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Gary Player’s 'Asterisk' on Non‑Major Wins

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports | By Ajayi Segun | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 5:17 PM ET

Golf legend Gary Player has sparked a new debate concerning the division in golf, with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf yet to reach an agreement to reunite. Player claims that non-major tournament wins in today’s game may no longer carry the same weight they once did due to the division. His comments come ahead of the 2025 U.S. Open and have opened up a fresh debate.

Non-Major Wins Should Be “Asterisked”

The split between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf means that players don’t compete against the full field of top talent in most tournaments. As a result, nine-time major winner Gary Player believes it means that when someone wins a non-major event, the victory doesn’t prove they were the best among all the best players in the world, as half of them weren’t even competing. And because of that, he says, those wins should come with what he calls an “asterisk.”

“Golf is very healthy at the moment, but if only LIV Golf and the normal tour could get together, because confrontation is not good,” the 1965 U.S. Open champion said. “Now here’s the thing. When you win a golf tournament today, you can’t say that you won a tournament with the world’s best players, because half are on the LIV Golf tour and half are on the regular tour. So there should be an asterisk when you win a tournament. If you win a major, that’s different. But it’s a pity it’s got to this.”

Major Championships Reflect The Highest Level of Competition

Player’s comments came in response to questions about the current state of the game and the performance of top-ranked players. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have both dominated the PGA Tour in recent years, and the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm are both in-form major champions on the LIV Tour.

The legendary golfer acknowledged that Scheffler is likely the best golfer in the world right now, but he said we can’t fairly measure who is truly number one until the world’s best players compete in the same tournaments—outside of the majors. For him, major championships are still the only events where victories reflect the highest level of competition because they still bring together players from both the PGA and LIV tours.

Gary Player is not the first person to call for placing asterisks on tournament victories. Last year, LIV star Talor Gooch questioned the validity of a Masters win without the participation of the best players in the world. While some may disagree with the idea of placing an asterisk on modern wins, Player’s view reflects a frustration many fans share. Until the divide is resolved, non-major wins may always come with questions.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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