(Dublin) The most tumultuous season in modern golf history came to a close on Tuesday when the PGA Tour and its European branch reached a merger deal with the Saudi-funded LIV Tour to to create a new entity intended to unify men’s professional golf on the planet.
Under this agreement, the parties drop all legal actions between them immediately.
It remains unclear how marquee golfers such as Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, who chose to join the LIV Tour in exchange for nine-figure bonuses, will be able to return to the PGA Tour beginning in 2024.
It is also unknown what will happen to the LIV circuit starting next year. Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a memo to golfers that further analysis will determine how team competitions can be incorporated into the PGA.
This announcement comes a year after the launch of the LIV circuit. Monahan was at the RBC Canadian Open at the time and said in the event that a player joins the LIV Tour or is considering joining, “Have you ever had to apologize for being a PGA Tour member? »
Well, they are now partners, which means Saudi Arabia will now have a say in the future at the biggest professional golf organization in the world.
“They were charting their course, and we were charting our course, and after much consideration we realized that all of these tensions are not beneficial to the development of our sport,” Monahan said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.
“We have responsibilities to our tour and our sport, and we felt like it was about time we had this discussion,” he continued.
Monahan was heading to Toronto to meet the players. And while this decision will obviously enrich the players, he will nevertheless have to explain to them the motives behind the merger with a Tour which has deprived the PGA Tour of some of its best players and which is considered by many to be the finest example “of attempt to restore its image in the eyes of the international community by investing in sport”.
“I understand the criticism,” Monahan said. Personally, I know that you have to deal with the information that was available at the time and make decisions that are for the common good. It was a good time to start discussions. »
Monahan said the decision was made over the past seven weeks.
“No one knew about (the negotiations), Monahan said. Our players expect us to act in the best interest of the circuit. »
Instead, he cited recommendations from business partners on the PGA Board. Monahan is still aware that the most difficult is yet to come.
Monahan should expect to receive calls from some of his tour’s major sponsors who won’t be too keen on the idea of being associated with a country that is notorious for violating human rights, as was the case with the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
“In the short term, I expect to get a lot of questions answered and a lot of criticism,” Monahan admitted. In the long term, players who choose to remain on the PGA TOUR will be rewarded in many ways. »
A media outlet ignored the embargo surrounding the announcement and published the information about 30 minutes before the scheduled time – even before some golfers had received the famous note from Monahan.
Golfers were therefore furious to learn of the merger on social media. Wesley Bryan tweeted: “I feel betrayed, and I won’t be able to trust anyone within the administrative structure of the PGA TOUR for quite a while.”
“I love getting my morning news on Twitter,” added two-time Grand Slam title holder Collin Morikawa.
This pact combines the rights and commercial agreements emanating from the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) — which supports the LIV Tour — with those of the PGA and its European branches. The new entity does not have a name at this time.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the director of the PIF, will join the PGA Tour’s board of directors, which will continue to operate its tournaments. Al-Rumayyan will be the chairman of the new business group, while Monahan will be the chairman and chief operating officer. The PGA Tour, meanwhile, will be the largest shareholder in the new business entity.
And the PIF will invest in it.
“From the outset, the initiative aimed to develop golf on the planet,” Al-Rumayyan said. And I believe we achieved our goal today. »
Al-Rumayyan has previously been observed wearing the red ‘MAGA’ cap during LIV Tour tournaments featured on courses owned by former US President Donald Trump.
Trump predicted the merger last July and added that anyone refusing to join the Saudi-funded circuit would regret it. He responded Tuesday by calling the merger “a fabulous deal for the wonderful world of golf.”
Augusta National and the Royal
As for Greg Norman’s new role, Al-Rumayyan said he is currently the commissioner of the LIV circuit and details regarding his next role will be announced in the coming weeks.
The note that Monahan sent to the players specifies that there will be a significant Saudi presence. He said the PIF will invest heavily to become “a title sponsor” of the PGA Tour, its European branches and other international tours.
