Professional golf’s growing entitlement problem extends beyond the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Just listen to Chris DiMarco, who joined the Subpar podcast with Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz this week and his comments came off as anything but humble.
The ongoing discussions between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – the financial backers of the Tour’s rival, LIV Golf – have hung over the game like a cloud for nearly a year now. When asked about the current state of the professional game, the three-time PGA Tour winner from 2000-2002 didn’t waste any time and unloaded thoughts on the money being thrown around and why the PGA Tour Champions, of all tours, deserve more of it.
“We’re kind of hoping that (LIV Golf) buys the Champions Tour,” DiMarco said. “Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from (TPC Sawgrass at the Players Championship) that made more money than our purses.”
A joke? That’s funny coming from the 55-year-old who hasn’t finished in the top 10 on the senior circuit since 2020. Overall, across 114 starts on the Champions tour, DiMarco has earned 17 top-25 finishes and just four top-10s.
The PGA Tour Champions offers over-the-hill players the chance to still compete for a little scratch on the side once they’re unable to keep up with the young guns on the PGA Tour. The over-50 tour has 28 events on its schedule for 2024, with $67 million up for grabs. That’s not a bad second career for a group of guys who spent their prime earning well more than the national average.
And yes, with more than $400 million on the line across 38 events, the PGA Tour plays for five times more cash than the seniors. And they should. It’s a better product that garners more interest and produces better TV ratings (though ratings for the men’s game have gone down in 2024).
Golf fans are fed up with players, at any level, who demand more when they haven’t done anything to earn it. DiMarco had a few great summers in the early 2000s and hasn’t been heard from since. If he wants to play for more money, maybe he should focus on finding the top half of a Champions tour leaderboard instead of finishing a few scrolls down.