Paul Azinger Says PGA Tour is the Minor Leagues of LIV Golf

Paul Azinger has found himself in the cross-hairs after making a bold claim regarding the LIV and PGA Tours.

The former major champion and Ryder Cup winning captain affectionately known as ‘Zinger’ admits he does not miss watching the PGA Tour after being let go by NBC last year. Zinger branded the PGA Tour a feeder Tour for LIV, speculating that guys are trying to prove themselves on the PGA Tour before waiting for that elusive invite up to LIV.

Speaking to Golfweek’s Adam Schupak, he said:

“Let’s just say it like this: the PGA Tour has fast become the qualifier for LIV and it’s a sad day for golf.”

Since Azinger left the commentary booth, Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton switched over to the LIV Tour, as well as multiple winner on the DP World Tour, Adrian Meronk. Azinger drove home another dagger in saying that he was “over” the PGA Tour:

“I’d rather call the Senior Tour, to be honest To call the best senior players in the world, at least they’re the best”.

“The best players aren’t all playing PGA Tour tournaments. That’s over.”

More from Azinger: https://t.co/rjscQe3VMF pic.twitter.com/aLX9c2nyBk

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) March 4, 2024

Azinger played on Tour for 30 years and found a career in broadcasting spanning another 18 years. He did admit he’d miss commentating on the U.S. Open in June, due to it being the biggest win an American player can have in their career.

Azinger’s comments contain a grain of truth if you consider the weaker fields at the last couple of events on the PGA Tour. Since the 54-hole event at Pebble, something has been off on the main Tour, with watered down events and much more focus on the signature events and majors than normal, because these regular events are just unable to compete anymore. This could work in LIV’s favour if a merger did occur in future, by forcing gaps into the PGA Tour schedule for their events.

The hottest names in the world right now are spread evenly across both Tours, so whether the PGA is a feeder Tour is certainly debatable, but in a head-to-head it’s no longer as easy to pick a winner. Joaquin Niemann just won again on the LIV Tour and has received his Masters invitation through a special exemption for 2024. Bryson DeChambeau is finding form and there will be plenty of guys from LIV competing at Augusta in April.

Is the PGA Tour becoming a pathway to LIV?

Cover Image via Golfweek