Insiders: LIV Golf Turning Endorsement Deals Into a Tricky Situation

One of the trickle-down effects of the current split in the world of golf between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is what it’s doing to endorsement deals currently and in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by LIV Golf (@livgolfinv)

Golfweek spoke with some insiders in the golf endorsement industry and discussed several current and upcoming issues that LIV Golfers will be dealing with, including:

• Not meeting PGA Tour playing requirements could lead to a breach of contract. Several endorsement deals require golfers to play in 15 to 18 PGA Tour events as long as they remain healthy. Many LIV players, such as Dustin Johnson, Kevin Na, and Sergio Garcia, did not meet that threshold.
• Downplaying of their image. For example, Open Championship winner Cameron Smith is the highest-ranked golfer sponsored by Titleist, but if you look at the list of featured players on their website, you will see the likes of Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Nelly Korda, and Garrick Higgo, but not Smith. He’s listed in a thumbnail below in a listing of all Titleist players.
• How sponsorships will be held in 2023? LIV Golf currently does not have a television deal (but there are rumors that LIV will buy time on cable channel Fox Sports 1). This means that the biggest LIV stars will only be on TV during majors—if they are even allowed to play in them. Will sponsors look to modify endorsement deals based on the change in their return on investment?

The likability of many of the LIV defectors has also taken a hit. In its story, Golfweek reports that some people in the industry have heard from pro shops that they don’t want any posters of LIV players sent to them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by LIV Golf (@livgolfinv)

An executive told the magazine:

“Let’s say that Player X jumps ship to LIV. Some people won’t care because they love Player X and want to see him play golf, but other people will call him a money-grabber.”

It’s just part of the golf landscape that will continue to see change into 2023 as it did for much of this year.

Cover Image Via Politico