"A lot of differences" Jordan Spieth insists PGA Tour not copying LIV
Jordan Spieth claims he "sees a lot of differences" when asked about the major changes the PGA Tour have announced in the wake of the LIV Golf threat.
Jordan Spieth claims the PGA Tour is not copying LIV Golf, arguing he sees "a lot of differences" despite the announcement of elevated events and huge increases to prize purses.
Spieth, 29, faced the media before the Tour Championship at East Lake after another frantic day in professional golf.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan outlined structural changes that will affect the whole membership.
He also insisted that despite the increased money and benefits on offer, those LIV players who might now have buyer's remorse will not be welcomed back.
In other words, the LIV suspensions will not be lifted.
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have also announced they will be launching a "hi-tech golf league" aimed at a younger audience.
McIlroy also conceded that despite not wanting to give Phil Mickelson credit, some of the comments he previously made did "have merit".
In case you missed it, the changes included:
- The Player Impact Program has been expanded to 20 players instead of 10. The prize money has also doubled from $50m to $100m.
- There will be 12 "Elevated Events" which will have prize purses of at least $20m, featuring the top 20 players in the PIP so long as they are qualified
- We will see the top PGA Tour pros at least 20 times throughout the season
- All fully-exempt Tour members will get a stipend of $500,000 via an "Earnings Assurance Program". This will be credited against their on-course earnings
- Rookies and returning members will get money up front to help with their expenses
- Those players who aren't fully exempt but have some status on the PGA Tour will get $5,000 every time they play an event and miss the cut for travel-related expenses
As for Spieth, he was asked directly whether or not the PGA Tour was copying the upstart's model.
Related: Greg Norman reacts to PGA Tour announcement
Spieth told the media: "I think that I still see a lot of differences, don't you? It's 72 holes...
"I think that in general in sports it makes sense to try and get -- the more players in any sport that people want to watch, if you can get them playing at the same time in competition, it makes sense.
"I think the majors have the highest ratings with The Players Championship, and then from there it drops significantly depending on if Tiger is playing or in contention somewhere."
He continued: "The idea that you can -- that as players we can collaborate and get together to produce a better product while having stiffer and better competition, I think that that would be something that is -- I think that's just something in general that makes a lot of sense.
"It'll create a better product for us going forward, and I just don't believe that it's -- there's no teams. This is still PGA Tour golf. It's just trying to get -- I think it's going to be way better for the fans. I think networks will be happier.
"I think in general, we are going to try and get as many of the highest ranked players that you can get all playing as often as they can together, and it just seems like that's the way things should have been all along.
"But it takes all the players getting together, and when you're able to pick your own schedule outside of the four events everyone plays, everyone plays The Players and then the Playoffs, what realistically -- how often can we have this happen?"
Spieth was asked why it has taken an existential threat to force change. Why didn't this happen sooner?
He told the media: "I don't know. I'm not sure. I'm not sure what else could have provoked it or -- it's almost like things have been pretty good. Golf has been good. Right when Tiger's dominance -- he ends up injured, isn't playing for a little while, he comes back and he wins the Tour Championship and then the Masters.
"You have new media rights deals around the same time. COVID hits, not good for anybody; golf numbers go up. It's been in a good place. It's almost like, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and it wasn't broke, and it's just now there was maybe -- there's been seems like a time to -- a really good time to make some kind of a change.
"Also, I think with the reserves, the reserve situation and COVID, having to have those, and then they get re-built up by markets being built back up and PGA Tour's, a lot of their separate business entities being really successful, they get a situation where they can bump all these and continue to move this direction.
"I think the timing just made sense, and it was also provoked a little bit. To be honest, yeah, I don't know."
