LIV Golf’s Phil Mickelson took aim at the PGA in an angry tweet, daring them to “FAAFO” before quickly deleting it. Was it regret following a moment of anger? Or perhaps the incoming LIV Golf Chief Marketing Officer asked Phil to delete the tweet? Either way, the retraction may signal LIV Golf taking a more conciliatory approach with the PGA? Or more intriguing, that LIV Golf is now ready to build out its global brand and its audience all on its own, and not in relation to the PGA.Phil Mickelson Focusing on his LegacyAs we wrote earlier this month, Phil Mickelson is focusing on his legacy and contemplating retirement. “Mickelson sounds downright wistful,” we noted. And after admitting his career was “towards its 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.”Wistful or not, Phil is certainly not happy with how PGA is treating LIV golfers, where LIV tournaments aren’t 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.” LIV Golf star Phil Mickelson has sent a clear message to the powers that be, when it comes to LIV players and their access into majors: “F—k around and find out.”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 HonchoPerhaps 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 new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).Consider that Norman recently admitted that LIV wanted to buy up top golf courses, similar to how NASCAR owns many of the racetracks it runs on, and then transform these courses into economic centers in their own right. Golf course, residential properties along the course, restaurants and shop, merchandising, all one locus of golf-related activity. “Think about LIV owning all their own golf courses, each team having a home venue (which) they host. And now you can build out around that. It’s not just a golf course. You bring in education, you bring in hospitality, you bring in real estate, you bring in merchandise,” Norman said.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, including 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 included “transformative deals” with the NBA, NFL, and NASCAR superstars, and overseeing the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime show. Deliberately chasing a younger, more global audience. Greg Norman has stated that LIV Golf is going after a younger audience, an audience that may catch a few minutes of a tournament on their phone. Harter appears to be primed to flesh this out. Of course, Pepsi still lags behind Coke. Is LIV Golf destined to be the new Pepsi to PGA’s traditional Coca-Cola?
