Before Greg Norman came into LIV Golf’s picture, Jack Nicklaus was the Public Investment Fund’s ideal man to lead the breakaway league. In fact, they approached the Golden Bear twice, offering a $100 million contract. But he refused both times to honor the words he once wrote to his younger self. With that, PIF had to go to their second option.

Interestingly, for Niklaus, the reason to stay was exactly the reason why Norman wanted to leave: the PGA Tour’s traditional legacy. Four years later, as PIF has removed itself from the story, Nicklaus is still not bothered by LIV’s situation.

“I don’t have a comment really on the LIV thing because I don’t really know what’s happening; it’s none of my business,” Nicklaus told the media during the 2026 Memorial Tournament presser. “But I think the PGA TOUR’s really healthy. I’m proud that we were back in 1968, we were able to start something that’s gotten to this point.”

In March 2019, Niklaus wrote a letter to his younger self, defining what being at this stage where his legacy was almost untouchable on the PGA Tour. He wrote how he and Arnold Palmer would lead the league, influencing the fans and aspirants with their efforts.

“You and that guy — yes, Arnie — will team up to help create something called the PGA Tour,” Nicklaus wrote to himself. “You will start to see what a powerful vehicle the game you so love is for giving back. That same Tour, built on competition among the game’s very best, will inspire you and others to band together to bring a positive impact on people’s lives.”

Whether it was to honor his friendship with Palmer or the pure love for the PGA Tour, Nicklaus refused a lucrative offer from LIV Golf. And little did they know what the PGA Tour meant to the legend who once wanted to do anything but play golf and how he would transform the circuit.

Today, the Tour has a steady influx of talent from all across the globe. In addition to the Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA Tour also has access to golfers from PGA Tour Canada, Latinoamérica, and the DP World Tour. With this, players have a clear path to compete alongside the biggest names in golf through their preferred routes. And while Nicklaus is happy to boast about the circuit’s success, he is just as critical of LIV Golf and its players.

He was surprised by how many top golfers jumped ship to join the Saudi-based league. And the 18-time major winner couldn’t help but comment on their intentions as professional golfers.

“I think the guys who have stayed on the PGA Tour, for the most part, are guys who play golf for the game of golf,” Nicklaus told the media.

The multimillion-dollar offers that the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka received certainly seem lucrative. But while Nicklaus understood some of them accepting the offer, he didn’t get why the younger generation put themselves in that position.

“Some of the guys who went to LIV were probably okay for them late in their career. You know, the Charles Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Mickelson, Dustin. I don’t think Brooks or DeChambeau or a couple of young guys who went.. Cameron Smith, but I thought that was kind of that was odd for them (to defect to LIV Golf) because that puts them in a pretty awkward position for the rest of their life,” Nicklaus told the hosts during the I Can Fly podcast.

The younger generation of stars did receive far bigger checks from Greg Norman. But Koepka proved Nicklaus right as he realized how awkward things got a couple of years into his LIV Golf contract.

He had stopped being a brand ambassador for the league and didn’t wear his former team’s gear to majors. This year, the five-time major winner ended his term with LIV Golf early and returned to the PGA Tour. However, DeChambeau is still trying to fight for the league as it struggles to find investors. That said, Nicklaus hasn’t always trashed LIV Golf players. There have been moments when he has also sympathized with them.

“I don’t fault the guys. We start out with Junior golf high school, golf college, amateur golf, secondary tour worked to the main tour. There’s a loyalty factor going all the way out, and you’ve earned your way through the competition to get there. I don’t think it’s been good for the game of golf,” Nicklaus told Nick Faldo during his podcast.

The Golden Bear believes that amateur golfers just have to climb too many ladders to get to the top of the food chain. And if LIV Golf provides an easier and far more lucrative proposal than what the PGA Tour has to offer, then it’s easier to sway away young and talented golfers, especially those who don’t have the mileage or finances to carry themselves through the whole journey. Yet, Nicklaus is concerned about how money-driven the sport has become. Speaking of the PGA Tour’s purses growing, Nicklaus said:

“I think the tour was going to get there, but the LIV thing pushed them. That’s pretty obvious. What it’s done is made the PGA Tour almost two tiers. All of a sudden, the other tournaments become feeders.”

The larger the prize money in Signature events and on the main tour has become, the wider the gap has grown between them and the development tours. As a result, the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour’s purses are now worlds apart. While golfers have always been focused on growth, money has become a greater motivator than the prestige of competing on golf’s biggest stages.

LIV Golf is still trying to sustain itself, as Scott O’Neil is looking for investors with a completely different strategy. They are planning a schedule overhaul to attract a $350 million investment. However, whether they succeed or fail, they have certainly had a lasting impact on the sport that has shaken up the entire PGA Tour.

How has LIV Golf changed the PGA Tour over the last few years?

Jack Nicklaus was concerned about the PGA Tour increasing the purses for its events to catch up with LIV Golf. That was the logical decision to take to ensure its players stay loyal to the Tour. Hence, Jay Monahan introduced Signature events in 2023. Although they were initially rolled out as designated events, they were officially given the Signature moniker and reimagined in the regular schedule in 2024.

That did raise some eyebrows, but the sponsors were happy about it. They got to host premier events that saw the biggest names all under one roof. However, the Tour still had a lot of issues. And as LIV Golf continued to slowly find success after each event, Monahan was put under enough pressure that Brian Rolapp was brought in to take over the operations of the PGA Tour.

Rolapp introduced many changes to the PGA Tour to improve the quality of the product. But one of the biggest and most surprising changes he has confirmed is the reduced PGA Tour calendar from 2027 onwards. The total number of events is to be cut down to 20-25. In fact, the Tour has already released part of the schedule on social media, showcasing some major changes to the Florida swing.

Rumors are also suggesting that Rolapp and his team are building a strict tier system on the PGA Tour. Apparently, tier one golfers like Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler will be highly discouraged from participating in events that don’t fall into their category. And that might create a dilemma for them, as their loyalty to the CJ Cup Byron Nelson might be tested. Either way, the PGA Tour office has many changes lined up to ensure the Tour is as efficient and competitive as it can be.

That raises the question: Is the PGA Tour really getting better and more competitive? Putting such restrictions in place for players essentially means they are closing more doors than opening them. So even if LIV Golf does cease to exist eventually, would Scott O’Neil & Co. have really lost? Or would they have simply turned the PGA Tour into something more like them?