Unexpectedly, the PGA Tour said Tuesday that it had "signed an agreement that combines the commercial activities and rights" of the powerful Saudi sovereign wealth fund (PIF) in golf, including the LIV Tour, with its own and those of the DP World Tour "in a new collectively owned for-profit entity," without the financial details being disclosed.

Launched in October 2021, LIV has since attracted some of the world's best golfers, former world No. 1s and Grand Slam winners, from Dustin Johnson to Brooks Koepka who just won the PGA Championship, bringing a first Major to the clubhouse of the future ex-dissident circuit, to Phil Mickelson. "It's a fantastic day today," he tweeted.

The PGA Tour, supported by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods mounted at the media front, had provided a firm response, excluding the dozens of golfers concerned, prohibiting them from participating in its tournaments, but not Grand Slams that are not subject to its management and have decided to leave their doors open.

Surprise among players

"After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the sport we all love," said Jay Monahan, head of the PGA Tour who had been at the forefront of the fight against LIV.

"This new partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA Tour's history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines the DP World Tour and LIV to create a forum that will benefit players, commercial and charitable partners, and fans," he said.

Pif boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan will chair the board of directors of the new entity, whose name has yet to be announced, and Monahan will be its chief executive.

This announcement made on Tuesday, almost a year to the day after the first LIV tournament played in London, no one saw it coming, not even the players themselves. "There's nothing like learning we're merging with a circuit, when we said we'd never do it," tweeted Canadian Mackenzie Hughes.

It comes more than a year of litigation and legal battles launched, which will therefore cease with this agreement found, which results from an economic logic. Because the PGA, which also tried the tug-of-war over the sums offered to keep its best players, against the LIV and its record prizes at $ 25 million per event, including a guarantee on the only participation, clearly had more to lose by defending its interests alone, in the face of unlimited Saudi funds, than to grow them with a common entity.

"A new era"

The deal "will usher in a new era in world golf, for the better," Monahan promised.

What on the other hand anger a group representing the families of the victims of the attacks of September 11, 2001, which did not fail to criticize the leader and his body for their "hypocrisy and greed", considering themselves "betrayed, because it appears that their concern for our loved ones was only a façade in their quest for money".

Fifteen of the 19 hijackers on that funeral day were Saudi citizens.

"Today is a very exciting day for this sport and the people it touches around the world," said Yasir Al-Rumayyan. "We are committed to unifying, promoting and growing golf worldwide and offering the highest quality product to millions of long-time fans, while attracting new fans."

With LIV now sharing the same clubhouse as the PGA, it's further proof of Saudi Arabia's vast winning offensive in the sport, under the aegis of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.

In the latest major investment, Al-Ittihad has signed football star Karim Benzema, who has just left Real Madrid, for three years, starting next season. The French Ballon d'Or will join Cristiano Ronaldo in the kingdom.

© 2023 AFP