After years of back and forth and potential scenarios being played out by a number of senior figures within golf, it looks like we could finally be on the verge of a major deal between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.
LIV and the PGA have been effectively at loggerheads ever since the Saudi-backed tour took shape and at the same time, took some of the top names in golf with them.
LIV have paid huge sums to lure the likes of Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka to their tour and as of now, it’s looked like LIV would continue as its own entity.
However, in breaking news this weekend from The Sun, it appears a deal between the PGA Tour and LIV is now close to being announced.
Details of LIV Golf and PGA Tour deal emerge with help from Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy
According to the report, PIF – the Saudi Public Investment Fund who back LIV – will pay around $1bn to the PGA Tour for an 11% stake in the product.
Crucially, LIV will also get two seats on the board at PGA level, including a chairmanship spot.
Effectively, it means the two tours coming together in a ‘merger’ of sorts which will see events around the world – including those on LIV’s schedule – come under the PGA banner.
It’s believed that high profile figures on the PGA side like Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have helped broker the deal.
What will happen to LIV Golf if PGA deal goes ahead?
According to the report and as mentioned, LIV events would now go under the PGA Tour banner and effectively be absorbed into the tour.
Further, LIV figures will have a say on matters at board level and subsequently, be able to influence the state of the game going forward.
It’s also claimed that the injection of over $1bn will allow the PGA to further compensate those players who stayed loyal to the TOUR, while also feeding more money into the DP World Tour ranks.
Of course, nothing is confirmed as yet and the well-regarded X account, Flushing It Golf, has suggested that nobody of note believes any such deal is done just yet.
It remains to be seen, then, just how this one progresses as the PGA and LIV seemingly continue to work at doing the best deal possible.
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