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Well, we can’t say we saw this one coming.
After a year of bickering, mudslinging, and lawsuits, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have called a truce.
But more than just calling a truce, the two leagues have agreed to a merger, alongside the DP World Tour, that has stunned golf fans.
The league put out a joint press release shortly after the news broke.
“The PGA TOUR, DP World Tour and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) today announced a landmark agreement to unify the game of golf, on a global basis. The parties have signed an agreement that combines PIF’s golf-related commercial businesses and rights (including LIV Golf) with the commercial businesses and rights of the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour into a new, collectively owned, for-profit entity to ensure that all stakeholders benefit from a model that delivers maximum excitement and competition among the game’s best players.
In addition, PIF will make a capital investment into the new entity to facilitate its growth and success. The new entity (name TBD) will implement a plan to grow these combined commercial businesses, drive greater fan engagement and accelerate growth initiatives already underway. With LIV Golf in the midst of its second, groundbreaking season, the PGA TOUR, DP World Tour and PIF will work together to best feature and grow team golf going forward.
Notably, today’s announcement will be followed by a mutually agreed end to all pending litigation between the participating parties. Further, the three organizations will work cooperatively and in good faith to establish a fair and objective process for any players who desire to re-apply for membership with the PGA TOUR or the DP World Tour following the completion of the 2023 season and for determining fair criteria and terms of re-admission, consistent with each Tour’s policies.”
Fans and reporters are still working through what exactly the announcement means for each league.
'Merger' feels like it's doing a lot in this golf thing. Feels like they've just abandoned LIV and bought the PGA Tour without saying that's what they've done.
Either way, absolute rubbish.
— Phil Blundell (@PhilBlundell) June 6, 2023
By "merged", do they mean LIV bought the PGA?
— Gourmet Spud (@gourmetspud) June 6, 2023
Ratings..ratings..rating.. LIV sucked in ratings and was losing what little steam they had…
— Doug Still (@DougShootsStr8) June 6, 2023
LIV’s top players seemed to be happy with the move.
Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson on the PGA TOUR/LIV Golf news ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/de21NYhQvp
— ActionGolfHQ (@ActionGolfHQ) June 6, 2023
More information should trickle out in the hours and days to come. But this feels like a monumental day, one way or another, for the game of golf.