Former U.S. Open champion believes “some of the guys are a little bit lost” at LIV Golf

Michael Campbell thinks some LIV Golf players “are a little bit lost” as the league looks ahead to new investment from 2027.

Campbell, who sensationally fended off Tiger Woods to claim his only major title at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2005, has pointed to the difficulties LIV Golf players face when trying to return to the PGA Tour or DP World Tour.

“Obviously it’s all changed again. I think with LIV, some of the guys are a little bit lost now because they’ve got nowhere to go, and for some of them coming back onto the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour is difficult,” said Campbell while speaking to Champions (UK) plc at the British Par 3 Championship.

Ahead of LIV Golf’s inaugural season in 2022, a number of veteran players were signed by the breakaway league, including Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell.

Campbell is older than the quartet and, while he hasn’t said whether he was ever offered a place in the league, he admits that if he were faced with the same decision now, he might make a different choice given the current landscape of professional golf.

“The environment in golf right now is getting better. I think the PGA Tour is getting stronger and stronger and, in hindsight, thinking about it now, I’d probably stay on the DP World Tour or even the PGA Tour rather than joining LIV.

“It is hard when you get offered that amount of cash to go and play for LIV. That’s a different story. But hopefully the different governing bodies in golf can come together, because it’s a great sport to play and even to an older age.”

Michael Campbell remains optimistic about the future of golf

The New Zealander believes longevity is one of golf’s greatest strengths, particularly with rising talents such as Jackson Koivun winning the 3M Open.

He also pointed to fellow New Zealander Ryan Fox, who enjoyed a stunning breakthrough major victory at The Open despite being 39 years old.

“You’ve got guys out there winning tournaments at 21 years old, and then you look at Ryan Fox, who was 39 when he won his first major. The career span you can have in golf is wonderful.

“So I just think that, looking forward now, if everything can sort itself out [with LIV and the PGA] then golf will be in a very healthy place.”

But what does the future of professional golf look like?

LIV Golf’s future appeared to be in question following news that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) would withdraw its funding at the end of 2026.

Last week, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil confirmed that he had found a new investor to keep the league going beyond 2026.

The deal is reportedly worth $250 million, according to the New York Post. 

Events are expected to be reduced from 14 to 10, with five taking place in the United States and five being held around the world.

That news was somewhat dampened by the announcement that the LIV Golf Team Championship has been cancelled amid weeks of uncertainty surrounding the league’s final event of the season.

The future of the PGA Tour is also set to look very different from 2028.

A radical shake-up will see a two-tier system introduced, consisting of the Championship Series and Challenger Series.

One of the key aspects will be promotion and relegation between the two tiers, while the Championship Series will feature 23-24 events.

So, if both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are thriving in 2028, could professional golf finally be in a healthy place, as Campbell hopes?

Only time will tell.