PGA Tour to Merge with Saudi-Sponsored LIV Golf

The PGA Tour announced Tuesday that it is merging with Saudi-backed LIV Golf in a shocking development intended to end the rivals’ public hostilities and extensive ongoing litigation.

The parties agreed to combine their commercial businesses and rights into a new entity, the name of which has not yet been released. LIV Golf Investments, the firm spearheading the LIV tour, is supported by the Saudi regime’s sovereign wealth fund.

Over the last year, LIV and the PGA have been entangled in multiple antitrust lawsuits, which will reportedly be quashed as part of the agreement. Golfers and fans who remain loyal to the PGA have attacked LIV as a so-called “sports-washing” vehicle for the Saudi regime to distract from its extensive record of human-rights abuses.

“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA TOUR’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV – including the team golf concept – to create an organization that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans.”

In June 2022, six-time golf champion Phil Mickelson joined LIV despite criticizing the enterprise’s ties to the authoritarian regime in an interview he claimed was off the record. Fellow major-winner Dustin Johnson also signed a five-year deal with LIV for $100 million.

Mickelson was called hypocritical, given comments he made to Alan Shipnuck, who wrote an unauthorized biography on the golfer, in which he slammed the Saudi league for being associated with the dictatorial government. Speaking to Shipnuck, Mickelson called the Saudis “scary motherf—ers to get involved with.”

“We know they killed [Washington Post reporter and U.S. resident Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates,” Mickelson allegedly told Shipnuck.

After the news of the merger broke Tuesday, Mickelson tweeted: “Awesome day today.”