Eugenio Chacarra, another player who signs with LIV Golf
Oklahoma State star Eugenio Chacarra chose LIV Golf over the PGA Tour in favor of guaranteed money, but is that a golfer’s most guaranteed pathway?
As the controversial Saudi-bankrolled series takes off at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon, LIV Golf is starting to give a taste of competition to the PGA Tour.
Another player has just defected for the new league in addition to Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen, and Brooks Koepka.
According to the Spanish newspaper, Marca, Oklahoma State star and the No. 2 amateur in the world, Eugenio Chacarra, has turned to LIV Golf for financial security and experience as a golf professional.
“My position is that of a player who is not a member of the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour, and I have not earned money while I have been an amateur, so I can play in this league without problems,” Chacarra said. “This contract gives me peace of mind and ensures the future of my family. I have already achieved everything as an amateur, and now I will be able to gain experience as a professional.”
Chacarra, who is a two-time first-team All-American, will make his LIV debut next week in Oregon at the first LIV event in the United States.
Some choose security, others choose ethics
Since LIV came into existence, it seems to bring out players’ life choices and priorities. Chacarra’s choice to go with the LIV stands for what he values. The 22-year-old saw opportunity, and decided to go for it, regardless of whether “people think it’s good” or not, in addition to guaranteed money.
And just like with Chacarra, other players like Pierceson Coody and Rory Mcllroy have also made their priorities clear. The Texas superstar turned down the money when approached by LIV and decided to work his way through the Korn Ferry Tour as a pathway to the PGA Tour. He told the media on Thursday that it would have been devastating “to be sitting on my couch with millions in my bank account watching my friends play on the PGA Tour.
Mcrllroy is another example of a player who chose the PGA Tour because it stands for “something bigger than just golf”, regardless of his positive experiences and views on the Middle East.
What does winning LIV Golf events mean?
While signing Chacarra, among others, is clearly a sign of LIV attempting to collect as much talent as possible in its first year with all the money they have, they still have a major problem. They are not offering an elite route for these players to excel as stars. So while winning an LIV event in Portland sounds great, it might not mean much to these players without Official World Golf Rankings points. This automatically makes their qualification for major championships harder.