How the quest to preserve the essence of golf revitalized Tiger Woods, offering him renewed purpose and a sense of human connection…
Throughout his illustrious golfing career, Tiger Woods has orchestrated numerous comebacks, each of which has now become an integral element of his legendary story. Yet, after his high-speed, single-car accident in the suburbs of Los Angeles in 2021, even Woods must have acknowledged the improbability of a significant return to the sport. His right leg had been shattered, and his fortune lay in it still being attached to the rest of his body.
For the 15-time major champion, what he needed wasn’t merely a competitive resurgence but a path back onto the golf course itself. Esteemed golf writer Alan Shipnuck contends that it was the emergence of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour that offered Woods the most unexpected of routes.
Shipnuck told CNN Sport, “This struggle for the identity of professional golf gave Tiger a sense of purpose. It provided him with a cause to champion. He became a unifying figure for the PGA Tour, fighting for its heritage.”
A Schism in Professional Golf In the spring and summer of 2022, men’s professional golf was in crisis. As the sport’s biggest stars were lured by guaranteed multi-million-dollar salaries, golf cleaved into a world of “haves and have-mores,” as Shipnuck described it.
As battle lines were drawn and rhetoric became increasingly heated, Woods stepped onto the scene as golf’s elder statesman, determined to defend its historical legacy.
Woods had been more in the headlines for his personal struggles, including injuries, divorce, and scandal, rather than for his golf. He did win the Masters in 2019, but that victory came 11 years after his previous major win.
As Shipnuck explained, “Tiger has always been somewhat of a loner, an introvert, and there are entire generations that don’t really know him because he has been plagued by injuries for so long.”
However, this began to change when Woods flew to Delaware to lead an impromptu players’ meeting, where they hashed out a new direction for the PGA Tour.
“It’s been a pivotal part of Tiger’s journey back from that accident, to experience more human connection and feel the warmth and support of his peers. The importance of this cannot be overstated,” Shipnuck said. “We might ultimately have LIV Golf to thank for giving us a Tiger Woods who is renewed, improved, and more engaged!”
The Turbulent Emergence of the Breakaway Tour Shipnuck’s latest book, “LIV And Let Die,” chronicles the tumultuous rise of the breakaway tour. Australian two-time major champion Greg Norman emerges as the primary provocateur in the book, fueled by the financial backing of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
The book is a gripping read, punctuated by profanity to the extent that it sometimes resembles a Quentin Tarantino movie script more than a narrative about a traditionally genteel sport.
Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka contributes two explicit words in the book after joining the LIV Tour in June 2022. He is quoted as saying, “Forget all those privileged country club kids who criticize me. Do they really think I care about their opinions? I’ve had three surgeries, and I’m supposed to turn down $130 million? I grew up with nothing.”
Shipnuck accepts that the strong language reflects the intense emotions on both sides. “I don’t see it as my job to censor someone’s words when they’re passionate and have something forceful to say. I let it stand,” Shipnuck adds. “The passions were running so high; it became deeply personal for the players, executives, and the money people behind the scenes. It took time for people to speak candidly, including using those four-letter words.”
The Author’s Perspective Shipnuck states that he interviewed players, caddies, CEOs, agents, financiers, lawyers, fans, and wives for his book. However, not everyone has received it positively.
Two-time major champion Justin Thomas took to the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, to express his opinion: “I’d like to speak on behalf of a lot of tour players and say we’re sick of @AlanShipnuck doing what he does. Bring positivity and good stories to help grow the game of golf, not try and make money bashing guys, earning zero trust, with a lot of incorrect information. Ridiculous.”
Shipnuck, in response, defended his work, stating that he is a journalist, not a publicist. He emphasized his obligation to provide truthful insights to his readers, irrespective of the reactions from the players. “They rely on me to present the facts and reveal what’s happening behind the scenes. When you do that, you offer an alternative perspective to what the players want to believe, what they’ve been told by their leadership, and what’s in their best interest. Sometimes, they might be upset, but that’s more their issue than mine.”
Themes of Loyalty and Betrayal Shipnuck describes the overarching themes of his book as loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and greed, but he also acknowledges more nuances than initially met the eye.
For example, Rory McIlroy, known for his vocal and principled defense of the PGA Tour, was regarded as the “moral compass of golf.” However, Shipnuck hints that it might not be such a straightforward narrative.
“Rory also became the leading antagonist,” Shipnuck says. “Rory was a great ambassador for the tour, but he made it very personal. And the LIV players were skeptical of Rory being portrayed as a hero because he also has significant business interests tied to the PGA Tour, which he is equally trying to safeguard.”
Similarly, the so-called villains might have more complexity than they initially displayed. Shipnuck suggests, “It oversimplifies things to say they simply sold out for the money. Of course, money was a motivating factor, but there were other dynamics at play.”
Shipnuck reveals that Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open champion in his prime, was among the more surprising players to join the LIV Tour. The book portrays DeChambeau as feeling undervalued by his peers on the PGA Tour. Shipnuck writes about DeChambeau’s disappointment, sharing his experience of being repeatedly rejected by his peers when trying to get elected to the Player Advisory Council on the PGA Tour.
Once DeChambeau joined the LIV Tour, he assumed a leadership role as a team captain. Other players, like Patrick Reed and Sergio García, who had fallen out of favor on the PGA Tour, were also motivated to join LIV. They had conflicts with their peers and the tour leadership. LIV provided them with a fresh start and a different player-centric approach.
Phil Mickelson, though desiring financial gain, also sought validation as an intellectual authority. Shipnuck emphasizes that while money was a clear incentive, there were more complex factors at play. “The ‘good guys’ often have their shadows, and the ‘bad guys’ might have some redeeming qualities,” he notes.
A Possible Reconciliation Nearly a year after LIV’s inaugural tournament in London, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan announced a surprising truce, settling their lawsuits. While the full details are yet to be worked out, they disclosed that, in conjunction with the European Tour, they would unite to create an entity that would unify the sport.
“They all saw substantial increases in their earnings,” Shipnuck explains. “One of Phil Mickelson’s primary grievances was that the PGA Tour was sitting on a significant amount of money that rightly belonged to the players. In this respect, he was vindicated.”
This reconciliation could also benefit the fans. “If they can establish a schedule that combines the best PGA Tour events, top European tour events, and a few LIV events in a geographically and seasonally sensible way, with the assurance of top players’ participation, it would be a significant victory for golf fans,” according to Shipnuck.
Should the Saudis continue their involvement in the project, it could be a win for them as well. It would allow them to participate in a major international sport and wield influence in the Western world, overshadowing past controversies like their alleged involvement in 9/11, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, and human rights concerns.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously expressed indifference to criticism of sportswashing. “If sportswashing can increase my GDP by one percent, then I will continue doing sportswashing,” MBS stated in an interview with Fox News in September.
According to Shipnuck, the LIV episode demonstrates that sportswashing can be effective. “In the first year of LIV, players faced many questions about Khashoggi, Mohammed Bin Salman, and Saudi government human rights abuses. By year two, those questions started to fade due to weariness. This is why sportswashing is popular among certain controversial figures; it has a lasting effect. Over time, resistance wanes, and there’s an acceptance that these countries are part of professional sports and the global economy. Perhaps, they become our allies.”
CNN has reached out to Woods, McIlroy, Reed, and García for their comments on these developments.
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