Johnson Wagner Says LIV 'Is Absolutely Going To Crumble' And Reveals Charlotte Golfer Chasing PGA Tour Return
Johnson Wagner says LIV Golf "will absolutely crumble" after this season, while claiming he's spoken to a local golfer in Charlotte on the team tour who's looking for a PGA Tour return
Golf commentator Johnson Wagner did not hold back in his thoughts on LIV Golf, saying it is "absolutely going to crumble" while also claiming a local player on the team tour is trying to get back on the PGA Tour.
Wagner, who switched from Golf Channel to CBS last December, appeared on the Scorecard on CBS podcast and was pretty strong in his opinions on LIV Golf's future.
He may have also given out a big clue as to one current LIV Golf player who's keen to return to the PGA Tour, saying he had spoken to him as he was local to his own hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.
And Wagner can understand why this player is keen to get back on the PGA Tour, as he believes that despite CEO Scott O'Neil's positivity over finding new backers he feels LIV Golf will not survive beyond this season.
"They’re looking for $300 million to go forward for next year," Johnson said on the Scorecard podcast.
"The way they’ve currently been running that tour with the purses, $300 million is just scratching the surface. I don’t know what company, and they’re trying to break it up into $50 million investments with different companies, I don’t know what company could possibly see a return on their investment with that. It would just be somebody else throwing money away just to keep it going."
Johnson added that not being able to replicate the current prize purses would see players looking to leave LIV Golf.
"The only way that model works is by reducing purses," he added. "And when these players signed with LIV, they signed to play $20, $25 million purses, and I think there’d be absolute revolt.
"I don’t know how many players have re-signed. But this year, I know there’s a lot of contracts up, and I’m sure players are looking for a way out."
Wagner then revealed he'd spoken to one such LIV Golf player who was looking to return to the PGA Tour while delivering his verdict on the tour's future.
"I spoke to a LIV player who lives in my hometown of Charlotte the other day, and he is trying to make his way back to the PGA Tour. I think that tour is absolutely going to crumble in August. It'll be done."
It has to be said, O'Neil has remained a bundle of positivity during his search for new investment, and several players have also spoken of being hopeful that a LIV 2.0 will find a financial backer.
It is getting a bit late in the day though and there are rumblings of players looking to at least sound out alternatives such as a route back to the PGA Tour or even playing on the DP World Tour.
And as for Johnson's claim about a fellow Charlotte resident, both Harold Varner III and Caleb Surratt are known to currently call the city home but neither will be especially keen to hear about these comments.
Whar are your thoughts? Will LIV Golf fold in August or will a backer be found in time for the tour to continue in 2027 and beyond. Let us know by joining the conversation below...
