PGA Tour star states he doesn’t want to play with LIV golfers and no merger should happen, ‘I don’t want them here’

The ongoing power struggle between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf shows no signs of abating anytime soon.

The inception of LIV Golf in 2022 instigated a seismic shift in the golfing landscape, with many high-profile names jumping ship from the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed golf league.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, and both sides’ stances seem to have softened regarding a potential merger.

The two parties are believed to be deep in discussions about a deal, but there is a stalemate between LIV and the PGA Tour right now due to the former’s insistence on the team competition remaining.

Meanwhile, Brandel Chamblee recently claimed that he’s been told that a merger between LIV and the PGA Tour simply will not happen.

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It’s a sad situation for golf fans because we all deserve to see the best players in the world compete against one another outside of the four major championships.

However, one PGA Tour player in particular is insistent on the fact that he never wants the LIV golfers to come back.

PGA Tour star Lucas Glover sends strong message to LIV golfers

Lucas Glover has always been uncompromising in his approach to matters that affect the PGA Tour.

He is the PGA Tour’s version of a union chief; he always speaks up for the members.

And this time was no different when he was asked during an appearance on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio about the stalemate in talks between LIV and the PGA Tour right now.

Glover said: “I don’t want to play with them, me personally. I don’t think they should be back here, I don’t want them here. They made their decision, and I don’t blame any of them. I don’t care, but they also went away from this tour, and they chose to.

“As a PGA Tour player, and somebody who dreamed of playing on the PGA Tour, and have poured my heart and soul into this tour and game for 21 seasons now, I don’t want somebody who chose another path – a path of less resistance, I don’t want them back competing and taking part of my pie and these kids’ pie who are trying to make it now. I don’t want that.

“We as golf fans, yeah, the top four, five six players over there, if they were playing on the PGA Tour it would benefit all of us, because our TV deal in 2030 would be great.

“That’s the big question now in my opinion is; does it behove us as tour members who have equity now to grow our sport by bringing some of those guys back?

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“I’m having a hard time with it and I got some good advice from somebody who’s had the same issues as me, you’ve got to take emotion out of it, but it’s still very hard for me. This is still my dream and I chose to stay, and after I chose to stay I had success.

“As far as a stalemate goes, ‘we’ being the PGA Tour, I don’t think we even care anymore, we’re focused on going forward. They’re not coming away from the team thing, and that’s fine. Our focus now is forward, forward, forward. We’re going to grow our sport, and grow our tour. All that being said, I don’t think we care anymore about this unification and I don’t think they do either. That’s fine with me but it’s also kind of shortsighted of me, because if five, six, seven, eight of them still move the needle for the public, that would help us grow even bigger.“

Glover certainly didn’t pull any punches there did he!

What LIV players do the PGA Tour really miss

In all fairness, LIV haven’t got many players who the PGA Tour have missed since they left.

Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm are the two standout players who the PGA Tour would undoubtedly love to have back.

And it could be argued that only two others would make a difference to the PGA Tour, as far as TV figures are concerned.

Brooks Koepka is still a huge draw in the game while Joaquin Niemann is one of the best and most consistent performers in the game right now, majors aside!

Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith are not the players they once were, while Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood’s best days are firmly behind them.

The PGA Tour is in a very strong position in regards to negotiations with LIV, and if the Saudi-backed outfit continue to insist on the team competition being part of the setup, a deal will most likely never happen.