May 18, 2023; Rochester, New York, USA; Phil Mickelson gives a thumbs up while walking on the ninth hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports
PGA: PGA Championship – First Round
(New York, NY) — The PGA Tour and LIV Golf will merge, according to CNBC.
The Saudi-backed league disturbed the golf world by offering massive paydays to lure top golfers away from PGA. That list including Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, who received guaranteed contracts sometimes said to be worth $100 million or more and tournament prize funds that were the richest in golf history.
The PGA responded by revoking the tour cards of golfers who competed in LIV.
The once-rivals now will team up in a yet-to-be-named company.
“Going forward, fans can be confident that we will, collectively, deliver on the promise we’ve always made — to promote competition of the best in professional golf and that we are committed to securing and driving the game’s future,” Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, said in a statement.
The agreement also includes the DP World Tour, known as the European PGA Tour. The three groups will create process for any players that want to re-apply for membership with the PGA Tour after the 2023 season.
“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” Monahan added.
There are still a lot of details to be worked out or revealed but this is promising news for the cohesion of professional golf.
