LIV Golf and PGA Tour merger 'close to falling apart' as fresh civil war looms
Major doubt has been cast over the proposed framework agreement between the PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF).
On June 6 the PGA Tour shocked the world of golf by announcing it had reached an agreement with the PIF that would end their 12-month feud with rivals LIV Golf. As part of the agreement, the two tours were set to work under one umbrella named 'NewCo', alongside the DP World Tour.
In the months following both the Tour and their new-found Saudi allies have been in negotiation, but with their December 31 deadline growing closer it appears talks are beginning to break down.
READ MORE: Phil Mickelson almost cancelled LIV Golf before it began with damning Saudi comments
According to Fire Pit Collective's Alan Shipnuck, the agreement between the PGA Tour and PIF is 'falling apart' amid growing interest from elsewhere. It was also reported that owners of Liverpool Football Club and the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Sport Sports Group (FSG) have launched a rival bid to work with the Tour's new for-profit entity. FSG has been approached by Mirror Sport for comment.
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It is expected that any breakdown, and the Tour opting to go in a different direction away from their Saudi rivals would once again lead to a battle between the PGA Tour and their LIV rivals. FSG are no strangers to the world of golf, having invested into Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods' innovative golf league TGL earlier this year.
FSG have invested in Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods' golf leagueThe American group acquired the ownership of one of the league's six teams, Boston Common, and on Thursday announced its four players which included TGL founder, and LIV Golf critic McIlroy. Alongside the four-time major winner, the Boston roster will include three PGA Tour stars in Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott and Tyrrell Hatton.
FSG owner John Henry welcomed McIlroy and co in a statement, commenting: "These four remarkable golfers have achieved an extraordinary list of accolades as individuals. Together as a group, they convey an unmistakable sense of exceptionalism that not only commands respect but also instills a profound sense of awe, especially among their competitors
“Rory, Tyrrell, Keegan, and Adam stand at the very heart of our team’s potential for success in this groundbreaking venture and we extend our gratitude to each of them for embarking on this journey with us." It is yet unknown as to whether FSG's proposed bid to align with the PGA Tour, with one rival U.S. investor having been already rejected by the leading golf circuit.
Last month it was confirmed that entertainment company Endeavour - who have ownership in UFC and WWE - had launched a bid to work with the PGA Tour, but this was turned down. Endeavour president Mark Shapiro revealed their bid had been rejected, and the Tour had received 'a lot of attractive offers'.
"We asked (the PGA Tour) for $25million (£21m) a year in services, and if they would have agreed to that, we would have been happy to make a minority investment," he told Sportico. "But we get it: They have a lot of suitors, a lot of bidders, a lot of attractive offers, and they declined. So we’ll just continue with our long-standing partnership as-is with the hopes of growing it further in the future.”
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