Golf has always sold itself as the “gentleman’s game,” right? You know the image – players shaking hands after rounds, calling penalties on themselves, respecting every tradition like it’s sacred. But here’s the brutal truth the LIV Golf revolution exposed: when real money and loyalty were on the line, that gentlemanly facade cracked wide open. Suddenly, friendships didn’t matter. Honor became negotiable. And too many relationships just… died.
Hudson Swafford discovered this harsh reality firsthand. The three-time PGA Tour winner joined LIV Golf’s inaugural event in June 2022. Almost immediately, everything changed. Former friends stopped calling. Practice partners disappeared. Fellow competitors grew cold.
During a candid interview on GOLF’s Subpar podcast, Swafford opened up about the personal cost of his decision. When asked about changes in his relationships with tour players, his response was revealing.
USA Today via Reuters
“Yeah, it was. Yes. Big time. That was the toughest part,” Swafford admitted. “Some good friends saw some true colors.” The 37-year-old American didn’t mince words about the aftermath. Friendships that had lasted years crumbled within weeks. Players he’d traveled with suddenly avoided him. The golf community that once embraced him turned its back.
“Definitely there were some friendships fractured,” Swafford continued during the podcast breakdown. “Definitely just changed. I don’t talk to, you know, there’s definitely a handful of guys that I don’t talk to like I used to. I’m not nearly as close.”
The most painful example involved Brian Harman. Both players attended the University of Georgia together. They became neighbors on St. Simons Island. They practiced together regularly on the PGA Tour. Then Swafford joined LIV Golf. Their partnership ended immediately. They won’t even compete together at the QBE Shootout anymore.
Meanwhile, Swafford faces the consequences of his decision. The PGA Tour suspended him until 2027. He believes officials penalized him with one year for each LIV event he played without releases. Officials have remained largely unresponsive to his attempts at communication about potential reinstatement.
Tragically, LIV Golf also showed him the door. Swafford finished 55th in the 2024 individual standings. The league relegated him after his disappointing season. Now he belongs to neither tour. His professional future remains uncertain.
LIV Golf created an unexpected loyalty test in golf’s close-knit community
Swafford’s podcast revelations reflect a broader phenomenon across professional golf. The sport’s civil war fractured relationships throughout the entire ecosystem. Martin Kaymer admitted he learned “who my friends really are.” Rory McIlroy confessed he doesn’t have much relationship with former Ryder Cup teammates who joined LIV.
The divide affected more than just players. Caddies lost jobs when their players switched tours. Coaches faced difficult choices about which clients to support. Families endured awkward social situations at golf events. Equipment sponsors dropped players who joined the Saudi-backed league.
Justin Thomas captured the emotional toll perfectly. “They’re suing me. They’re suing Rory. They’re suing Tiger,” he said about the LIV players’ lawsuit. “They’re suing every single one of us that they’ve looked in the face, looked in the eyes and played rounds of golf with.”
The timeline of destruction was remarkably swift. Within months of LIV’s launch, former teammates stopped texting each other. Practice groups dissolved. Locker room conversations became strained. The tight-knit community that defined professional golf simply vanished.
Furthermore, the impact extended beyond individual relationships. Tournament pro-ams became uncomfortable when LIV and PGA Tour players appeared together. Charity events struggled with mixed participation. Even golf media faced pressure to choose sides.
Interestingly, time has begun healing some wounds. Swafford acknowledges this reality during his podcast appearance. “Time heals everything, don’t get me wrong,” he reflected. “We’ll see kind of how things shake up there.”
Nevertheless, the damage runs deep. Professional golf’s gentleman image took a severe beating. The sport that once celebrated honor and friendship now struggles with division and mistrust. Some relationships may never recover completely. Others might slowly rebuild as the industry searches for reunification.
Golf’s greatest test wasn’t played on any course. Instead, it happened in locker rooms, phone calls, and quiet conversations. Unfortunately, many players failed that test miserably.
