When Charlie Beljan was just 12 years old, he saw Tiger Woods dominate the golf world. Suddenly, he had a goal in his life– to enter the PGA Tour. He turned professional in 2007 and earned his first PGA Tour win in the 2012 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. The next year, he lost to John Merrick in the Northern Trust Open. Since then, he has not seen much success, making cuts in 46 of 146 events played. However, with the Tour’s rules, he recently made a life-changing announcement on his 41st birthday– he is rescinding his PGA Tour membership for Grass League’s Scottsdale Strikers.

According to him, his decision stems from his inability to pay his bills or establish himself on the PGA Tour. However, the step has taken many by surprise, with the Monday Q School even wondering how the PGA Tour member had to revoke his membership to play in a par-three league only a few times a year. Consequently, Tee Times called out the PGA Tour’s leadership.

They tweeted, “Brian Rolapp could fix this in 15 seconds if he wanted to. These things are not set in stone in any way, shape, or form. He just doesn’t want to change it. Jay Monahan 2.0 thus far.”

When Rolapp replaced Monahan, he promised major changes to make the Tour more flexible. As of now, the Tour’s rigid policies deny access to the Grass League for its members, alongside the Korn Ferry Tour and the Champions Tour. Although there’s been no update on whether Beljan can still participate in the Korn Ferry Tour, he has clarified his stance on joining the par-3 league.

Grass League follows a fast-paced team format (two-player teams) in a scramble or short-hole format. As a relatively new independent contractor, the league is attempting to position itself as a novel golf entertainment product. The news broke on Saturday with the League’s reporter, Todd Dobson, sharing the confirmation. The contract terms are still under discussion.

Granted, Beljan is not among the top leaders today, and that keeps him out of most PGA Tour events. However, the board’s restrictive rules leave him no other option.

However, it’s not just the newer leagues that suffer from this.

The rivalry with LIV is a long-standing feud. However, it’s the golfers who bear the impact of this argument. From suspensions over LIV influencer events to indefinite periods of ban, the PGA Tour has been constantly called out for its marginalizing rules.

But this time, golf fans have spoken up against the Tour, reflecting widespread sentiments of disappointment with the board.

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Fans call out the PGA Tour for its monopolistic approach

Charlie Beljan’s leave from the PGA Tour reflects the golfers’ backlash, as opportunities fizzle out within the membership. One fan made direct comparisons with the 2022-23 LIV Golf fiasco, with the Tour trying to enforce exclusivity and treating the golfers as salaried employees rather than independent athletes.

They wrote, “Apparently, the PGA Tour (& their esteemed Commissioner) didn’t learn anything from the LIV fiasco. You don’t get to own Independent Contractors.”

Another fan agreed with the statement, commenting, “It’s eye-rolling. These guys are independent contractors and the tour treats them like salaried employees with an iron-clad non-compete.”

Previously, the PGA Tour’s involvement in a creator’s event by LIV also got negative spotlight. Then, when players joined LIV Golfers only as their celebrity counterpart for creating podcasts, they were sent emails from the PGA Tour for not participating in any future event hosted by it. The policies make a divide between the PGA Tour and the rest of the leagues in a black and white fashion. Meanwhile, the golfers and the fans want some gray areas to enjoy what the sport can truly be.

Reflecting the fragile fan trust, one user wrote, “The PGA Tour is right on the precipice of having their entire totalitarian iron-fist strategy backfire spectacularly in their face. Imagine if they were to lose guys like Rory or Scottie this winter.” This commentary comes from the past golfers hauling to LIV out of internal politics fatigue. Top stars like Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia moved to the Saudi-backed league, causing direct harm to the Tour.

Although McIlroy has clearly stated that he doesn’t wish to join any other league because the PGA Tour has a legacy, he was also quite taken aback when the LIV Golf and the Tour almost merged. In his view, he felt like a scapegoat.

Another fan didn’t flinch when throwing shade on the PGA Tour, with a GIF saying, “We own you.” They paired it with the caption: “PGA Tour to players,” calling out the board’s attitude towards its members. Taking a sharp dig at the board’s bureaucratic approach, one fan wrote: “The @PGATOUR continues to demonstrate nothing but greed and vindictiveness. I hope they lose a billion dollars on the stupid TGL bs they’re wrecking their tour to finance.”

Apparently, the TGL is receiving a lot of sharp commentary. One fan even declared the Grass League to be a better entertainment than the indoor event. They commented: “It’s a threat to TGL. Better product. More entertaining. Paige S involved is smart.” According to the latest updates, Paige Spiranac is involved with the new league for a front office role. Since she is a creator herself, she understands how to make a league more entertaining and bring in more views, something that resonates with the fans.

Clearly, the golfing world is disappointed in the PGA Tour. With players like Beljan leaving for the Grass League, it’s only a matter of time Tour experiences another massive overhaul to the par three league. In the meantime, do you have ideas on how the PGA Tour can revamp some of its policies?