Three-time major winner admits to missing LIV golfers after PGA Championship, calls for solution between tours

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It looks like Phil Mickelson can now say, “I told you so.” 

The LIV Golf pro presented an interesting dilemma on social media earlier this month in a since-deleted post on X when he questioned what the future of golf might look like if some of the best players in the game weren’t allowed to compete at the majors. 

Padraig Harrington walks across the 15th hole during the third round of the Regions Tradition at Greystone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 11.  (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington seems to agree in a way. 

Following the thrill of last week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, Harrington told Golf Channel on Wednesday that he missed playing with some players that qualified for the major, despite having moved on to the rival, Saudi-backed tour. 

“I realized last week, God, we missed Bryson [DeChambeau]. Like Bryson was box office last week and really, really helped that tournament… It was fantastic, interesting, exciting watching.”

“Yeah, we do miss those guys,” he continued. “As I’ve said before, it’s hard to believe we miss Patrick Reed. That’s just the way it is.”

Drawing from his experience playing on the European Tour, Harrington suggested the feelings towards LIV could be similar to what players at the time might have felt about having two “strong” circuits. 

Padraig Harrington, left, and Jon Rahm walk off the sixth tee during a practice round prior to the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 14. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

“We didn’t realize at the time that the two tours being strong — I felt, in hindsight, looks like it was a great thing,” he said. 

Harrington went on to say that a solution between the two tours and LIV might be the only path forward. 

“Rivalries are a good thing in sport, it’s always been helpful. But we do need a solution, I will say that. That’s the one thing. Every day for the last two years I’ve had an opinion and all I’ve found is wow, it just keeps moving and changing because the scene changes. I think everybody in golf wants a solution,” he said.

“All I know is, the two probably biggest things, we can’t let LIV poach the best players off the PGA Tour for nothing, and we also miss the players who have gone to LIV.”

Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after a birdie on the 18th hole during the final round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Earlier this month, in response to a post on X that pointed to a recent example of LIV players earning more from prize purses but not receiving any world ranking points, Mickelson fired back in a since-deleted post about what the future of golf might look like if no player from the LIV tour were able to compete at the majors.

“Maybe some LIV players won’t be missed. But what if NONE of the LIV players played? Would they be missed? What about next year when more great players join? Or the following year? At some point they will care and will have to answer to sponsors and television,” Mickelson wrote, via The Associated Press.  

He ended the post with the acronym “FAAFO,” which stands for “F— around and find out.” 

LIV first filed with the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) board in July 2022, but the bid was rejected in October of last year. CEO and commissioner Greg Norman abandoned that effort shortly after, which led him to publicly question the “accuracy, credibility and integrity of the OWGR rankings” system.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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