Golf legend sends powerful PGA Tour and LIV Golf message after Presidents Cup

Gary Player has called on the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to put their differences aside and find a way to bring the world's best players back together.

The nine-time major champion made his feelings known less than 24 hours after Team USA overturned a three-point deficit on the final day of the Presidents Cup to beat the Internationals 17-13 at Medinah.

On paper, Brandt Snedeker's United States team had entered the contest as heavy favourites to win an 11th consecutive Presidents Cup and 14th overall. 

The Internationals, captained by Geoff Ogilvy, had other ideas, however, and took a three-point advantage into the final-day singles before ultimately falling four points short.

For Player, 90, the contest served as a reminder of what professional golf could look like if the game's fractured landscape was eventually repaired.

The Presidents Cup remains a PGA Tour-run event, meaning LIV Golf players are ineligible to compete. 

That ruled out a host of major names at Medinah, including Bryson DeChambeau for USA, and the likes of Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert and Louis Oosthuizen for the Internationals. 

It is impossible to know how much difference their presence would have made, but certainly with Niemann — LIV Golf's record nine-time winner — there is a strong argument that the Internationals could have pushed Team USA even closer in Chicago.

Player, who captained the International team at three consecutive Presidents Cups in 2003, 2005 and 2007, believes the biggest names in golf should once again have the opportunity to compete against each other regularly.

And he wants that to happen beyond the four major championships.

"I want to see Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau competing regularly against Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, not just at our major championships," Player wrote in a social media statement.

The South African's comments are particularly notable given that he has already helped create an opportunity for DeChambeau to play outside LIV Golf.

Player announced last month that DeChambeau will tee it up at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa from December 3-6, giving the LIV Golf superstar the chance to compete in a DP World Tour event.

That appearance is another example of the type of cross-tour competition Player wants to see more regularly.

The three-time Presidents Cup captain acknowledged the divisions that have emerged in professional golf over recent years, but argued that disagreement should not prevent the sport's various factions from working towards a shared objective.

"We can have our differences and still work towards a common goal," Player wrote.

That common goal, in Player's view, should be finding a way to bring the world's best players together again — while also ensuring that the next generation benefits from a healthier professional game.

"My hope is that we can finally put the divisions of recent years behind us and make that possible," he added.

Player's intervention comes at an uncertain time for LIV Golf, with the league's future structure beyond 2026 still developing.

Against that backdrop, Player believes golf's leaders should be looking beyond their existing divisions.

"Even more importantly, we must consider the young players who are beginning their professional careers and the children who dream of following them," Player wrote.

"They deserve opportunities to test themselves against the best and a game whose leaders are working together to help them succeed."

Player ultimately believes the game's various stakeholders need to focus on what unites them rather than what divides them.

Read Player's statement in full: 

"I have spent 73 years in professional golf and have been a proud member of the PGA and PGA TOUR for decades. This game has given me so much, and I feel a responsibility to speak up for its future. Many people may not realise that the formation of the modern PGA TOUR was also a period of disagreement within professional golf. We have faced division before, but one truth has never changed. We have the privilege of earning our living on the golf course because of the fans and sponsors who support us. We must never lose sight of that.

"The spirit of the Presidents Cup from last week should remind us that fierce competition and mutual respect belong together. That same spirit should guide the PGA TOUR, LIV Golf and everyone with a responsibility to our game. We can have our differences and still work towards a common goal. Golf fans around the world want to see the best players compete against one another week in and week out. I want to see Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau competing regularly against Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, not just at our major championships. My hope is that we can finally put the divisions of recent years behind us and make that possible.

"Even more importantly, we must consider the young players who are beginning their professional careers and the children who dream of following them. They deserve opportunities to test themselves against the best and a game whose leaders are working together to help them succeed. Let us come together, once and for all, with gratitude for those who support us and a shared commitment to golf’s future. Let us open more doors for younger generations around the world. They are the lifeblood of our game. GP."

The divisions may not disappear overnight, but Player's message is clear: golf needs its best players back together.