The golf world is still reeling from Tuesday’s surprise announcement of the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and LIV Golf agreeing to merge their business operations.
The deal was a shock to many, considering the controversy surrounding the Saudi-backed LIV Golf and the PGA Tour’s disapproval of it since the new league was formed. Not many of the key people involved in either league knew the deal was going to happen until it was announced.
Yet little is known about what the merger will mean for the future of golf, such as does this mean more lucrative purses for PGA Tour winners, will the PGA Tour shorten to 54-hole tournaments or if LIV players are all eligible for PGA Tour events.
Here’s what we know about the PGA Tour-LIV Golf deal:
What does the PGA Tour-LIV Golf deal mean?
There is still uncertainty on deal’s details, but there are off-the-course ramifications, including:
- The Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth investment fund of the Saudi government, “will make a capital investment into the new entity to facilitate its growth and success,” according to a news release. The fund will also be the exclusive investor of the “new entity.”
- Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund, will be part of a newly formed board of directors.
- All outstanding litigation, including a lawsuit filed by a number of golfers who joined the LIV tour filed against the PGA Tour, ends.
How did PGA Tour and LIV Golf reach a deal?
The two sides were in talks for the last seven weeks, the Associated Press reported, as PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan met with Al-Rumayyant. The meetings were arranged by PGA Tour board member Jimmy Dunne.
Monahan realized LIV Golf had a deep well of funds and wasn’t going anywhere. He says golf was too divided and had too much tension and it was best for everyone to come together.
“No one had word of this,” Monahan said Tuesday. “Our players expect us to operate in the best interests of the tour.”
Instead, he cited guidance from corporate members of the PGA Tour board.
Will LIV golfers be allowed back on the PGA Tour?
LIV Golf is currently in the middle of its season, which isn’t scheduled to end until November. Once its season ends, the three leagues “will work cooperatively and in good faith to establish a fair and objective process” to allow players who left the PGA Tour and DP tour to re-apply for membership.
Will the PGA Tour change?
One of the main differences between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is the latter plays 54-hole tournaments and has team play.
While the PGA Tour hasn’t confirmed if any changes will be made to tournaments, it’s unlikely; the Tour said it “retains administrative oversight of events for those assets contributed by the PGA Tour, including the sanctioning of events, the administration of the competition and rules.”
Why is LIV Golf so controversial?
The LIV tour drew criticism because it is funded entirely by the PIF, the sovereign wealth investment fund of the Saudi government.
Saudi Arabia has been accused of wide-ranging human rights abuses, including politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners. And members of the royal family and Saudi government were accused of involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist.
LIV Golf has been seen as the Saudi government taking part in “sportswashing” − or using sports to polish a country’s otherwise problematic reputation.
What have PGA Tour golfers said?
Some PGA Tour golfers have reacted negatively to the announced merger, ranging from them finding out about the news on Twitter, to others seeing it as the Tour going back on its word it wouldn’t work with LIV.
Monahan held a players-only meeting at the Canadian Open Tuesday afternoon following the surprise announcement merger of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf that blindsided many players. Many top players were not present at the meeting, which Monahan described as “intense, certainly heated,” according to the Associated Press.
Michael Kim attended the meeting and said he was “disappointed as all of you.” He tweeted, “Well… the meeting happened… Came in very excited… but not a whole lot happened, too many details still up in the air.”
Contributing: Lorenzo Reyes and Tom Schad, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
