The schism that has existed on the planet of males’s skilled golf during the last three years perhaps on the verge of coming to a decision following information that the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League is reported to have tabled a $1.3 billion deal to merge with the PGA Tour.
Though the exact particulars of the proposed settlement remains to be beneath wraps, in accordance with a report printed in The Solar newspaper on Saturday, it’s understood the deal will give Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund, which is financing LIV Golf, an 11% stake within the PGA Tour, together with two seats on the board, together with the place of chairman.
LIV Golf, which held its first occasion in Might 2022, has precipitated an enormous division in males’s skilled golf because it was first created in 2021, with greater than a dozen former main champions and world prime 50 gamers leaping ship to the league on the again of big signing-on charges and vastly inflated prize funds.
Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Tyrrell Hatton, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey and Phil Mickelson have been simply among the family names to hitch the start-up league, inflicting a fracture within the skilled sport that ended friendships, disrupted the Ryder Cup, and seen a major drop in TV viewing figures for PGA Tour occasions on the again of the expertise drain.
LIV Golf made Jon Rahm its greatest recruit final 12 months, with the Spaniard reportedly paid almost £500 million to cross over to the breakaway tour.
Now, nonetheless, an finish to the saga seems to be in sight, with The Solar reporting that Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have each performed ‘key roles within the peace talks’, regardless of each having beforehand publicly said their need to don’t have anything to do with LIV Golf.
PLAYER APPROVAL REQUIRED
Whereas the merger plans nonetheless must be accredited by PGA Tour gamers, they’re anticipated to agree the deal, which can see LIV Golf gamers ready to participate in PGA Tour occasions that don’t conflict with the LIV schedule, though it’s unlikely that the merger will see present PGA Tour gamers participate in LIV Golf occasions, whose three-round tournaments are presently restricted to only 54 gamers.
Those that stayed loyal to the PGA Tour are set to profit from the approaching collectively of the 2 rival excursions. With the PGA Tour’s coffers set to be boosted by over $1 billion of Saudi cash the Tour can have the funds to compensate PGA Tour members who turned down presents to hitch LIV.
LIV Golf League’s 2024 schedule included 14 occasions, however these at the moment are anticipated to fall beneath the PGA Tour umbrella as a part of a revised event schedule that might begin in 2026.
Neither LIV Golf or the PGA Tour have made any public assertion on this proposed deal.
