JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — After a year-long legal battle, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are merging.
What that means for many of the PGA’s biggest golfers who left for deals with the Saudi Arabian league is still to be determined.
Out on the driving range, golfers throughout Jacksonville Beach Golf Club could be heard sharing their two-cents all over the links.
All the talks of merging brought a sense of nostalgia to one golfer in particular.
“I spent a number of years with the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls," said Artis Gilmore before heading out to the golf course. "I ended up finishing up with the Boston Celtics, with Larry Bird.”
Gilmore made his mark on the basketball court.
But these days, he spends more time on the greens.
“You notice I’m here, I really love it, golf is great," said Gilmore.
Gilmore came up through the American Basketball Association, which eventually merged with the NBA in 1976.
The ABA has been gone for nearly 50 years, yet it’s impact is still felt every day in the NBA – the NBA adopted the three point line and slam dunk contest from the ABA.
“It really developed and moved forward to become a dynamic league," said Gilmore.
An assistant pro at the Jacksonville Beach Golf Club thinks it’ll be interesting to see if LIV style golf, like shorts, music and noisy crowds, will have a similar impact on the traditional game.
“People having a lot more fun, not the classical approach of quiet golf where everyone is being quiet and respectful sitting on the sidelines," said Assistant Pro Josh Petit. "It’s going to get people talking, and when they talk, they come out and play.”
Another golfer wonders what it means for the players who’d already made the jump, and those who didn't.
“I just think for someone like Rory [McIlroy] who stayed on tour, they did a lot of work to get people to stay on tour, so I just feel a little for guys like that who could’ve gone to make millions with LIV only to come back and get their tour card back sooner," said Golfer Jeff Sandels.
Gilmore will be at the next Players to see what the new tour looks like for himself.
“It’s going to be exciting," said Gilmore. "I really believe that, and I’m looking forward to it.”