EDITORIAL – WHERE DO LIV GOLF AND PGA TOUR STAND NOW?

In June of 2023, the PGA Tour announced it had agreed to negotiations with Saudia Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to collaborate with each other. For those of you who are unaware, the PIF is the funding arm of the LIV Golf Tour.

The news shocked many in the golf world, with Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee claiming it was one of the darkest days in golf history. For context, Chamblee is an ardent detractor of the LIV Tour due to its association with Saudi Arabia.

However, this past January, the PGA Tour and the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) announced a partnership in which the SSG would provide a private equity investment. According to Golfweek, “The program, which is a joint venture between the PGA Tour and Strategic Sports Group, will reward 200 PGA Tour players with $1.5 billion in equity. The program rewards players based on career achievements, future participation and services and more. The grants are only available to qualified players.” In other words, PGA Tour players will be awarded cash and other types of financial benefits for staying loyal to the PGA Tour and not joining LIV Golf.

Where the situation stands with the PGA Tour and the PIF (and by extension, LIV Golf) remains to be seen. Sources close to the situation say an agreement of some sorts is still planned, but now it’s simply a waiting game. One thing is certain, though: Every PGA Tour player should be grateful that LIV Golf emerged, because had it not, there is no doubt that the money now currently flooding PGA Tour players’ bank accounts would not have occurred.