Cold sandwiches and a $373m problem as LIV stars frustrated by awkward changes

LIV golfers have been left frustrated and unhappy with changes made to the breakaway tour’s second season.

The rebel group, controversially run by Saudi Arabia, spent some $1.15 billion last year in a bombshell effort to take over the sport.

But despite the nation’s bank account being the driving factor in the limited success LIV has had so far - poaching big-name golfers - the league is now trying to cut back on costs, reports Alan Shipnuck.

That includes worse food options for media members, lesser-known musical acts for fans attending events, forcing the teams to pay for their own travel costs after previously running chartered flights, and most importantly reduced prize money for players.

“Some guys thought their contracts for this year are for 10 tournaments, not 14. But even with more tournaments there is no bump in the guaranteed money they signed for,” an unnamed player said in the report.

“Last year the players kept their share of the team winnings but now that money goes back to the team. I heard one guy say, ‘Why are we standing on a podium spraying each other with champagne when we don’t get the money?’ So that’s interesting.

“And now there is talk that [LIV leadership] wants to put more of the total purse toward the team component. But, again, guys have it in their contract they would be playing for $20 million on their own. So you can imagine there is a lot of conversation right now.”

Shipnuck wrote: “It is often said that LIV has unlimited resources, so shouldn’t all of this be easily solvable with more barrels of money? LIV could just add $10 million to each purse for the team component and everyone would be happy, right?

“One LIV executive counters that its financial forecasting extends for 10 years, so a purse increase of only $2 million per tournament quickly becomes a $250 million ($AU373 million) expense that has to go into the model.”

Another player told Shipnuck “every expense is getting double- and triple-checked now” with what used to be a “decadent buffet with hot entrees and a cornucopia of desserts” for media members now “cold sandwiches and pre-packaged cookies”.

However former PGA Tour winner Kevin Na said: “There is a shit-ton of money out here, and I already got a shit-ton.

“If you play well, you’re gonna win a shit-ton more. I’m not worrying about the details.”