The PGA Tour started its season as it normally does with its annual Hawaii swing. But as the season progressed, nothing was normal as the emergence of LIV Golf became the center of the professional golf world.
LIV Golf dominated the headlines through the PGA Tour season as top names like Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith, Dustin Johnson, and Phil Mickelson led the charge, citing that an alternative tour was good for the growth of the game.
Amid the feud between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, future stars of the game emerged.
Leading the way was DFW’s Scottie Scheffler, who dominated the spring capturing the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Dell Match Play, and The Masters in a span of six weeks.
As the year progressed and the rumors of more LIV Golf defectors became apparent, the 2022 Majors season took off.
As Scheffler started to cool off after his impressive win at Augusta, the last three majors were wide open as many young guns and veterans took aim for a major title.
The PGA Championship, US Open, and the Open Championship were captured by Justin Thomas, Mathew Fitzpatrick, and Cam Smith respectively, marking all 4 majors being won by players under 30.
With the Fed Ex Cup and The Presidents Cup highlighting the fall schedule, the PGA Tour was in good hands as Rory McIlroy proved he is still a major force in the game by capturing the Fed Ex Cup and leading the charge against LIV Golf headlines.
As the Presidents Cup International Team Captain Trevor Immelman dealt with several LIV Golf defections, the raising of a fresh-faced 20-year-old Tom Kim helped the International Team make the competition more interesting and became a potentially solid core for the future.
As the 2023 season approaches, many of the same names are expected to be forces to watch along with some new names joining the Tour from the Korn Ferry Tour, Canada, and Europe.
The upcoming season should be a time to focus on growing the game and featuring the stars rather than dividing a sport that has given so much joy to so many people.
