PGA Tour and LIV Golf End Two-Year Battle with Merger Announcement
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf announced they would be joining forces to form a new for-profit company. The merger includes the DP World Tour, also known as the PGA European Tour. The agreement brings to an end a battle for golf’s best players and pending litigation between the two organizations. LIV Golf was founded in 2021 with the goal of becoming the world’s premier professional golf tour. Backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, it has lured some of the biggest golf stars away from the PGA Tour with huge paychecks, spurring antitrust lawsuits with the American organization.
American Commentators, Lawmakers, and Fans Criticize PGA Tour
The merger announcement has been met with derision by many American commentators, lawmakers, and golf fans. The PGA Tour had previously accused Saudi Arabia of offering athletes “astronomical sums of money … to use the LIV Players and the game of golf to sportswash the recent history of Saudi atrocities.” Sports talk show host Rich Eisen said in his broadcast after hearing the news, “This is Saudi Arabia buying the PGA tour.” USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan called the move “a total wimp-out by the PGA Tour.” Human rights group Amnesty International called the merger “sportswashing at its finest,” while family members of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks criticized the PGA Tour for becoming “just more paid Saudi shills.”
Not Everyone is Angry About the Deal
Not everyone is angry about the deal. Professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau, an early recruit to the LIV Tour, told CNN that the merger “is the best thing that could ever happen for the game of golf.” Pro golfer Phil Mickelson, another member of the LIV Tour, tweeted “Awesome day today” in response to the news. Investment banking firm Jeffries wrote in a note Tuesday that “the infusion of capital from PIF signifies a strong commitment to the growth and promotion of golf on a global scale.” The PIF’s investment figure is not yet publicly known.
