
There one thought that comes to Hollis Cavner when he talks about the new Saudi Arabia-funded LIV golf tour.
"It comes back to one thing, it's greed," said Cavner, who's executive director of the PGA's 3-M Open, now in its fourth year playing on the TPC Course in Blaine.
"I don't blame some of the guys who can't win anymore (for making the switch), if it's past their prime, I can see where they can do it," he said.
Among those on the LIV are Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Chase Koepka, and Louis Oosthuizen.
Greg Norman is the LIV's chief executive officer.
"I think you'll see some more people doing it," said Cavner. "But, for every one of those people going, we've got five new guys coming up that are better than them, and younger, and more star power."
But what Cavner believes is the most important difference is charitable giving.
PGA Tour event raise money for local charities every week.
The LIV Tour, which had its first-ever event this past weekend, so far does not.
"The PGA Tour and everything we do is built around charity dollars in the local community and economic impact," Cavner said. "We give millions here in Minnesota. We give a ton of money to the downtown projects. That doesn't happen without the 3M Open."
Among the local charities benefitting from the 3M Open are The United Way, University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, and the YMCA of both Minneapolis and St. Paul.
"We can play for an extra two or three million dollars every single week on tour," said Cavner. "If we did that, though, the charities wouldn't get money."
Cavner is also not happy with the Saudi government is behind the LIV tour.
"I'm not a fan of that regime, and how it treats people," he said.
The first round of the 2022 3M Open is July 21 at the TPC in Blaine.
Past winners are Matthew Wolff, Michael Thompson, and Cameron Champ.
None are part of the LIV Tour.