Lucas Glover trashes PGA Tour for response to LIV Golf, Signature Event structure

Lucas Glover, who won twice on the PGA Tour last year, is clearly not a fan of the Signature Event structure.

To say Lucas Glover is not a fan of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events would be an understatement.

Glover, who won the 2009 U.S. Open, sounded off on the current structure of the tour in a recent interview with Adam Schupak of Golfweek.

“I don’t like the idea at all,” Glover said of Signature Events such as the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which features limited fields and elevated purses.

“It’s selfish, and it’s a money grab.”

The PGA Tour established Signature Events in response to LIV Golf poaching many of its top stars. LIV prides itself on playing 54 holes with 48-to-54-man fields. Those tournaments have $20 million purses and are played across the world.

“Nothing that has happened in the last two years in golf, in my opinion, that will help the game,” Glover said.

Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

“I’ve yet to figure out what’s so bad out here that we had to do all the things we’ve done.”

Last year, the Arnold Palmer Invitational featured 120 players, as Kurt Kitayama fended off the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Jordan Spieth down the stretch to win by one.

This year, only 69 players are in the field, with the top 50 and ties—along with anyone within 10 shots of the lead—making the cut.

“Why do the signature events have [a maximum of] 80 players, and only 50 make the cut? Our biggest signature event next week is 144 players with a full cut. The signature event,” Glover said, referencing The PLAYERS Championship.

“It’s very mind-blowing that our biggest signature event has the most players and the biggest cut.”

The PLAYERS, held at TPC Sawgrass every year, is the flagship event of the PGA Tour. It routinely has the strongest field in golf and has often been called the “Fifth major.”

Yet, the PGA Tour has shied away from following the structure of The PLAYERS for its Signature Events. Instead, it has followed the LIV model, awarding top players top dollars.

But with the tour currently negotiating with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), LIV Golf’s beneficiary, Glover sees the writing on the wall of what professional golf will look like.

“I think we’re going to end up with 12 to 16 events around the world with the top players for the most money, and wherever that money comes from—who knows whether it’s private equity or PIF—clearly, that’s where it is headed,” Glover said.

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

“A few of [PGA Tour] events are probably going to fit into that. You’re looking at eight PGA Tour/DP World Tour-style events around the world, three or four LIV-style events around the world, and four majors, and you’ll have a Tour of the who’s who. I’m very happy I’m close to being done. That’s how I see it.”

Glover, who turned 44 last November, won twice on the PGA Tour last year at the Wyndham Championship and the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Yet, under this new visionary, those two events may not be included within golf’s new world order.

“I’m getting towards the get-off-my-lawn dad,” Glover added.

“I just don’t see what was so bad out here that we had to do all this. Let’s raise some purses to make sure we keep some guys around, but now we’ve eliminated a lot of playing opportunities for some really good players.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.