LIV Golf and PGA Tour announce historic partnership
It’s the partnership no-one saw coming ... after two years of bitter fighting golf’s establishment has forged peace with the rebel tour but the move leaves Greg Norman in limbo.
We’ve woken to the biggest shock in golf since Greg Norman blew the 1996 US Masters. Two years of acrimony have ended with a partnership no-one saw coming between the American, European and rebel LIV Golf tours. One of the biggest winners? Australia’s Cam Smith. He’s laughing all the way to the bank. And to the majors. And back to the USPGA Tour.
The bitter war is over, and all litigation has ceased, and Jack Nicklaus is pleased, after the US-based PGA Tour signed an agreement that combines its programs with the Saudi financiers’ golf-related businesses, plus those of the Europe-based DP World Tour to form “a new collectively owned, for-profit entity”. Players who stayed loyal to the traditional tours are shocked. They’re back in bed with a mob they wanted nothing to do with a day ago.
LIV Golf was launched in October 2021 under the wildly unpopular stewardship of Norman. He enticed a smattering of elite PGA Tour talent, including British Open champion Smith, who earned $140 million to jump ship. Smith sacrificed the ability to play his regular American tournaments but all those are still on the table. And his money is still in the bank. He’s only 29 years of age, in the prime of his career, the disruption has been brief and his best years of are ahead of him. It’s ended up win, win.
The PGA Tour had banned all LIV players from its prestigious tournaments. Their name was mud among traditionalists, with all-time great Jack Nicklaus saying before his Memorial Tournament last week, “I don’t even consider those guys part of the game anymore. I don’t mean that in a nasty way. This is a PGA Tour event, and we have the best field we can possibly have for a PGA Tour event for those who are eligible to be here. The other guys made a choice of what they did and where they’ve gone and we don’t even talk about it.”
He said on Wednesday: “The last three years have been difficult for the game and the players. I spoke with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan this morning. He seemed pleased with the arrangement that will once again bring together the best players in the world. I agree that this is good for the game of golf. I also appreciate the commissioner’s comments about continuing the tradition of the Tour and the mission to support important charitable causes. I am certainly interested in seeing the details. Jay indicated that this all will happen in 2024, so very soon the proof will be in the pudding. Whatever is best for the game of golf enjoys my full support.”
Monahan said of the merger: “After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love. This transformational partnership recognises the immeasurable strength of the PGA Tour’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV — including the team golf concept — to create an organisation that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans.”
The LIV players are the big winners. Cashed-up, back on the established tours. “Awesome day today,” tweeted Phil Mickelson. PGA Tour players want golf to be united, the best versus the best, but they were taken aback. “Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with,” wrote Canadian Mackenzie Hughes.
Details are non-existent about the new golfing world. The name of the new merged entity and the structure of the tours is yet to be announced. Monahan said the parties had agreed to “establish a fair and objective process for any players who desire to reapply for membership with the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour following the completion of the 2023 season”.
The chairman of the new board will be the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan. Monahan will be Chief Executive Officer. No mention of Norman. His antagonistic and combative approach led to his snubs from the British Open and US Masters and he looks to be on the outer. PGA Tour loyalist Rory McIlroy once said, “I think Greg needs to go. I think he just needs to exit stage left. No one is going to talk unless there’s an adult in the room that can actually try
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