The PGA Tour is reportedly close to a £1billion deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund which could end golf’s civil war.
LIV Golf, which is bankrolled by the Saudis, has caused widespread disruption in recent years by luring some of golf’s top players away from the PGA Tour with lucrative offers.
It has led to a fractured professional game – with defecting stars such as Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau banned from PGA Tour events.
After years of bad blood, the Tour announced a shock framework agreement with the PIF in June 2023, but little progress was made over a deal to merge operations.
Now, according to The Sun, the two parties are on the brink of a stunning deal.
It is claimed the Saudis are set to invest £1billion in PGA Tour Enterprises – a new for-profit organisation created last year.
This will land the PIF an 11 per cent share in the Tour, along with two seats on its board – including the role of chairman.
PGA Tour Enterprises is already backed by Strategic Sports Group – a consortium of American sports team owners and investors led by Fenway Sports Group – to the tune of £2.3bn.
The PIF boasts assets of £720bn, making them a powerful ally, although questions linger over their motives in the world of sport amid accusations of ‘sportswashing’.
The Saudis have already made significant inroads in football, boxing, Formula 1 and tennis – but golf proved a tougher nut to crack due to fierce pushback from the establishment.
A deal is not yet confirmed and must be ratified by PGA Tour players.
However, with Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods playing a significant role in negotiations, it would likely be a formality.
McIlroy and Woods, golf’s two biggest stars, were part of a PGA Tour subcommittee responsible for talks with key figures on the PIF, including LIV Golf founder Yasir Al Rumayyan.
It remains unclear what the PGA Tour and LIV Golf schedules will look like – and how they will change – if a deal is completed.
The two circuits could now compliment each other in future, opening up the possibility for golfers to play on both, while McIlroy’s dream of a ‘world tour’ with the game’s elite could come to fruition.
However, those scenarios still appear to be some way off, and fans face a long road back to a truly united golfing world.
The US Department of Justice are investigating legal issues surrounding possible anti-trust violations after PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan admitted a deal would help remove a direct business rival.
Tour officials were also questioned by the US Senate last year over their decision to partner with the Saudis.
While McIlroy and Woods have been seeking a resolution, not all players have been so keen to welcome back LIV Golf rebels, some of whom sued the Tour on their way out.
Many loyal players have pointed out that they need to be ‘made whole’ for rejecting lucrative offers from LIV Golf – if rebels who took the cash are set to return with no consequences.
It is understood a £1.2bn fund has been set up to reward players for staying on the PGA Tour.
