LIV star Phil Mickelson delights in ‘awesome day’ after rebel circuit announces merger with PGA Tour

After news spread that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf were merging, social media reaction was swift from golfers on both sides of the fight.

Twitter blew up once the merger between the two warring sides was announced, with golfers from LIV reveling in their triumph as PGA players seemed blindsided by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

Phil Mickelson simply tweeted out, ‘Awesome day today’ as the news began to trickle in. Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka decided to stick it to one of his biggest critics, Brandel Chamblee, asking for a ‘welfare check’ on the Golf Channel analyst.

On the other side of things, PGA player Collin Morikawa tweeted out, ‘I love finding out morning news on Twitter’ before adding, ‘And everyone thought yesterday was the longest day in golf.’

The news also attracted comment from a sitting United States senator. ‘So weird,’ said Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT). ‘PGA officials were in my office just months ago talking about how the Saudis’ human rights record should disqualify them from having a stake in a major American sport. I guess maybe their concerns weren’t really about human rights?’

Phil Mickelson relished a victory after LIV Golf and the PGA Tour announced their merger

Mickelson and fellow LIV rebel Brooks Koepka both paraded their win on social media

Meanwhile, PGA Tour pros like Collin Morikawa were shocked by the sudden announcement

Even congressmen – like Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy – criticized this announcement

Poll

Is the PGA and LIV Golf merger good or bad for the sport?

• Good for golf 330 votes
• Bad for golf 362 votes

According to reports, no one on the PGA Tour was notified about the potential merger prior to the announcement.

The tour eventually sent players a letter explaining what was happening once the news had already broken.

Players were left stunned as they reacted on social media.

Canadian and 67th ranked golfer Mackenzie Hughes tweeted, ‘Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.’

South Korean Byeong-Hun An hypothesized, saying, ‘I’m guessing the LIV teams were struggling to get sponsors and PGA Tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for [those] who defended the tour for last two years.’

Korean-American tour winner Michael Kim said, ‘Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right?

Sahith Theegala texted SI Golf’s breaking news reporter Gabby Herzig, saying, ‘Just craziness, I mean I’m sure there’s a reason for it but it’s not going to be a good enough reason for the utter lack of communication.

‘I mean how are top 10 players in the world finding out on Twitter. But I’m biting my tongue til there’s more stuff we hear. No way players are gonna be okay with this.’

Dylan Wu left a scathing remark about Monahan, saying, ‘Tell me why Jay Monahan basically got a promotion to CEO of all golf in the world by going back on everything he said the past 2 years. The hypocrisy. Wish golf worked like that. I guess money always wins @PGA Tour.’

Wu went on to say, ‘Can I also say that I love @PhilMickelson and everything he’s said the past two years has been spot on. He went up in flames in the media cuz of his brutal honesty and now everyone’s finally realizing he was right and the PGA Tour does whatever they feel like.’

PGA Tour athletes were left stunned and angry as the news of the merger trickled through

There was some humor injected into the situation by those who are on the tour. 

Justin Thomas posted a video of a phone receiving a bunch of notifications with the caption, ‘Was having quite the nice practice session this morning too.’ 

Joel Dahmen tweeted, ‘I’ve grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour!’

‘Can’t wait for the next players meeting,’ wrote Jhonattan Vegas. 

‘Now that we’re all friends, is it too late for us to workshop some of these team names?,’ Max Homa wondered with an image of a Google Search with the question ‘wtf is a Cleek’.

Jessica Hadwin, the wife of Adam Hadwin, appeared happy that she could connect with some of her ‘favorite LIV wives’.

Some on the PGA Tour were left to laugh and make jokes about this debacle 

Ex-golfers and sports personalities were all left to react to the news and most were left outraged by how PGA commissioner Jay Monahan back tracked from his statements last year.

‘I’m old enough to remember when the PGA Tour tried to claim the moral high road on LIV and the Saudis,’ said Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel.

‘What the f**k? The PGA caved fast,’ said Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy. ‘Imagine being a PGA member who turned down LIV for basically no reason now? 

‘I guess the commish of PGA Jay Monahan is no longer morally opposed to LIV because of 9/11 since they are merging now. Funny how that works.’

Media personalities within the sport were irate that this merger has occurred

‘I don’t know how any player who turned down LIV money and stayed with the PGA could believe anything Jay Monahan says ever again,’ said NoLayingUp’s Kevin Van Valkenburg. 

‘He made them take every arrow, hid in an office for a year, then double crossed them on CNBC. Better get them paid, I guess.’

ESPN Golf and Sportscenter host Scott van Pelt wrote, ‘So, you preach loyalty to a tour and convince guys not to take 8 and 9 figure deals based, in part, on that loyalty and, in part, on the source of the money. 

‘Then those guys find out on Twitter YOU took the very same money? Nino Brown, “Always business, never personal”‘.

His ESPN colleague, Matt Barrie, wrote, ‘I don’t know how Jay Monahan looks his players in the eye now. We can discuss how this makes golf a massive draw. Because it does. But for him to do this after everything he’s said is one of the more stunning about faces in pro sports history. If I’m a player, I’m PISSED.’ 

Other writers were wondering how the players on the tour were taking this news

Many debated what was going through the minds of the players who rejected LIV deals.

Golf Digest’s Stephen Hennessey said, ‘I genuinely feel sorry for someone like Hideki Matsuyama. He reportedly turned down about $300million… and now his loyalty to the tour doesn’t mean much.’ 

SI golf writer Alan Shipnuck said, ‘How do you think Rickie Fowler feels right now? He turned down a $75million LIV offer. Top players on LIV are ecstatic: they got huge upfront $ and their franchise values just skyrocketed. Tour players can still cash in as LIV will be recruiting again but the gold rush is over.’

ESPN’s Marty Smith wrote, ‘Imagine how Rory McIlroy feels right now. He put Monahan and the Tour on his back and carried them through the s— storm while some of his best buddies scored $150M deals and prepared for Majors. All to land right back here. Almost impossible to fathom.’