How James Piot Ruined His Career Before It Started
Budding star chooses LIV over PGA after turning pro.
It’s a rare thing to get paid handsomely for substandard work. Making a living as a professional golfer requires top-level play. Playing four rounds and surviving cuts becomes the mantra right from the jump. James Piot has never made a cut in a pro event yet he’s managed to win $163,000.
Piot rose through the amateur ranks as a junior player from Michigan. He decided to stay at home and attend Michigan State University where he became the most dominant player in school history. He was a medalist in four tournaments during his collegiate career and set a school record in scoring average as a senior.
After a close call the year before, Piot won the 2021 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont Country Club. Winning the second oldest tournament in golf is a tremendous achievement that also comes with a lot of perks. Invitations are given to the following year’s Masters, U.S. Open, and British Open.
If that wasn’t enough, there are also a plethora of sponsor’s exemptions to PGA Tour events. Many aspiring PGA Tour pros have started careers by utilizing sponsor’s exemptions to become full-time players.
This year, Piot utilized a total of four sponsor exemptions on the PGA Tour. These were in addition to the invites to the Masters and the U.S. Open. He missed the cut in all six events. The last three events gave him eligibility to earn money since he had decided to turn pro back in May. So how did he end up making $163,000?
Bring on the LIV Golf tour.
Saudi-backed LIV Golf promises small fields, no cuts, and instant riches. It has so far been the stomping ground of older washed-up pros trying to hang on for the last remnants of their careers. Younger up-and-coming golfers have mostly eschewed this tour since the PGA Tour and DP World Tour (former European Tour) have stated that anyone joining the LIV tour would lose their status. I wrote more about this last week. You can find that piece below.
Piot has officially signed on to the LIV Tour and will play in all eight events in the first season. In his first event, he finished in 25th place. The field was enormously weak in talent. His performance would have surely resulted in a $0 payday on the PGA. It’s clear Piot made a short-term financial decision and didn’t weigh out the adverse effect it would have on his golfing career.
He won’t procure any more sponsor exemptions into PGA Tour events since he’s signed to LIV. Since LIV isn’t allowed to award OWGR points, he will have no way of automatically qualifying for majors. He’s now ineligible to compete in this year’s British Open since he turned professional. There is a distinct chance that we won’t see Piot compete on a large stage for a very long time.
The only way to get better is by competing against the best players in the world on a daily basis. Watching great champions like Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth is priceless. Invaluable insights into their practice routine, work ethic, and mental fortitude are the bonuses to being on tour. Piot will not get to experience these and in turn, make himself a better golfer.
This past weekend, Matt Fitzpatrick finally broke through and won his first major. The years of hard work finally paid off. It was a joy to witness his journey to becoming a major winner. This is a grind that Piot isn’t going to go through. Trying to survive and get better is the hallmark of touring professionals. Many achieved their success because of the journey. He has taken the easy way out with the guaranteed money on the upstart tour.
What happens if the LIV Golf tour folds in the next two years?
What if an injury forces him out of competition and he has no status anywhere to fall back on after recovery?
These are major questions that a 23-year-old has to answer.
As the defending U.S. Amateur champion, Piot’s career should be on a skyward trajectory. He should be competing for PGA Tour wins. Battling on the biggest stages against the best players in the world. He should be reaching for the stars. All I see is someone reaching for dollars.
