Players collect astronomical sums for signing with LIV Golf. But the biggest one, Tiger Woods, refused

A handful of golf professionals have found themselves in a truly precarious situation. By signing with rival organisation LIV Golf, subsidised by Saudi state money, they are boiling thebloodof many fans. But it is also a great chance for them to financially secure themselves for generations to come. The sums involved are truly incredible.

Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson Dechambeau and now Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman. These, and dozens of other professional players, have one thing in common, they have gradually been lured by a newly formed organization that offers them bonuses in the tens to hundreds of millions of dollars for their participation in the LIV Golf Series.

Currently, the most talked about name is Australian Cameron Smith. These days, he’s still preparing for the pinnacle of the PGA Tour season in the form of the FedEx Cup playoffs, but by all accounts he’ll be hitting balls on the LIV Golf Series in September.

He’s set to earn $100 million for his signing alone, and he’s yet to pick up a club. On the other hand, like a number of other defectors to the competition, he must expect to have his doors closed on the PGA Tour. Until when? Maybe permanently, maybe until the lengthy court cases decide to lift the ban.

Phil Mickelson has so far reportedly collected the biggest premium for his autograph contract with LIV Golf. His bonus is $200 million. Behind him on the bonus list are Dustin Johnson ($150 million), Bryson DeChambeau ($125 million) and Brooks Koepka, who has earned a comparable amount to Cameron Smith.

TIGER STAYS LOYAL TO PGA

But that’s still a far cry from what Tiger Woods could have earned. LIV Golf, from its inception, has been all too aware of who is the marketing heavy hitter in the golf world.

Even though the former superstar’s rich career may be coming full circle with each successive tournament played, there is no more ideal tool to kick-start a spectacular business than the winner of fifteen majors.

LIV Golf boss Greg Norman recently confirmed on Fox News that Tiger has been offered a $700 million bonus for simply signing. Other sources are even talking as high as 800 million. For comparison’s sake, Woods has earned nearly $121 million over his entire professional career, so the eventual deal would be many times the amount Tiger has earned on the PGA Tour (outside of partnerships).

“That amount was already on the table before I became CEO. So that number was already there,” Norman revealed. LIV Golf understandably has to look to the best at its start, both in terms of the game itself and spectator interest.

Tiger, however, turned down the grand offer: ‘I know what the PGA Tour means, what we have achieved and what it has given us. We have to go for our careers, earn our money, play for trophies and be part of the history of the game,” said Woods, whose words were published by GolfExtra.

The ever-great phenom and lifelong icon of the sport himself, like many other people, does notunderstand the LIV organisation’s intention.

LIV Golf has caused quite a stir with its arrival on the scene, mainly because of the financial resources flowing in from Saudi Arabia. But Norman doesn’t address this: “I don’t care, frankly. I just love the game and I want to develop it. And we at LIV Golf see this as an opportunity not only for men but for women as well,” he said on Fox News.

Source: LyiV Golf, Fox News, Golf Extra