Will money ruin the chase for greatness?

- Golf Digest

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Dear Golf Digest Reader,

What’s the latest in the PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf saga, you ask? The fabled “framework agreement” was announced so long ago it’s gone from historical moment to myth, and the dearth of any developments indicates the two sides are as far apart as ever. Either the principals are all on August vacation and/or there’s some truth to the idea both sides are awaiting the results of the November presidential election before making moves.

With all that in the balance, award-winning journalist Jaime Diaz turns his attention to a question of even longer range. As the landscape of professional golf gets remade, and the world’s best players become more preoccupied with decisions concerning investments, politics, media impressions and their mental health, how will they (and we) measure themselves against the legends of the past? Of the curious case of Jon Rahm, colored in part by his recent final nine collapse in the Olympics, Diaz writes, “The surety that an elite PGA Tour player in his prime will put the single-minded pursuit of greatness ahead of new money is over.”

Comforted by “irrational money,” can tomorrow’s golfers stoke the same inner-fire that burned inside golfers like Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, and captivated the world? Diaz’s answer is complex and considered. As always, only Golf Digest+ members can read journalism like this here first.

Enjoy,

Max Adler, Editorial Director