LIV Golf’s Phil Mickelsontook a shot at the PGA in an angry tweet, challenging them to do something bold before quickly taking it down. Was it remorse after acting in haste? Or maybe the newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer for LIV Golf advised Phil to delete the tweet? Either way, the retraction could indicate LIV Golf adopting a more conciliatory approach with the PGA? Or more interestingly, that LIV Golf is now prepared to develop its global brand and audience independently, without reference to the PGA.FAAFOPhil Mickelson Concentrating on his Legacy
As we mentioned earlier this month,
Phil Mickelson is concentrating on his legacy and thinking about retiring. “Mickelson sounds quite nostalgic,” we observed. And after acknowledging that his career was “coming to an end,” Phil told Bloomberg, “there are moments when you’re on a golf course alone, and you have this solace and you’re at peace.” Nostalgic or not, Phil is definitely not pleased with how PGA is treating LIV golfers, as LIV tournaments are not part of the qualifying for the upcoming PGA Championship (and other majors). On Sunday, May 5, 2024,
Mickelson tweeted “maybe some LIV players won’t be missed but what if NONE of the LIV players played (in the PGA Championship)? Would they be missed? What about next year when more great players join? Or the following year? At some point they will care and will have to answer to sponsors and television. FAAFO.” It wasn’t his anger at LIV tournaments not being recognized by the PGA or Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). It was Mickelson’s not-so-veiled threat that LIV was going to poach more top golfers from the PGA that caught everyone’s attention. “What about next year when more great players join? Or the following year?” True, Mickelson deleted the tweet shortly after posting it. Deleting angry or stupid tweets, something callous or foolish stated in the heat of the moment, that’s not a surprise. What is a surprise is that nothing Mickelson tweeted appeared to be untrue. It’s widely expected that LIV Golf will go after more top PGA players. There is still no sanctified pathway for LIV golfers to qualify for majors by playing in LIV tournaments. Without top LIV golfers, many of whom are among the best golfers in the world, almost certainly viewership and sponsorship of PGA events will be diminished. Everything Mickelson tweeted passes muster.
New LIV Golf Marketing Head
Perhaps neither Phil Mickelson nor LIV Golf are ready to declare a truce with the PGA. Maybe they simply no longer care. And are going after bigger prizes. This becomes more obvious when tracing recent statements made by LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman–and in LIV’s recent hiring of Pepsico executive, Adam Harter, as LIV’s
Soon after Norman’s business plan admissions,
LIV announced the hiring of Harter . It was a day after Mickelson deleted his tweet, in fact. Coincidence? According to LIV, Adam Harter will lead all marketing activities, such as developing the league and team brands, growing the size and engagement of the global fan base, delivering unique and dynamic marketing initiatives for LIV Golf and The International Series, and championing partnerships to continue advancing the sport of golf around the world.What’s especially intriguing about Harter is that part of his Pepsico branding work involved “transformative deals” with the NBA, NFL, and NASCAR stars, and overseeing the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime show. Actively pursuing a younger, more global audience. Greg Norman has expressed that LIV Golf is pursuing a younger audience, an audience that may
watch a few minutes of a tournament on their phone . Harter seems ready to develop this idea. Naturally, Pepsi still lags behind Coke. Is LIV Golf positioned to be the new Pepsi to PGA’s traditional Coca-Cola?LIV Golf’s Phil Mickelson shared a confrontational tweet aimed directly at the PGA and Official Golf World Ranking (OGRW), challenging them to “FAAFO” before quickly deleting it.
