LIV Golf and PGA Tour make "significant progress" as feud nears conclusion
The PGA Tour is edging closer to an agreement with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) to end golf's civil war.
The sport has been fractured since the launch of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit two years ago. Several superstars, including Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and most recently Jon Rahm, have quit the PGA Tour to sign lucrative contracts with LIV Golf, while the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have refused to accept the PIF's advances.
Tyrrell Hatton is expected to be the latest big name to swap the PGA and DP World Tours for the LIV circuit, as it's believed he has accepted a £50million offer following a private chat with Masters champion Rahm. Golf fans want the sport's civil war to end sooner rather than later.
Last June, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour announced they had a 'framework agreement' with the PIF for a merger, but talks have dragged on since. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan insisted they had made "meaningful progress" at the start of January after the initial December 31 deadline passed.
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Now Sports Illustrated claim that significant progress has been made on the deal, with an official announcement expected shortly. It's claimed the private jets used by Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan were both spotted in New York last week, which suggests face-to-face talks are continuing to take place.
The Strategic Sports Group (SSG), which includes Boston Red Sox and Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group, is also set to invest in the PGA Tour alongside the PIF. They will be part of a new company called PGA Tour Enterprises, with Al-Rumayyan as chairman.
Tyrrell Hatton is set to become the latest big name to quit the PGA Tour for Liv GolfWhat do you make of the Saudis involvement in LIV Golf? Let us know in the comments below!
Despite progress, the soon-to-be-announced deal is unlikely to satisfy everyone in golf. Saudi investment in the sport is controversial due to the country's poor human rights record. The deal is also a merger with the PIF, not LIV Golf.
That means LIV Golf will continue to rival the PGA Tour for prominence, with top players - such as Rahm - still switching between tours. Yet the rivalry between the two sets of golfers is not as fierce as it once was, with the likes of McIlroy softening his stance.
McIlroy was one of LIV Golf's biggest critics in 2022 and accused those who quit the PGA Tour of "leaving all your peers behind to go make more money". Yet the four-time major winner recently admitted he was "too judgemental" of LIV Golf stars.
"I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV golf at the start, and I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realise that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods' position," McIlroy told Sky Bet's Stick to Football.
"We all turn professionals to making a living playing the sports that we do, and I think that’s what I realised over the last two years. I can’t judge people for making that decision, so if I regret anything, it was probably being too judgmental at the start."
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