PGA Tour & LIV Golf merge: A monumental day for Golf

The news broke not long ago that PGA Tour & LIV Golf are merging, a remarkable, unexpected headline to shock the golfing world. The news has left players on either side shocked, bemused and some elated, but what does this mean for Golf?

In principle, the merger of the two rival tours mean that it is a fantastic day for Golf and suits the interests of the game. The frustration from the sporting point of view is that the world’s best players were not playing with each other. It was only during majors that Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, and Brooks Koepka would be able to go up against Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Scottie Scheffler.

This day appeared impossible in terms of the solution to the two rival tours, and it seemed as if the likely outcome was either the collapse of LIV Golf or both coexisting harmoniously. So, the conclusion of this has shocked the players, as the news has been tight-lipped from both parties.

What this now means is that the game of golf is owned by PIF (Public Investment Fund) of Saudi Arabia. This is quite remarkable and will unquestionably receive a large amount of criticism. The sportswashing argument involving the country of Saudi Arabia has been a constant, and those who do not align their morals with practices of the country will view this as a distasteful, backwards step for the game that they love.

It must be felt by the players which were offered and rejected to join LIV Golf on contracts worth tens of millions that they have been hard-done-by. Now, their colleagues who did join have earned a monetary gain where everything has been reverted back to normality.

Players have voiced their frustration that they found out the announcement through Twitter today, such as Collin Morikawa: “I love finding out morning news on Twitter”, and Mackenzie Hughes, who showed particular frustration: “Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with”. The following outpour of frustration from current PGA Tour players over the next hours could be shocking.

A large handful of players voiced out their frustrations with the tour such as McIlroy and Fitzpatrick, who cannot be best pleased. Dan Rapaport tweeted two quotes from anonymous tour players, which said: “Shocked and confused” and “Disgusted. They didn’t tell us anything”.

The relationship between LIV & PGA will be interesting to watch unfold. Just a reminder that Jay Monahan said last year during the LIV threat that his ‘heart goes out to the 9/11 families’, a strong, and frankly distasteful quote, which sparks conversation as to how this has ever happened.

Undoubtedly, money talks, and if you want a genuine representation of the power of Saudi Arabia in the sporting context, this is your example. It is a stunning day, and perhaps the most significant day Golf will ever have.