Lucas Glover Goes Scorched Earth on LIV Golfers Joining PGA Tour

The PGA Tour’s new CEO, Brian Rolapp, was appointed during the U.S. Open with one of the sport’s most delicate tasks on his plate—resolving the long-stalled merger talks between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

The proposed unification, first announced in June 2023, was meant to end the civil war that began when LIV launched in 2022. But two years later, the deal remains in the dark.

While some players and executives see reunification as inevitable, others remain staunchly opposed. And this week, Lucas Glover made it crystal clear which side he’s on.

Speaking on his SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio show on Tuesday, Glover didn’t mince words.

“I don’t want to play with them, me personally,” he said.

“I don’t think they should be back here. I don’t want them here. They made their decision. I don’t blame any of them. They made a decision, I don’t care, but they also went away from this tour and chose to.”

Glover, a 6-time PGA Tour winner and 2009 U.S. Open champion, has been one of the Tour’s most vocal traditionalists. His frustration stems from what he sees as a betrayal of the Tour’s values.

“As a PGA Tour player and somebody that dreamed of playing on the PGA Tour, and have poured my heart and soul into this Tour and game for 21 seasons now,” he continued:

“I don’t want somebody that chose another path and a path of least, or, less resistance. I don’t want them back here competing and taking part of my pie and these kids’ pie that are trying to make it now.”

His comments come at a time when merger negotiations have reportedly hit another stalemate. LIV Golf’s $1.5 billion reunification offer was reportedly rejected earlier this year, despite high-level meetings, including one with President Donald Trump in February.

Trump, who has hosted LIV events at his courses and maintains ties with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, was brought in to help broker a deal. But even his involvement hasn’t broken the deadlock.

Glover is not that silly. He knows what players like Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka can bring to the table. “It would benefit all of us because our TV deal in 2030 would be great,” he admitted.

But he quickly pivoted to the emotional and ethical dilemma:

“Does it behoove us as tour members, who have equity now, to grow our sport by bringing some of those guys back? I’m having a hard time with it.”

Interestingly, while Glover draws a hard line, others are signaling a thaw. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil recently appeared on The Rick Shiels Golf Show, where he revealed that he and PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp are longtime friends and former business school classmates.

“We go to the same church. We’re friends,” O’Neil said, adding that he expects to spend time with Rolapp at The Open Championship later this month.

Whether that friendship leads to a breakthrough remains to be seen. But if the tours do reunify, Lucas Glover won’t be softening his stance anytime soon.

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