Professional golf moved one step closer to all-out civil war after the PGA tour refused to grant waivers to play in the first LIV Golf Invitational Series tournament.
The initial feeling was that they would release players for the first event, in the UK next month, but refuse to issue waivers when the new Saudi-backed series moved to the US later this month.
Some believe that the PGA have effectively contradicted their own rules. They allow players three waivers a year. A number of top golfers in the world – including Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson – was given permission to play in the Saudi International, an event on the Asian Tour.
However, they view the LIV Golf differently, because it is not a one-off event, but instead the beginning of a rival league. Should players defy the need to obtain waivers and play in the event anyway, they can be suspended and even permanently banned from the PGA Tour.
That may lead to the biggest schism the sport has seen since it became professional. A number of players have already expressed their desire to appear in the first event, including Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Mickelson himself.
Golf professionals are, in essence, independent contractors invited to appear in tour events, having met a number of entry qualifications based on ability. In exchange for the potential to play in PGA events and earn significant prize money, they also cede a number of rights, including agreeing to abide by their rules and also handing over control of their image rights.
At the same time, they have no contract with the PGA tour and are entitled to try and maximise their earnings over the course of their career.
With the new tour heavily backed, some players may just relish the freedom not to be hidebound b the PGA tour any more, reasoning they stand to earn more money if they devote themselves to the alternative tour instead.
The losers of all this are likely to be the fans and, in the long run, the game itself.