Padraig Harrington Reveals PGA Tour-LIV Golf 'Crossover' Idea That Is 'Only Solution' To Save Golf
Padraig Harrington says a PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger will never happen, but has a solution involving crossover invites that he feels would solve the sport's current problems


Padraig Harrington says he can't see the PGA Tour and LIV Golf merging anytime soon, but has a proposed solution he thinks would be great for the game of golf.
As negotiations drag on between the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF, all the talk is about bringing the game back together and ensuring all the best players are reunited again on one tour.
Three-time Major champion Harrington can't see any way that happens now, but thinks that just having a few invites across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf could be a great solution.
By having LIV players take part in other events, and having a guest team of PGA Tour players in a LIV Golf event would help create a huge buzz around those tournaments, says Harrington.
Harrington believes the slow progress in talks is because the two parties will never agree on a merger, but some cross-competition such as in the current Majors would create the solution.
"I don't see the golfing merger. That's what they are struggling with," said Harrington.
"So ideally for me I would suggest that every PGA Tour and European Tour event should have four invites for LIV players, and every LIV event should have four invites for an International team.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
"That way we have enough crossover that we can get Jon Rahm to play the European Tour and we get Abraham Ancer to play the Mexican Open. If four PGA Tour guys come over, it's not like they are going to be welcomed with open arms; so that creates buzz at their events.
"Like if we had four LIV players this week, they would be focused on them, and people would be watching it. Some people would be wanting them to do well and some people would be wanting them to do badly.
"But that would create a bit of a buzz and vice versa, if four PGA Tour players or four international players turned up at a LIV event, they wouldn't want that team winning, they wouldn't want the outsiders, so that creates a bit of a buzz for them."
PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan and PIF boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan
Harrington says that this sporting solution differs from the business solutions the talks are currently trying to find - and is the only solution as PGA Tour players will not want to play more events across the globe.
And his solution would also see plenty more golf events have a similar feel to the Majors, which he says are thriving due to the rivalry between LIV Golf players and the PGA Tour.
"That's the only solution I see in golfing," Harrington added. "They can do all the business solutions, that's a completely different thing but you're not convincing the guys on the PGA Tour that they are going to play an extra ten events, 14 events around the world.
"But maybe having an invite - and nobody has to like each other. You know, it's good for sport when you have rivalries, and we've seen it at the Majors this year.
"The Majors have never been better because of those rivalries, so why couldn't we have that this week [at the Irish Open]? Why couldn't we have a few guys - like I'm sure Tyrrell playing last week created a great buzz, two weeks ago at the British Masters.
"There will be a lot of home fans wanting him to do well and then there's plenty of people that didn't want him to do well. In the right context, that's good.
"That's my solution. I'm not sitting at the top table. That's why I'm sitting in the media centre telling you my solution."
Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
-
Everything You Need To Know About The TGL Playoff Final
New York Golf Club and Atlanta Drive Golf Club will face off over two days at SoFi Center to decide the inaugural champions of TGL
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
My Radical Plan To Combat Slow Play: Get Rid Of Caddies!
Joe Ferguson is taking issue with one of the long-standing elements of professional golf - caddies.
By Joe Ferguson Published
-
Paul McGinley Proposes ‘One Of The Things That I Think LIV Have Got Right’ To Be Applied To PGA Tour
The Golf Channel analyst thinks a key change implemented by LIV Golf could make all the difference to the PGA Tour
By Mike Hall Published
-
Joaquin Niemann Wins LIV Golf Singapore Title
The Chilean won his second LIV Golf event of the season thanks to a bogey-free 65 on Sunday in Singapore
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Jon Rahm Equals Bryson DeChambeau's LIV Golf Record After Strong Start In Singapore
The Legion XIII captain matched Bryson DeChambeau's record for consecutive scores under-par in the second round of LIV Golf Singapore
By Mike Hall Published
-
‘I Think It’s Dead, I Think The Other Side Is Gone’ - Lee Trevino Gives Take On PGA Tour-LIV Golf Divide And Calls For Players And Caddies To Speed Up
Lee Trevino was full of praise for the PGA Tour and its immediate future, as he believes that a deal with the Saudi PIF may not come at all
By Paul Higham Published
-
Dustin Johnson Goes From Worst To First At LIV Golf Singapore
After finishing dead last a week ago, Dustin Johnson fired a brilliant 63 to lead LIV Golf Singapore by three to quieten all the talk about his struggles
By Paul Higham Published
-
'They Need Us' - Bubba Watson Calls For Top 15 From LIV To Qualify For All The Majors
Bubba Watson says the top 15 players in the LIV Golf standings should all get into the Majors the following year - as the big four events need them
By Paul Higham Published
-
Brandel Chamblee Claims There Would Be 'Uproar On The PGA Tour' If LIV Golfers Were Allowed To Play Signature Events
The Golf Channel analyst claimed 'it would be wrong' if players from the LIV Golf League were allowed to play Signature Events on the PGA Tour
By Matt Cradock Published
-
How Can LIV Golf And PGA Tour Work Together? Paul McGinley Reveals Proposal For Unity
The former Ryder Cup captain explained how a PGA Tour and PIF merger could work, with McGinley claiming the circuits need to 'find some common ground'
By Matt Cradock Published