Scott Van Pelt doesn’t fault golfers for joining LIV
Over the last year, a lot of golfers who jumped from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf took a lot of heat. Many criticized those who joined the Saudi-backed league simply for the money. But ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt was not one to cast judgment for those decisions.
Van Pelt, a star for the network and an avid golf fan, joined the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and fielded a question about the recent agreement between LIV and the PGA Tour. The SportsCenter host said he doesn’t really blame anyone who took the offer from the new league.
“I’m pretty pragmatic and I think I’m pretty much an adult when it comes to money. If we’re looking under the microscope or under the black light for the clean money, I don’t know that it exists,” Van Pelt said.
“I’ve never had a nine-figure decision to make in my life and I have a hard time judging those that do. I understand you could say there are some real atrocities here, and that’s accurate. With $100 million before me, I don’t know what I’d do. It doesn’t bother me because I think I’m just honest with myself about it.”
What did strike Van Pelt a little bit differently? The PGA Tour’s hard stance against LIV Golf … only to eventually reach an agreement to work with the league.
Scott Van Pelt critiques PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan
Reports indicate that PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan told employees that the league didn’t have the financial means to continue going toe-to-toe with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Therefore, the two sides agreed to work together moving forward.
Van Pelt found it interesting that the PGA Tour — and Monahan in particular — critiqued LIV Golf over its financial backing. Then, eventually turned around and agreed to work with the PIF.
“What is often the only thing that’s understood in a negotiation is a loaded weapon. And LIV was that. And the PGA responded almost immediately to the very pointed criticisms that those that went to LIV made and suddenly they found millions under couch cushions,” said Van Pelt.
“[Monahan] said you can’t take the money to the players that were on the PGA Tour. Then he took the money. He went on with Jim Nantz in Canada last year and talked about 9/11. He said I know I’ll be seen as a hypocrite. Well yeah, because that’s hypocritical.”
The PGA Tour has caught a lot of grief over the last two weeks for announcing the “merger.” Will it eventually wear off? Probably. But the league’s decision to cave wasn’t exactly the best look.
The post Scott Van Pelt doesn’t fault golfers for joining LIV appeared first on On3.
