Tiger Woods' old Masters rival urges LIV Golf to takeover PGA's Champions Tour

Three-time PGA Tour winner Chris DiMarco has bemoaned the size of the purses on the PGA Tour Champions, urging LIV Golf to buy out the senior league.

The competition was formerly known as the PGA Seniors Tour, with golf legends and PGA Tour veterans given a platform to extend their competitive careers.

The tour has been dominated by Bernard Langer in recent years, leading the money list a record 11 times. Steve Stricker is the reigning money list champion, earning £3.2million in the 2023 season.

But 55-year-old DiMarco – best known for three brutal near misses in the majors, including losing out to Tiger Woods in a playoff in the 2005 Masters – is unhappy about the money on offer in PGA Tour Champions events, describing the purses as a “joke” and calling on the breakaway Saudi Arabia-funded LIV Golf to snap up the competition.

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“We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” DiMarco told the Subpar podcast. “Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean, this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC [Sawgrass] that made more money than our purses.”

Padraig Harrington was the winner of the PGA Tour Champions event last week, with the Irishman banking £238,000 for his efforts. DiMarco’s best result is a T33 in four starts this season, earning £29,000 in prize money.

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DiMarco has struggled for form on the Champions Tour and is fed up with the money on offer

By comparison, purses on the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are enormous, with Scottie Scheffler winning £3.6m for his triumph at The Players earlier this month. The top prize at LIV events is £3.2m. Both tours generate significantly more interest and TV viewership than the senior tour.

DiMarco, who also finished in second place in The Open Championship and the PGA Championship at the height of his career, says he has respect for the players who turned their back on the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf, with the money on offer too good to turn down.

“They wanted to play for a lot of money, and they deserve it. They have had some great careers. Why not go and get some money?” DiMarco added.

“I saw Graeme McDowell at the Old Memorial Pro Member, and he goes, ‘Listen, I went up to [PGA Tour Commissioner] Jay Monahan and said I love the tour, but I am struggling to keep my card, and these guys are offering me all this money and less golf. I’m sorry, I’m going.’ And I do not blame him one bit, and I said I would have, too.”