End of the battle between PGA and LIV: the two circuits have decided to unite in the same clubhouse

Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: GUSTAVO DURAN / NOTIMEX / Notimex via AFP 20:10 p.m., June 06, 2023

The golf war will not happen: the North American PGA and European DP World Tour will merge with the Saudi-backed LIV, whose emergence had attracted some of today's best players, fracturing the hushed world of the little white ball. The PGA Tour said Tuesday 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.

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An attractive circuit

Launched in October 2021, the LIV had attracted in the following months some of the best golfers in the world, former world No. 1 and several times crowned Grand Slams, from Dustin Johnson to Brooks Koepka who has just won the PGA Championship, bringing a first Major in the clubhouse of the future ex-dissident circuit, through 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.

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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 pairs the DP World Tour and LIV to create a forum that will benefit players. to 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. On the other hand, no mention was made of former champion Greg Norman, general manager of LIV, whose ardor in the fight has angered some stars including McIlroy, who had warned in case of negotiations: "He must go. No one will speak, until there is an adult in the room who can actually try to fix things." 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.

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"A new era"

It comes more than a year of litigation and legal battles launched, which will therefore cease with this agreement found, which highlights the 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.

The deal "will usher in a new era in world golf, for the better," Monahan promised. "Today is a very exciting day for this sport and the people it touches around the world," said Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

Same clubhouse

"We are committed to unifying, promoting and developing golf worldwide and offering the highest quality product to millions of long-time fans, while attracting new fans," added the Saudi Arabian, who is also non-executive chairman of Newcastle Football Club. 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.