A breakthrough in world golf! The PGA and the LIV have found common ground! Lawsuits end

No, this isn’t April. Although it seemed utterly impossible not long ago, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf have found common ground. The PGA Tour’s official website informed the public of the agreement. It means the lawsuits will be put to rest and fans will see the world’s best players together again at tournaments.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023 is a big turning point for top professional golf. The PGA TOUR, DP World Tour and Public Investment Fund (PIF) have announced a groundbreaking agreement to unify the game of golf worldwide. All parties have signed an agreement to bring competition back to the world of golf among the best players.

“This announcement will be followed by a mutual agreement to end all pending litigation between the parties,” the PGA Tour wrote in an official release.

It was further announced that all three organizations (PGA TOUR, DP World Tour and PIF) will work together to create a fair and objective process for all players who wish to reapply for membership on the PGA TOUR or DP World Tour after the 2023 season.

An unexpected turn of events

It should be noted that few people really expected this turn of events. Both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour have long been exempt from the recently formed LIV Golf organization. The main problem was that LIV Golf is funded by a Saudi Arabian public investment source and this money was taken as dirty by the traditional golf organisations.

“After two years of interruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan in an official press release, which was immediately sent out to PGA Tour players as well.

This partnership should create an organization that will benefit players, partners and golf fans alike.

“Going forward, fans can be assured that together we will deliver on the promise we have always made – to support the competition of the best in professional golf and that we are committed to securing and driving the future of the game,” Monahan added. However, the PGA boss has repeatedly rejected any dialogue about working together with the LIV in the past.

Source of funding from Saudi Arabia

To better understand the emergence of LIV Golf, we recommend reading the article Clouds of money, Formula 1-like stables or the equivalent of a fantasy league. The origins and future of the spectacular Saudi LIV Golf project, although this is an older post. In the whole story, one of the main roles is played by Yasir bin Al-Rumayyan, who is the governor of the aforementioned investment PIF.

Saudi Arabia has wanted to link into the global golf ecosystem before, but faced resistance from both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. This is why LIV Golf was eventually formed.

“There is no doubt that the LIV model has positively changed golf. We believe there are opportunities to grow the game while preserving its rich history and tradition. This partnership represents the best opportunity to expand and increase the impact of golf for all,” Al-Rumayyan said in the aforementioned report.

LIV Golf also includes team play, which should speak much more to world golf. Until the inception of LIV Golf, the most prestigious affair in the field was an event called the Ryder Cup, where teams from the US and Europe competed against each other. Players who switched to the LIV were also excluded from the Ryder Cup.

Now Jay Monahan is also welcoming the new arrangement. “We are delighted to move forward in line with the LIV and PIF’s experience of investing at a world-class level, and I applaud PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan for his vision and collaborative and forward-thinking approach, which is not only a solution to the schism in our game, but also a commitment to take it to new heights,” he said, adding that he believes in ushering in a new era of world golf for the better.

PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan will join the PGA TOUR’s Policy Board. The DP World Tour and LIV Golf will in turn retain oversight of events at their respective tournaments.

Many details shrouded in fog

It is currently clear that the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf will complete the current format for the 2023 season. What golf will look like on the world stage going forward is not yet clear.

Nor is it clear if LIV boss Greg Norman will appear in any capacity. He has until now been a constitutional figure in the Saudi Arabian golf business. Indeed, the PGA Tour has said several times in the past that Norman must step down if it is to be willing to negotiate in the future. At no stage in this deal is his name mentioned anywhere.

The board of the new commercial entity will include Al-Rumayyan as chairman and Monahan as executive director. All parties will be working to finalise the terms of the agreement in the coming months, the details of which will be announced in due course.

Source: PGA Tour