Woods Responds to LIV: "Let's Create a Tour Within the Tour... $20 Million Prize Money Each"

Secret Meeting Held Ahead of BMW Championship
"Introducing Tour Within a Tour Concept... 18 Tournaments"
Plans to Transition PGA Tour into a For-Profit Organization

Tiger Woods. Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA) has fired back at LIV Golf. He proposed introducing the concept of a 'tour within a tour' to the PGA Tour. This would consist of 18 tournaments, each with a prize of $20 million, totaling nearly $360 million (approximately 480.9 billion KRW). If realized, this new type of tournament is expected to be held twice a month from January to August.

The LIV Golf Invitational Series, backed by 'oil money,' plans to hold 8 tournaments this year. Next year, they intend to increase the number of tournaments to 14, distributing a total prize fund of $405 million. However, if Woods' proposed 'tour within a tour' is implemented, with a similar prize scale, LIV Golf's previously unchallenged momentum may face difficulties.

Secret Meeting of Top-Class Players, What Was Discussed?

According to local media including Golf.com on the 22nd, Woods recently proposed the 'tour within a tour' concept as a countermeasure against LIV Golf during a secret meeting with key PGA Tour players. This meeting took place ahead of the BMW Championship, the second FedEx Cup playoff event, on the 17th.

The meeting held in Wilmington, Delaware, USA, was attended by Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Will Zalatoris (all USA), among others. Local reports mention about 15 to 22 players attended, but the exact number remains undisclosed. The players have remained tight-lipped about the discussions held during the meeting.

The 'tour within a tour' that Woods proposed, gathering top-class players, would consist of 18 tournaments with 60 top players participating without cuts. Each tournament is expected to have a prize fund of $20 million. This strategy is essentially a financial counterattack against LIV Golf, which is backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) and distributes massive funds.

Tour Within a Tour... How Is It Different from 'Oil Money' LIV Golf?

LIV Golf started its first tournament in June and has been stirring changes in the golf world. It has been recruiting famous players with huge funds and is attempting to introduce a sponsorship structure similar to Formula One (F1) called 'team sponsorship.' However, it has faced backlash for pushing forward with money while disregarding golf's history and etiquette.

Woods' new plan closely resembles LIV Golf's approach. In fact, as details of this secret meeting became known, LIV Golf reportedly expressed opposition. Within the PGA Tour, there are concerned voices that players ranked below 60 might effectively be relegated to a secondary tour.

There is a clear difference. The PGA Tour gains an advantage. Players who remain in the PGA and participate in the 'tour within a tour' can still compete in major tournaments. LIV Golf players have been excluded from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) system by existing tour organizations. This means players who left for LIV Golf cannot participate in major tournaments regardless of world ranking.

Noteworthy Ireland Meeting, PGA Tour's Shift to a For-Profit Organization?

Woods participated in the JP McManus Pro-Am held in Ireland just before The Open last month. Although Woods was reportedly not in good physical condition and the event was a pro-am mixing amateurs, top-level players participated, attracting public attention. It was during this event that Woods' first meeting took place.

At that time, Woods first proposed converting the PGA Tour into a for-profit organization. Currently, the PGA Tour is a non-profit organization. If converted to a for-profit entity, the tour would have to pay up to $50 million in taxes. However, tour operations would become freer, enabling smooth funding from private equity funds and others.

This would add realism to Woods' 'tour within a tour' plan. Woods is expected to effectively take on the role of commissioner, and key players could share ownership stakes in the newly for-profit tour. Attention is focused on Woods' moves and what plans he might have, especially after rejecting LIV Golf's 1 trillion KRW scouting offer.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.