"Tiger's gone, Phil's gone": Legendary golf coach gives PGA Tour stern warning over future
Butch Harmon believes the PGA Tour needs to do more to promote its young stars.
Legendary golf coach Butch Harmon has urged the PGA Tour to do more to promote its younger players as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson become increasingly absent from the men's game.
Harmon coached Woods from 1993 to 2004 and Mickelson from 2007 to 2015, working with both during key periods in their careers as they helped shape one of golf's defining rivalries.
However, with Woods, 50, and Mickelson, 56, no longer regular fixtures on the competitive circuit, the sport faces the challenge of building a new generation of household names.
Woods has been hampered by persistent injury problems, multiple surgeries and legal issues.
Last month, Woods told attendees at a golf clinic that he could hit "pretty much any shot", sparking rumours of another comeback.
Mickelson, meanwhile, appears much healthier than Woods but has been absent for much of the 2026 season after stepping away from professional golf to deal with a family health matter.
He has also faced allegations of inappropriate conduct.
Harmon believes there are players capable of filling the void.
"I think we have the best crop of young players we've ever had," Harmon told the latest edition of the No Laying Up podcast.
"They're unbelievable. That's the plus side. The downside for TV is that nobody knows who these players are.
"They'll turn on the TV, and if some of the stars aren’t up there, and they see these guys 20, 23, under, they go, I don't know who that is, and they change the channel.
"So the game is changing completely to what it used to be because the big stars are not there anymore.
"Tiger's gone, Phil's gone. All the other guys are gone. You know, all the ones you grew up with are all on the Champions Tour now."
Who are the PGA Tour's emerging young stars?
Several young players are already making their mark on the PGA Tour, with Jackson Koivun, Michael Brennan, Blades Brown, Michael Thorbjornsen and Akshay Bhatia among those tipped for big futures.
Koivun, 21, is attracting particular attention.
The American enjoyed a decorated college career, helping Auburn University win two NCAA team championships and claiming three consecutive Southeastern Conference individual titles from 2024 to 2026.
He became the world's top-ranked amateur in 2025 before turning professional in June 2026.
Koivun quickly made his mark on the PGA Tour, winning the 3M Open in just his third professional start.
He finished at 25-under, setting a tournament scoring record and beating world number one Scottie Scheffler by three shots.
In September, he made his Presidents Cup debut, helping Brandt Snedeker's United States team secure a 17-13 victory over the International team at Medinah.
Koivun is set to have greater exposure in 2027.
Last month, Koivun confirmed he will join Motor City Golf Club for the 2027 TGL season.
He will team up with Brooks Koepka for the Detroit-based franchise.
Ben Smith joined the GolfMagic team in September 2021, initially as a content executive.
These days, he assumes the position of content manager.
