The PGA Tour dismissed the Saudi Arabian Investment Fund’s (PIF) offer as “unacceptable”. Now it seems that the parties are further from agreement than ever.
Almost two years have passed since the shock news that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf had entered into a framework agreement to merge the two golf tours. But since then, developments have gone in the opposite direction to what the parties originally hoped for.
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According to reports, the PIF recently made a proposal that involved keeping the LIV Golf in its current form. On Thursday, The Guardian revealed that the PGA Tour rejected this as “unacceptable”. Sports Illustrated later reported that the parties have completely different views on how LIV Golf should be included in a possible deal.
According to several sources, the core of the conflict lies in the PGA Tour’s desire to phase out – or at least greatly reduce – LIV Golf as a product. PIF CEO Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who also owns LIV Golf, on the other hand, wants to keep the newly started tour in its current form.
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LIV Golf’s CEO, Scott O’Neil, emphasized on Wednesday that a deal is not necessary for them:
“Do we have to make a deal? No. It would be nice if that happens, but only if we all agree on the goals.
PGA CEO Jay Monahan last spoke on the matter during The Players in March:
“We see opportunities to incorporate some of LIV Golf’s elements into the PGA Tour. We are working to find common solutions.
But now it seems that an agreement between the world’s two largest golf tours is unlikely – at least not in the short term.
What now?
With such big differences in views, golf’s division could persist. While the PGA Tour wants to absorb LIV, the Saudis insist on keeping their own league. The players are in the middle, and the golf world is eagerly awaiting what happens next.
Will they be able to find a solution, or will golf’s “cold war” become permanent? Time will tell. We at Sporten think the best thing is that the PGA learns from its mistakes and simply gets better, while LIV Golf slowly disappears into nothingness.
