On the eve of the 152nd Open Championship, R&A Chief Martin Slumbers addressed the media for the final time from the world's oldest major. Slumbers previously announced he will be stepping down from his post in the near future.

Before taking questions, Slumbers took a couple minutes to discuss the status of men's professional golf.

“As you know, I've expressed concern in recent years about financial sustainability in the men's professional game. If we take a wider perspective on the game for a second, golf is in many ways riding on the crest of a wave,” Slumbers said. “The golf industry is benefitting from a surge in participation, and more and more people are experiencing golf in all its forms. More than 100 million people experience the game in one form or another around the world.”

“The latest participation figures for 2023 showed that in the countries we're responsible for, there were 62.3 million people playing golf, which is a rise of 1.1 million on the previous year.”

Of course, while many sports saw a decline in participation coming out of the COVID pandemic, golf exploded in popularity. It makes sense. What sport was better for social distancing and still allowed people to get outdoors?

The sport and the people playing it have got much younger. YouTube Golf has taken on a life of its own, spearheaded by Bryson DeChambeau.

But with LIV Golf disrupting the status quo in professional golf, the future remains cloudy.

Golf's Secret Weapon revealed at the Open Championship

Despite the growing popularity within the sport, there is still uncertainty about the future. That is primarily related to the financial viability.

LIV Golf's inception and its ability to throw money around like water, it put the PGA Tour, and therefore DP World Tour, into a difficult spot. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan then created numerous ways to incentivize players for remaining loyal to the Tour, including increased purse sizes.

That, however, did not turn about to be a sustainable model. Therefore, the PGA Tour brokered a deal with SSG worth up to $4 billion, infusing the sport with cash.

But as the schism within golf continues, there is one constant: golf's prestige among sponsors.

“The most important component of all to golf's future success is staying true to its values. What sets golf apart from other sports is its ability to maintain a unique value set. It's a value set defined by integrity, personal accountability, and respect. These are precisely the values that sponsors want their products or services to be associated with and that are fundamental to golf's appeal,” said Slumbers.

“These values are golf's secret weapon, and we cannot afford to let them be diminished.”

Indeed, golf has long since been known for the integrity and personal accountability. That is why you see players call themselves out if they accidentally address the ball and assess a penalty.

Imagine if LeBron James dribbled the basketball out of bounds by an inch and stopped play to let the referee know.

It is that value within the sport of golf that attracts prestigious sponsors. That, in turn, infuses more money into the sport at a time where it is needed most.