The PGA Tour and LIV Golf are creating a new course together

The North American PGA Tour and the European DP World Tour have announced their merger with the dissident Saudi-sponsored LIV Golf Tour, ending all litigation between them. The PGA Tour indicated that it is signing “an agreement that combines the commercial activities and rights” of the Saudi sovereign wealth funds (PIFs) in golf, including LIV “with the commercial activities and rights of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour into a new collectively owned for-profit entity.”

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, CEO of PIF, will chair the board of the new business entity, whose CEO will be Jay Monahan, who runs the PGA Tour. “After two years of disruption and disruption, today is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” said Monahan, who has led the charge against LIV Golf since its official launch in June 2022.

The creation of this dissident circuit that has shaken up golf is part of a major global offensive led by Saudi Arabia in the sport, under the auspices of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. And this merger comes as a big surprise, since the PGA and LIV Golf have found themselves embroiled in a showdown both on the legal front and over the sums offered to attract the sport’s most prestigious stars.

“This new partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the history, heritage and pro-competitive model of the PGA Tour and combines it with the DP World Tour and LIV, including the concept of team golf, to create an organization that will benefit the players. clubs, charities and partners and fans,” said Monahan.

The growth of golf “We are happy to move forward, in line with the world-class investment experience of LIV and PIF, and I applaud PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan for his forward-looking vision of cooperation and approach that this is the only solution to the disharmony in our game, but also the commitment to raise it to new heights,” the American added.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, for his part, said in a statement that “today is a very exciting day for this special game and the people who make it around the world.” “We are committed to uniting, promoting and growing the game of golf around the world and providing the highest quality product to millions of lifelong viewers around the world, while nurturing new fans,” said the Saudi, also non-executive chairman of Newcastle United. , of the English Premier League.