Major champ reckons he's cracked PGA Tour/LIV Golf problem

Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington reckons he's got a solution fixing the world of men's professional golf. 

Harrington, 52, has always maintained there is room in the sport for the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. 

And speaking to Golf Channel after the PGA Championship, the former European Ryder Cup captain believes the two tours should remain competitive rivals. 

But there should be: "Some crossover, like we did back in the day."

Harrington told the channel he has lived through the 'golden era' of golf when the European Tour was considered a strong rival to the North American circuit.  

He said: "We didn’t realise at the time that the two tours being strong was. I felt, in hindsight, looks like it was a great thing. There’s not enough.

"If everybody plays the PGA Tour, there are not enough tournaments for everybody to win. You can’t build stars. It’s just so hard. 

"Like, if Scottie wins eight tournaments this year and Rory wins five, and Xander wins four, what is everybody else going to win? So you need other big tours, whether it’s Europe or wherever else."

He added: "I didn’t realise when it came to LIV, you know, some of the guys left, and he said, you know, didn’t bother me. 

"A lot of my friends went to LIV as well, but some of the guys left. But I realised last week, God, we missed Bryson.

"Bryson was box office last week, and really, really helped that tournament, helped push Xander’s win on. It was fantastic. Interesting, exciting watching. 

"So, yeah, we do miss. We miss those guys, I think, you know, as I said before, it’s hard to believe we miss Patrick Reed."

Harrington added: "Ultimately if you were looking for the perfect solution I would have at least the two tours and have some crossover like we did back in the day, everybody’s got a bit of a chip on their shoulder. 

"A certain amount of players can come and go back and forth, a few invites, something like that.

"Rivalries are a good thing in sport, it’s always been helpful, but we do need a solution – I will say that. 

"We want to have weeks like last week at the PGA where we have the drama and have both sides, we need more of that for sure. 

"But we don’t necessarily have to have everyone to be playing the same tournament at the same time.

"I know other people think that’s right. 

"For me, if you get all the best players playing all the tournaments at the same time there’s just so few opportunities to win, it’s hard to create stars. 

"I’m not averse to two strong tours and whatever goes with that."

Before the second men's major of the year it was feared the PGA Tour's deal with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund was dead in the water after Rory McIlroy's ally Jimmy Dunne quit the board. 

Dunne said his position had become 'utterly superfluous' and he was leaving effective immediately owing to a lack of progress in negotiations. 

Another high-profile PGA Tour exec followed Dunne out the door earlier in the week. 

But reporting from the New York Times suggests terms have been exchanged between the parties.

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