It has been another whirlwind 12 months for professional golf, but the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and DP World Tour are still yet to finalise any sort of agreement that will end the sport’s fallout
PGA Tour, LIV Golf and DP World Tour merger timeline as delays and disputes dominate.
It is 12 months to the day since Jay Monahan and Yasir Al Rumayyan shocked the world of golf by announcing a framework agreement between the PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF).
The deal was set to bring an end to the dispute between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour with their LIV Golf rivals, after a year of bitter fallout. One year on from Monahan’s announcement on June 6 though, a deal is yet to be signed off, with frustration and uncertainty within the game continuing to grow.
From initial hope and promise, to further fallouts, missed deadlines and a war of words between the world’s best continuing, here is a look back at the biggest moments in the year that has followed the shock framework agreement plan.
June 6 – Agreement announced
After over a year of civil war, it appeared the world of pro golf was set to reunite, as Monahan and Al-Rumayyan announced their plans to work side-by-side. The proposed ‘merger’ was revealed by the rival leaders in a groundbreaking interview on CNBC. Monahan said: “Today is an historic day for the PGA Tour and the game of golf, and an historic day for PIF and the DP World Tour.
“There has been a lot of tension in our sport over the last couple of years, but what we are talking about today is uniting the game of golf, and to do so under one umbrella.”
June 7 – McIlroy feels like ‘sacrificial lamb’
One man who had been at the centre of the fallout between the PGA Tour and LIV was Rory McIlroy, having announced himself as one of the Saudi league’s staunchest critics. Nobody had stuck their neck on the line more than McIlroy out of the Tour playing quota, so he was as shocked as anyone to hear of the u-turn.
“It’s hard for me to not sit up here and feel somewhat like a sacrificial lamb and feeling like I’ve put myself out there and this is what happens,” he said a day after the announcement. “Removing myself from the situation, I see how this is better for the game of golf, there’s no denying it.”
June 13 – U.S. Senate open investigation
On the back of their proposed deal with the Saudi fund, the U.S. Senate confirmed it had launched an investigation into the PGA Tour’s plans. A senate sub-committee led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal delved into the agreement, and called on representatives from both sides to provide evidence.
PGA Tour director Jimmy Dunne – who has recently resigned from his post – appeared in front of the committee alongside his colleague Ron Price. Representatives from the PIF group failed to speak in front of Blumenthal and co, and are still yet to do so.
June 14 – Monahan takes leave
A week following the announcement and ahead of the 2023 U.S. Open, Jay Monahan announced he was taken a sick-related absence from his role as PGA Tour commissioner. The American had come under great scrutiny since opting to partner with PIF, but took a step back from his duties in order to look after his health until July 14.
August 1 – Tiger Woods appointed to policy board
With negotiations between the PGA Tour and PIF underway, Tiger Woods was appointed to the American-based circuit’s policy board as a player representative in the talks. He became the sixth player on the board, with the move part of Monahan’s pledge to his members to give players a say on the final decision made.
Tiger Woods is apart of the policy board ( Image: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
October 19 – Norman has his say
It had been reported that LIV’s CEO Greg Norman had played no part in the framework agreement discussions, casting doubt over what the future held for the former world No. 1 and Saudi league. He however remained buoyant about what was to come next. “All indications are showing that the position of LIV has never been stronger and that the success of our players and our brand has never been in a better place,” he said at LIV’s 2023 Team Championship.
“And as we look forward into 2024, we’ve got a full schedule. We’ve got some places we’ve been to before, but we’ve got some new venues as well and we’re reaching different regions.”
November 15 – McIlroy resigns
Five months on from his ‘sacrificial’ lamb comments, McIlroy opted to resign from his role on the Tour policy board. “[It is] not what I signed for whenever I went on the board,” McIlroy said at the time. ”But yeah, the game of professional golf has been in flux
