Much has been made in the media about the nascent LIV Golf Tour and its stated desire to “supercharge the game of golf.” A significant portion of that media attention has focused on the government of Saudi Arabia. According to most pundits, the Saudis are funding the LIV Tour to draw attention away from its abysmal record on human rights and a number of other atrocities.

Any one element of that should scare away most golfers from the LIV Tour. But it seems some professional golfers are willing to overlook moral obscenities in return for obscene amounts of money. Phil Mickelson was paid $200 million just to join, and four-time major winner Brooks Koepka reportedly pocketed $150 million for signing on with the LIV Tour. But among all the PGA-Tour defectors, only broadcaster David Feherty had the nerve to admit that he joined the LIV Tour solely for the huge money he was offered.

How The LIV Tour Is “Changing Golf”

Besides the sign-on money, the LIV Tour has gotten plenty of attention for the fact that even the last-place finisher gets a check for $120,000. There’s cheap beer and loud music at every tee box. Plus, travel expenses for the players and their caddies are covered via the lavish, fully-stocked party plane the LIV Tour flies to each event.

Given all that, it’s ironic that the LIV Tour has gotten little attention for the actual golf that’s been played. That’s primarily because there hasn’t been much actual competition. With 54-hole tournaments, no cuts, and guaranteed money regardless of leaderboard placing, it seems LIV golfers lack any incentive to compete in what has played out like glorified exhibition tournaments.

OK, The Money Is Great, But…

Despite all those perks, 11 LIV golfers have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour to be allowed back into PGA tour events. The LIV Tour players, who never forfeited their PGA membership, are contending that the suspension they received from the PGA for joining the LIV Tour is restraining their ability to make a living.

So, pro golfers who were paid to leave the PGA Tour to make money elsewhere are now suing the PGA Tour for not allowing them to compete? It’s the pro golf version of the Seinfeld episode where George Costanza quits his job in a blaze of glory but, upon realizing his mistake, sneaks back in as if nothing happened the next day. While the Seinfeld episode was amusing, the hypocrisy on display here from the LIV golfers is astounding, and their lawsuit will surely be laughed out of court.

18 Holes Of Hypocrisy

There are still many professional golfers on the PGA Tour who struggle to make the cut every week while hustling between Monday qualifiers and staying in cheap motels. But the changes to the game the LIV golfers say they’re working toward won’t benefit those players. Instead, by first leaving the PGA for huge money and then suing to rejoin after they’ve pocketed that money, those players aren’t changing golf or helping the players who need it. And when you add it all up, it appears there isn’t much competition on the LIV Golf Tour and the only “changes” its players are making are increases to their net worth.

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