Is Having Both the PGA and LIV Tours Good for Golf?
There was a recent shake-up in men’s professional golf, and there’s now a huge gap that keeps widening between the long-established PGA Tour (professional golf’s leading tour) and the all-new Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Golf Tour.
The question being asked here is, is having both the PGA and LIV Tours good or bad for golf, and is there a way the two could possibly coexist? Find out more right here.
What is the LIV Golf Tour?
LIV is a men’s professional golf tour that was founded in 2021 to much criticism and controversy. The first LIV Golf Tour Invitational Series eventually got underway until June 2022.
The word ‘LIV’ refers to the number 54 in Roman numerals – the total score if each hole on a par-72 course were birdied (one stroke under par for an individual golf hole). The LIV Golf Tour differs from the PGA Tours in several ways.
It offers something new for players, fans, and spectators at the highest level of the sport, and many of the biggest names in golf have signed up to help further promote the new circuit (after being paid handsomely for their service).
Is it possible to bet on major golfing events like the PGA and LIV Tours?
Yes. If you live in South Africa and want the latest betting markets with the industry’s most competitive SA golf betting odds, one of the most highly recommended websites you can turn to today is the official 10Bet.com website.
It’s free to sign up to, and each new player from South Africa who registers a new account today can take advantage of a guaranteed welcome bonus as soon as their new account has been activated.
What are some of the main differences between PGA and LIV?
Here are some of the most notable differences between the traditional PGA Golf Tours and the new LIV Tours. They include the following:
- Fewer holes – PGA Tours are usually contested over 72 holes – four rounds, whereas the new LIV events are contested over 54 holes
- There’s no cut in LIV – this means that there’s less stress for the competing players. In many PGA Tours, there’s usually a cut after 36 holes, where only the top 65 performing players with the most points make the cut. LIV events don’t have a cut. They get to play all three rounds regardless of how many points they have accumulated on the circuit
- Fewer players in LIV – the number of players on the field in LIV events is capped at just 48, whereas in many PGA events, there can be 132, 144, or 156 players involved
- LIV Golf uses shotgun start – this means players start on different tees on the course at the same time. In PGA tours, all players usually tee off from the first. This leads to LIV golf rounds being completed much quicker than PGA golf rounds, which can take much longer to finish
- Bigger prizes – the prize pools are much bigger in LIV, which means individual players can receive much heftier prizes
- No ranking points – unfortunately, LIV Golf events cannot earn Official World Golf Ranking Points, whereas PGA Tour events do offer ranking points
- Fewer events in LIV – throughout 2023, there are just 14 scheduled LIV Golf events, whereas the PGA season has at least 47 scheduled events
- PGA Tour players have truly earned their place in the tournament, whereas LIV players have either been invited or had their golfing agents arranging their place on the tour
Who will most likely win a Major Championship in 2023?
To find out which player will most likely win a Major Championship in 2023, the best thing to do would be to check the odds from today’s most trusted South African online bookmakers, such as the official 10Bet.com website.
You will see that Jon Rahm is the current odds-on favourite to win a Major. Majors include The Masters, US Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship.
John Rahm is currently priced at 7/5 in UK fractional odds, which means there’s a 41.70% chance of him winning a Major. In American/moneyline odds, 7/5 is equal to 140. In decimal odds, it’s 2.40.
Other golfers that are also most likely to win a Major this year are Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Smith, and Justin Thomas. Others include Tiger Woods, Jordan Speith, Will Zalatoris, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, and Xander Schauffele.
Final note
Whether having both PGA and LIV Golf Tours is good or bad for golf and whether they can coexist remains to be seen. We will just have to wait and see how they develop side by side.
Finally, to place a real money wager on upcoming golf events at sites like 10Bet, don’t forget that you must be at least 18.