This is an agreement that no one saw coming. The North American PGA and European DP World Tour will merge with the Saudi-backed LIV, whose emergence had fractured the golf world. 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, with its own and those of the DP World Tour "in a new collectively owned for-profit entity," without the financial details being disclosed.

"After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the sport we all love," said PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan, who will serve as chief executive of the new structure, whose name has yet to be revealed. The legal battle between the two parties will therefore end with this agreement, to "generate a new era in world golf, for the better", according to Monahan, who had been at the forefront of the fight against LIV.

Surprise and anger

Launched in October 2021, this tour has since attracted some of the world's best golfers, former world No. 1s and Grand Slam winners, such as Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka or Phil Mickelson. "Today is a fantastic day," he tweeted.

The PGA Tour, whose stars Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods had risen to the media front, had provided a firm response, excluding the dozens of golfers concerned, prohibiting them from participating in its tournaments. And it is clear that its members were taken aback by this announcement made Tuesday, almost a year to the day after the first tournament stamped LIV played in London.


Awesome day today 😊 https://t.co/qUwVJiydym

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023

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Some, in a fit of anger, did not hesitate to castigate the "hypocrisy" that Monahan showed in this case, during a meeting held in Toronto on Tuesday, before the Canadian Open, reported several media. "Hypocrisy and greed" were also the words used by a group representing the families of the victims of the attacks of September 11, 2001, towards the leader and his authority, 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 in the attacks were Saudi citizens.

"I recognize that people will call me a hypocrite," he said on a conference call Tuesday night. "I accept these criticisms, but circumstances change. I think it was by looking at the big picture that we got to this point. »

Financial tug-of-war lost

A "situation" linked to an economic reality. 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, clearly had more to lose by defending its own interests, in the face of unlimited Saudi funds, than by growing them with a common entity.

With LIV now sharing the same clubhouse as the PGA, it is further proof of Saudi Arabia's vast million-dollar offensive in the sport, under the aegis of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It is not Karim Benzema who will say otherwise.

  • Golf
  • Sport
  • PGA
  • Saudi Arabia