LIV Golf's real threat to the PGA Tour? Pirating away future stars, not current ones

Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and the other pro golfers aiding and abetting Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman in his bid to convince the world he's anything other than a stain on humanity deserve all the criticism they're getting and more.

When it comes to the sustainability of Salman's LIV Golf circuit, though, this first wave of players won't determine success. The Saudis have used them to buy credibility for the LIV Golf tour. The circuit's future depends on its ability to attract the next generation of stars.

For the PGA Tour, this player pipeline is the real threat posed by LIV Golf.

Golf doesn't operate like most other professional sports. The top prodigies don't walk out of high school or college to find a fat contract and spot in the starting lineup waiting on them. They have to earn membership on the PGA Tour and many experience a period of struggle before establishing themselves as competitive players.

Once on tour, players aren't guaranteed a payout at every tournament; they have to play well enough in the first two rounds of a four-round tournament to play the last two, and only those who play all four get a share of the purse.

LIV Golf doesn't play by those rules. The tour can and will take a similar approach to other pro sports leagues by offering top prospects signing bonuses and guaranteed earnings. Instead of breaking into pro golf by playing on the PGA Tour's developmental circuit, winning spots in tourneys through qualifiers or begging an event sponsor for a spot in their tournament's field, young players can cut their teeth by joining LIV Golf and earn a comfortable living from the start.

This reality is what truly troubles the PGA Tour - and where the circuit needs to seriously consider reform.

Mickelson and the rest are making the PGA Tour-LIV Golf debate about media rights and free agency, but the fascination with the upstart circuit is sure to wave quickly. The association with Salman will limit the number of golfers who defect to LIV and is enough to make many golf fans, myself included, unwilling to watch a single shot of a LIV event.

But the Saudis have the money to play the long game here, and if the PGA Tour doesn't reinvent its approach to bringing in young stars, most of the "next big things" will start their careers on LIV. And since the PGA Tour cannot compete on price - Salman has something like $600 billion available ot him - it will be hard to woo players away from LIV.

PGA Tour officials are focused on shaming players into sticking with their circuit over LIV Golf. Here's hoping they have colleagues working behind the scenes to shore up the weaknesses in their own structure.

Phil Mickelson won't make LIV the premier tour in golf; but the next Phil Mickelson could.

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— Written by Opinion Columnist Adam Van Brimmer. Contact him at avanbrimmer@SavannahNow.com and follow him on Twitter @SavannahNow. Read more posts like this in the Savannah Town Square Facebook group.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: PGA Tour must address threat LIV Golf poses with young players