Arizona.

Thomas Detry

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

It is a complete mystery to me that the 32-year-old has had to wait so long for a maiden success on either the DP World Tour or PGA Tour. His ability has never been in doubt. There have been plenty of near-misses but he has never been able to close the deal. However, the manner of his victory was something to behold. You could be forgiven for believing that the pressure would tell coming down the stretch - instead, he produced a blistering run.

This may just be the catalyst he needs for the floodgates to open. He banked almost $1.7m and has secured his playing rights for the thick end of three years, even if he never wins again. I fully expect him to be teeing it up at Bethpage and I believe he will be an asset. He possesses a fabulous temperament.

A Deal Between The PGA Tour & LIV Golf

Looking at the bigger picture, we should all be delighted by the news that all of the majors are now opening the doors for LIV golfers. The R&A announced last week that the highest-ranked golfer in the top five of this season's LIV standings at the end of the Dallas event in June who is not otherwise exempt will be invited to compete at Royal Portrush the following month. This comes on top of the US Open handing a place at Oakmont in June to the highest-placed player in LIV's top three who is not otherwise exempt.

And then there is Donald Trump. No matter what you think of him - and my views are not printable here - he is somebody who tends to get things done. Initially, I was filled with horror when he initially announced last year that when he moved into the White House he was going to turn his attention to fixing professional golf. It all sounded like the usual Trump bluster.

We have been waiting for the PGA Tour and PIF to reach an agreement for 20 months. They initially announced their intention to have a deal in place by December 2023. That date came and went. And here we are, nearly 14 months later, and still we wait.

One thing you have to say about Trump is that he is impossible to ignore. And the mind boggles as to what he may have in mind for our sport.

Remarkably, the PGA Tour says it is "closer to a deal" with LIV Golf after calling on Trump to get involved.

He met with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and player director Adam Scott as the organisation seeks help with talks with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which funds LIV. 

A joint statement from Monahan, Scott and Tiger Woods said: "We asked the President to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved. We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men's professional golf."

You do not need me to tell you that Trump has an ego the size of the White House and he will revel in those words, although it is difficult to know exactly what he can do or say to bring the rival factions together. They have, after all, been trying to find common ground for months without being able to do so.

However, he does have some serious business interests with the Saudis who fund LIV and you have to imagine that he would not be above issuing some veiled threats. Let’s face it, he does not do diplomacy.

Slow Play is Being Dealt With

Most encouraging of all for me is that there now seems to be a genuine will to finally bring an end to the curse of slow play. The LPGA looks like leading the way after both Nelly Korda and Charley Hull had plenty to say on the subject. 

The LPGA has sent a memo to all of its players telling them that fines and shot penalties will be enforced. New measures include fines to pros who take 1-5 seconds over their allotted time to take a shot, a one-stroke penalty for 6-15 seconds over time and a two-stroke penalty for 16 seconds or more over time. It does, of course, remain to be seen whether the powers-that-be have the courage to implement those penalties. From the bottom of my golfing heart, I sincerely hope that they do. I have consistently said that only by handing out one- and two-shot penalties to the worst offenders will this problem ever be resolved.

The good news continues. The PGA Tour is also about to announce punitive measures to speed up the game.

So, for once, I am feeling optimistic about the future.


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Tags: PGA Tour LIV Golf dp world tour



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