LIV Golf has caused a major shakeup at the top level of the professional game.
While many were unsure what impact the Saudi-backed venture would have, it is becoming increasingly clear that many big names are willing to turn their back on the sport's biggest prizes in order to take advantage of the vast amount of money they can earn on the new tour.
Cameron Smith became the latest name to jump ship this week, with the 29-year old moving to LIV Golf a matter of weeks after winning his first ever major title. The Australian was open in his admission that financial reasons were the driving factor behind the move.
In a sense, the new tour is not competing on a level playing field. It is being used as a means for Saudi Arabia to soften their global image, with no concerns being given to turning a profit. As a result, they can offer players crazy amounts of money.
Crazy Hennie du Plessis earnings emphasises LIV Golf prize money
Take Hennie du Plessis as an example.
The South African has taken part in three LIV Golf events, although he has now been cut from the tour. With the field size capped at 48 players, he has been removed in order to make room for some of the new big names that are set to take part in this weekend's event in Boston.
While his time on the tour was short-lived, du Plessis was certainly well rewarded for it.
The 25-year old ranked sixth on the money list after three tournaments, raking in a massive $3.5million as a result. It likely would have taken him a number of years to earn that amount on the traditional tours.
That is an incredible amount of money for someone who was not even in the top five earners on the tour.
That is what the PGA Tour is going up against: massive purses with guaranteed earnings and no cut. It takes away much of the competitive element of the sport, but the players involved don't seem to care.
Unfortunately, we are only likely to see more top players join LIV Golf moving forward.
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