Saudi-backed golf tour to merge with US and European rivals
June 7, 2023
The recently-launched LIV Golf, a Saudi-funded tour that has created controversy within the sport, will merge with the US PGA Tour and the European DP World Tour, ending a two-year rivalry that involved much acrimony and litigation.
The three tours announced the merger of their commercial operations on Tuesday, saying they would form "a new, collectively owned, for-profit entity."
Since its launch in October 2021, LIV Golf has shaken up the sport, drawing in top PGA tour talent with its attractive packages and money guarantees. The tour's circuit features 54-hole events with no cuts, instead of the traditional 72-hole, selective format.
The merger comes in the midst of the competition's second season.
Saudi Arabia has been using its oil money to sign major stars but critics say the kingdom, which is often criticized by the West for its human rights abuses, is using sports popularity in an attempt´to boost its global reputation.
What was the golf rift all about?
The rift ignited a series of lawsuits and created resentment between players who joined LIV Golf, and those who rejected it.
The US-based PGA (Professional Golfer's Association) exacerbated the acrimony by banning the Saudi-funded tour's players. Europe's DP World Tour also handed LIV players heavy fines.
However, the newly-announced merger seems an attempt to rectify that.
The PGA Tour has said the merging parties agreed to "establish a fair and objective process for any players who desire to re-apply for membership with the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour following the completion of the 2023 season."
All pending litigation against LIV Golf will also end, as per the agreement.
Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan will serve as chairman of the new commercial entity's board and PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan will take over as it's CEO.
What has the reaction been like?
PGA Tour's Monahan described the merger as a "historic day," following two years of "disruption and distraction."
"This transformational partnership recognizes 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 organization that will benefit golf's players, commercial and charitable partners and fans," he added.
Rumayyan also praised the "very exciting day," hailing what he described as the LIV model's "positively transformative" impact on the sport.
"We believe there are opportunities for the game to evolve while also maintaining its storied history and tradition. This partnership represents the best opportunity to extend and increase the impact of golf for all," he said.
Some players have also welcomed the merger.
Superstar golfer Phil Mickelson, who was among the players to controversially move to LIV Golf, tweeted: "Awesome day today."
Former US President Donald Trump, who had no qualms about Saudi Arabia's human rights record and hosted several LIV tournaments, suggested he was somehow involved in the deal, calling it "a great honor to help." Trump said the deal was "wonderful for the world of golf."
Was everyone pleased with the PGA-DP-LIV merger?
Some PGA Tour players, however, were less pleased to have not been informed of the merger beforehand.
"Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we're merging with a tour that we said we'd never do that with," said Canadian star Mackenzie Hughes.
Others blasted the move, calling it out as rank hypocrisy.
US player Dylan Wu, for instance, was scathing in his criticism of PGA Tour Commissioner Monahan: "Tell me why Jay Monahan basically got a promotion to CEO of all golf in the world by going back on everything he said the past 2 years …. I guess money always wins."
Members of the group 9/11 Families United, who frequently protested LIV events over suspected Saudi Arabian connections to the 2001 World Trade Center attack, slammed the PGA in a statement, too
"PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan co-opted the 9/11 community last year in the PGA's unequivocal agreement that the Saudi LIV project was nothing more than sportswashing of Saudi Arabia's reputation," said the group's chairwoman Terry Strada. "But now the PGA and Monahan appear to have become just more paid Saudi shills, taking billions of dollars to cleanse the Saudi reputation..."
Democratic US Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut tweeted: "So weird. PGA officials were in my office just months ago talking about how the Saudis' human rights crimes should disqualify them from having a stake in a major American sport. I guess maybe their concerns weren't really about human rights?"
Brandel Chamblee, a play-by-play analyst for the Golf Channel and an ardent critic of LIV Golf, said the PGA and DP Tours had "sacrificed their principles for profits," calling Tuesday, "one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf."
js, rmt/msh (AFP, Reuters)