Loyalty and the like are fine...but when the best of the best start seeing Hudson Swafford and Kevin Na walk away with multi-million paychecks, they are going to take a hard look at what they are passing up, especially if they are in the prime of their careers. In the end, money talks and there is plenty of it to be had, evidently.....The Saudi-backed venture plans for eight events this year, and will scale upward in coming years through a $2 billion pledge from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
A good chunk of the top tier in the world right now are 30 and under....do you live comfortably in your current position, or do you jump for life long financial security for your family.
PGA Tour and R&A are in a precarious position right now, especially with what they end up deciding on potential penalties are handed down, if any. If you lose a good chunk of your top names, then you will lose fans, and then you will lose sponsors. There are many who feel that harsh penalties will essentially push players away, and this will get ugly in the courts, which it still may.
In the end, the green jacket, shaking hands w/ Jack, etc....all are priceless and the memories will last a lifetime, but we're in a different era now w/ players mindsets about historical achievements. Outside of a few, like JT, Rahm, Rory....the almighty dollar is going to be the ultimate carrot.
