Q&A: The PGA Tour and LIV Golf Have Merged. Here's What We Know
The news dropped at 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, June 6. The questions continue.
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour will merge with LIV Golf. The framework of the deal was announced together by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan in a joint appearance on CNBC. But many questions remain as to how this will work. Here's what we know:
- The PGA Tour and DP Tour will merge with LIV Golf, forming a new, yet-to-be named global golf league.
- The news stunned the golf world, and the top players on all pro tours had no idea the deal was imminent.
- The deal ends all pending litigation between the three parties.
- The PGA Tour will create a pathway for LIV Golfers to rejoin the PGA Tour.
- According to Al-Rumayyan, the Saudis will invest "whatever it takes" to make the new league a success. That number will likely be in the billions.
- Al-Rumayyan will be chairman of the new golf league. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan will serve as CEO.
Here are more questions we've either answered or still reporting. This story will be updated.
Is It Possible the Deal Doesn't Go Through?
The deal faces some significant legal hurdles. The Justice Department began investigating the PGA Tour for antitrust violations after their response to the onset of LIV Golf last summer—which included indefinite suspensions for those who played in LIV’s first events—and they will now have more information to evaluate than before. Also, the U.S. Senate on Monday, June 12, announced on Monday that it would like to see documents related to the agreement between the tours. The notice requests documents be handed over by June 26, 2023.
Who is Jimmy Dunne and what does he have to do with this?
Dunne, 65, is a prominent businessman and avid golfer who is a key member of the PGA Tour Policy Board and made the first in-person overtures to the leader of the Public Investment Fund which bankrolls LIV Golf, had previously been highly critical of LIV Golf and criticized the players who joined the rival circuit. He lost many close friends on 9/11, as he had a job at the World Trade Center but wasn't in his office that day because he was attempting to qualify for the U.S. Mid-am. Dunne was the first person to reach out to Al-Rumayyan and facilitated other meetings that took place over the past two months. Dunne shared more behind-the-scenes details with SI of how the deal went down, and why many people are mischaracterizing what exactly the agreement means.
What is Rory McIlroy saying about this?
McIlroy was one of LIV Golf's staunchest critics and over the course of the past year became the PGA Tour's de facto frontman in its battle against LIV. McIlroy spoke to the media in advance of the Canadian Open, and took a tone that was neither angry nor defiant. (He did say that he still hates LIV Golf.) He added in part: "I hope it goes away. And I fully expect that it does ... It’s very different from LIV. I’ve tried to protect what the PGA Tour is and what the PGA Tour stands for. There may be a team element, but I don’t think it will look anything like LIV has looked. And I think that's a good thing."
What is Greg Norman saying about this?
Norman, the LIV Golf commissioner, was conspicuously absent from the announcement proceedings, but on Wednesday he met with his staff and gave a far different image for LIV Golf's future than what McIlroy described. "LIV is and will continue to be a standalone enterprise. Our business model will not change. We changed history and we're not going anywhere," he said.
When Jay Monahan was asked Tuesday during a news conference if he envisioned a scenario where LIV would exist next year alongside the PGA Tour in its current format, he said: "I can't see that scenario, but I haven’t gotten the full evaluation, the full empirical evaluation of LIV that I'm going to do to be able to comment on that. But I don’t see that scenario, no. To me, any scenarios that you’re thinking about that bridge between the PGA Tour and LIV would be longer term in nature."
Why did the PGA Tour merge with LIV?
Suffice it to say, both sides felt the time was right. The ongoing litigation between the two sides, which will end with the merger, likely played a role. Look for much more reporting on this soon, but these pieces from Bob Harig and Michael Rosenberg begin to explore why this was the moment.
Who initiated the discussion?
In their joint CNBC interview and announcement, Al-Rumayyan and Monahan said they met in secret across the U.S., Europe and the Middle East and discussed a merger over some golf and a few meals. They had lunch, played golf and kept talking. Monahan said that he felt he could trust Al-Rumayyan within 10 minutes of first meeting him.
Who is Yasir Al-Rumayyan?
He’s the head of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is reportedly valued at more than $600 billion and bankrolled LIV Golf. Al-Rumayyan has been visible at LIV events and will serve as chairman of the board for the newly merged golf league, which means that he’s now one of the most powerful people in golf. Learn more about him here.
How much money is the PIF investing in the PGA Tour?
According to Al-Rumayyan, billions of dollars. “Whatever it takes,” he said on CNBC. The new league will be a for-profit entity.
Will Greg Norman have any active role?
Norman was not mentioned in the news release about the partnership. Players such as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy had called for his removal in order for there to be any talks. One source told SI that Norman has not been making decisions on behalf of LIV Golf in recent times and believed this would eventually end his relationship with the organization.
What will the merged league be called? Still the PGA Tour?
The name is still TBD.
Can LIV Golfers apply for PGA Tour or DP World Tour membership?
This one isn’t fully known, but in the release the PGA Tour said that there will be a path for LIV golfers to regain PGA Tour and/or DP World Tour status for 2024. How exactly will that work? Expect more details to come soon.
How will the schedules for 2023 and beyond be affected?
Monahan said in a letter to PGA Tour members that the LIV schedule “will continue as planned.” He did not mention the PGA Tour schedule, but that appears unaffected at this time.