PGA Tour & PIF/LIV Golf Merger

[Triple_Putt]

I don’t really have an opinion, but I do feel bad for the guys that stood by the PGA and their hard stance, and have seemingly had the rug pulled out from underneath them. I’m sure more info will come out and we will see the story evolve. 

[Middler]

7 hours ago, funkyjudge said:

What the F are you smoking?

Lighten up Francis. We disagree, that’s allowed…

[Middler]

You didn’t notice the already active thread?  Why start another? https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/59608-pga-tour-liv-merger/

 

 

 

[Luke James]

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf have come together in a signed agreement to consolidate their commercial businesses and rights under a yet-to-be-named new company as per sources. The agreement encompasses the inclusion of the PGA European Tour, also referred to as the DP World Tour. 

Here is one of the articles that I found interesting and have tried to covered in depth content related to this topic - https://golfercraze.com/liv-golf-vs-pga/

What are your thoughts regarding this "On going war of golf?"  Is it a boon or bane?

[Luke James]

7 minutes ago, Middler said:

You didn’t notice the already active thread?  Why start another? https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/59608-pga-tour-liv-merger/

I didn't notice that. My bad.

 

 

 

[Guido723723]

It's all about MONEY. I've watched my last golf tournament. RIP 911 victims

[Franc38]

It's both good (we'll stop having the constant bickering about the "my tour is morally better than yours": really, none are any good, morally, they are sports organizations! and the "cancel culture of golf" is disgusting) and bad (all the major tours will be under one unique umbrella organization, so competition will just vanish and the push for new concepts, ideas and so on that really work will likely disappear).

It's not about money, it's about control. The money is just a compensation for the tools that are used in the powers war being waged there.

[RollingGreens]

Wesley Bryan did a good job of describing how the meeting went on the Monday Q info. Can’t wait to see how this plays out. I don’t think it’ll be a merger, I think they eliminated competition and lawyer fees without getting exposed in discovery. I assume the LIV guys will pay a fine to return, however I hope the guys who stayed are compensated. They carried the water enough the last 2 years for a tour they run just to have Jay making deals behind their back. 
 

Also jay needs to bring enough Monday to the table not just for the top tier guys but for all tiers to make sure his job is secure. As much as it seems like he drank the koolaid watching succession, I’d be overly concerned that he guaranteed this to the Saudi’s 

[Schenectady Putter]

This hits me in two distinct and separate ways.

As someone who objects to the corrupting influence of money and the "sports washing" of a corrupt regime I find this crass money grab abhorrent.

As a lifetime golfer who always enjoyed the game's higher ideals of fair play I lament it's inevitable reputational decline by being associated with this hypocrisy.

"Morality, like the families of September 11 victims and Jamal Khashoggi, was merely a convenient posture to adopt until the time arrived when space was cleared at the trough."

[Tommy E]

On July 18, 2022, as high-profile golfers like Phil Mickelson were defecting to LIV for paydays worth hundreds of millions, Trump took to his social media platform to warn the players remaining with the PGA Tour.

"All of those golfers that remain 'loyal' to the very disloyal PGA, in all of its different forms, will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and you get nothing but a big 'thank you' from PGA officials who are making Millions of Dollars a year," Trump wroteon Truth Social. "If you don't take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place, and only say how smart the original signees were."

Nearly 11 months later, the merger was announced, catching many PGA players — who were not consulted ahead of time as a group — off guard. "No f****** way," one PGA player told ESPN when informed of the deal.

[Geno 220]

Pitiful, just plain greed, very disappointing 

[JeremyD]

I was shocked to hear it, but some people called it months ago. It’s too early to see a winner in this. LIV players seem pumped, however, some are saying LIV is essentially dead. I doubt it’s totally dead. Rory and Norman were throwing shade at each other and both were out of the loop. I’m more surprised that Norman was left out and makes me think he’s gonna be unemployed. 
 

so this the second time Norman wanted to be a lead in a breakaway type league that eventually falls under the PGA Tour (or his idea for the high paying special events).

I’m awaiting Rory, Tiger, Greg, and even Jack to make statements. 

and this new for profit league. All of these guys wanted to play less (so they said). 

so much to process. Thankfully I’m on the road the next 7 days. Maybe we’ll know more

[James S]

Funny how short minded and blind everyone is. This is not a “merger” it is a take over. How is this going to inspire millions and “grow” the game, it’s the exact same players just coming back. PIF admitted the LIV product was junk and it will probably go away with maybe a few more team events but not a LIV tour anymore. So what we have now is the tour from three years ago, stepping backwards, and giving the Saudi government part ownership of the PGA with media access. Jay Monahan probably got a fat check and is going from PGA Commissioner to CEO?  Who voted or agreed to let him become CEO?  A lot of the PGA players have asked for his resignation since he made this shady deal. 

[Rickp]

21 hours ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

I'm going to need about two weeks to figure out what my take is on this.

My thoughts also….

[Preeway]

I’m with @GolfSpy_APH on this one and will wait to say much in the way of opinion one way or the other until more firm details are known. The devil is always in the details as they say. 
 

I really want to see if the LIV format lives or dies with regards to team competition and whether the LIV captains will retain any access to profitability from their team names starting in 2024. That’s really the only unique component to LIV that exists. I don’t see shotgun starts becoming a thing or three day events. 
 

I’m also really interested to see how the influx of money changes the designated events next year. Will there be more or will the purses be even higher? And will the non designated events have bigger purses as well?

 

Last, I’m interested to see if the players begin to push back against the number of required events they have to appear in. It’s clear the rest players get with LIV is benefiting both physical and mental health of the players. Hopefully we can all get along while we wait for more specifics to come out over the days and weeks ahead. 

[Thumper1978]

PGA tour was going to be exposed on something in court. Or something like that I believe that is what really was the change of heart. Plus now the PGA will be flush with cash they can now do whatever they want now. But this kinda stinks I hate the unknown. Hopefully they make great decisions, and now there are more events all over the world, and in places in the United States, that everybody can go see them.

[WiTerp50]

I’ve known that the nonprofit status was a thin veneer to look respectable. Now that is completely blown up. The LIV players are the big winners, the biggest payouts will be geared to the top 70, and the charitable contributions will not come close to getting a share of the pie. Today I’m wondering if I will ever again buy a mandatory uniform package and spend my time and money (food, lodging, transportation, etc.) to work a PGA Tour event to support players creating generational wealth. 

[MattWillGolf]

“The answer to all of your questions is money.” I’d highly recommend listening to the podcast from the Fire Pit Collective on the this topic. Alan Shipnuck, author of the Phil book, a good read BTW, was finishing up a book on the PGA/LIV saga when this hit. The “Readers Digest” version of the podcast is this caught most folks on both sides completely off guard. But in general terms the Saudis appear to have decided that there was no pay off in sight and they want to long term improve their image to the world and to make Saudi a golf destination like Dubai but bigger and better in order to bring in tourists and leverage golf for the business connections that golf uniquely offers and LIV wasn’t doing that for them. The PGA Tour has tapped out their sponsors and they won’t be able to sustain the purses that the elevated events demand. Money created a marriage of convenience the Saudis have money to spend but don’t have the “image” needed and the PGA has the image but not the money. For me though, men’s professional golf got a lot less interesting.

[LICC]

2 hours ago, Guido723723 said:

It's all about MONEY. I've watched my last golf tournament. RIP 911 victims

You can still watch the majors ...

[LICC]

2 hours ago, Franc38 said:

It's both good (we'll stop having the constant bickering about the "my tour is morally better than yours": really, none are any good, morally, they are sports organizations! and the "cancel culture of golf" is disgusting) and bad (all the major tours will be under one unique umbrella organization, so competition will just vanish and the push for new concepts, ideas and so on that really work will likely disappear).

It's not about money, it's about control. The money is just a compensation for the tools that are used in the powers war being waged there.

Immorality equivocation. Ugh ...

[tony@CIC]

2 hours ago, Guido723723 said:

It's all about MONEY. I've watched my last golf tournament. RIP 911 victims

I agree - won't be watching any PGA/LIV events. However, I'll still be watching LPGA - I preferred watching them anyway over the guys. 

[LICC]

25 minutes ago, Preeway said:

I’m with @GolfSpy_APH on this one and will wait to say much in the way of opinion one way or the other until more firm details are known. The devil is always in the details as they say. 
 

I really want to see if the LIV format lives or dies with regards to team competition and whether the LIV captains will retain any access to profitability from their team names starting in 2024. That’s really the only unique component to LIV that exists. I don’t see shotgun starts becoming a thing or three day events. 
 

I’m also really interested to see how the influx of money changes the designated events next year. Will there be more or will the purses be even higher? And will the non designated events have bigger purses as well?

 

Last, I’m interested to see if the players begin to push back against the number of required events they have to appear in. It’s clear the rest players get with LIV is benefiting both physical and mental health of the players. Hopefully we can all get along while we wait for more specifics to come out over the days and weeks ahead. 

I can only guess that Monahan and Dunne were getting pressure from sponsors who were unwilling to up their payments anymore, and losing sponsor money from non-designated events. They saw this along with the increases in purses as unsustainable long-term, and PIF basically said they don't care if they lose $5 billion they were going to keep attacking the Tour and poaching players. As well as pushing costly litigation. Monahan and Dunne may have seen this merger as survival and the only best option. Point to the players who took the LIV money as providing the leverage to put the Tour in this position.

[Puttingmatt]

Its a smart move, and it will be interesting what the changes will  look like  when the storm  settles

[rmk!]

No love for LIV here. LIV and let die is what I say.

[Preeway]

15 minutes ago, LICC said:

I can only guess that Monahan and Dunne were getting pressure from sponsors who were unwilling to up their payments anymore, and losing sponsor money from non-designated events. They saw this along with the increases in purses as unsustainable long-term, and PIF basically said they don't care if they lose $5 billion they were going to keep attacking the Tour and poaching players. As well as pushing costly litigation. Monahan and Dunne may have seen this merger as survival and the only best option. Point to the players who took the LIV money as providing the leverage to put the Tour in this position.

I too speculate that the well may have been running dry on USA sponsors with the new direction the PGAT wanted to go with designated events. Honda is done as a sponsor after 30+ years. Wouldn’t be surprised if others were going to follow suit. Taking the PIF money may have been the only financial way forward to fight off LIV. Who knows. It’s a bad look for now and loyal Tour players have every right to be pissed. 

[richk9holes]

I'm going to try to straddle a line here, because I think a political element is being left out of the conversation. I like to leave politics out of my posts here, but as I analyze this I keep asking myself "What changed from 2019 to today?"

When talk began of a "super league" to rival the PGA, Donald Trump was POTUS and was linked to the Saudis/PIF from the beginning. There's an ongoing federal probe into his involvement. I think some of the strong emotions on either side of the argument are intensified by his proximity to the story.

'22 PGA Championship moving locations had a lot of reactions, most of which were telling of the political stripes of the person reacting. I'm seeing a lot of the same in the reactions to this merger.

[Stevenhp]

I have waited to comment after confirming that it was real and reading comments. I’ve come to the conclusion that the lawsuits and the courts had something to do with it. As far as better for golf, my take that that statement has to do with the pro tour (tv revenues, manufacturers ad and such). The USGA an R&A sets the rules of the game as well as the open championships. It doesn’t affect the average player like me. I’ve watched less golf and have never seen the LIV tour. 

[Shinnman]

Kind of feels like the PGA Tour sold out.  Probably had some items in discovery that they didn’t want to be seen. 

[SteveGH7]

I can see this leading to another league forming and tempting away some of the pissed off PGA guys.  Maybe Rory and Tiger can turn their virtual league into an actual tour?

[Albatrass]

UNBELIEVABLE!!!  Jay Monahan should be ashamed of himself for being so underhanded that he could not even tell the current members of the 
PGA tour what he was doing.  Golf will never be the same for all aspects of the game for many years.  Can hardly wait to see the new leadership roles (Norman), who they will be and how much power they will have over the member players.  Sure, there will be much discussion.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7, 2023 by Albatrass