The PGA Tour-LIV merger has left nearly everyone in the golf world with scant details on an official framework and plenty of conjecture. It’s important to point this out because we don’t know how the Tour and LIV will look in the future.
But let’s pretend for a moment that LIV’s team format continues to exist in some form or fashion.
Even if the team format remains, it’s very likely we’ll see some significant changes to not only the rosters but the team names as well. Yes, the Cleeks, Crushers and Fireballs could cease to exist in a golf landscape where sponsors could assemble their own squads. Think of it as golf’s version of Formula 1.
On the latest episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast, the crew tried their best to unpack the Tour-LIV merger and look at it from an equipment perspective. Prior to Tuesday’s bombshell announcement, equipment brands weren’t quite sure how to promote staffers who made the decision to leave the Tour for LIV.
However, now that the wall between the Tour and LIV has been broken, it’s possible we could see some of the biggest brands in the sports consider the idea of creating their own teams. Imagine seeing Team TaylorMade, Team Callaway and Team Ping take the course in a team event where staffers could make, for example, a designated “pitstop” during the round to have their gear setup adjusted and analyzed by a team of tour reps and engineers to fit certain holes or potential challenges.
Does it sound far-fetched? Maybe so. But consider this: the Tour has already partnered with TGL — a new high-tech golf league featuring Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy that will launch in 2024 — for a six-team league comprised of “top PGA Tour players.” The wheels are already in motion for team golf on a smaller scale.
When you look at it that way, the idea of equipment manufacturers building their own squads for a specialized team format doesn’t seem all that crazy. It’s just one potential way a Tour-LIV merger could alter the way we consume professional golf in the future.
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