Golfers displeased with PGA Tour, LIV Golf and DP World Tour merger

GOLF Golfers displeased with PGA Tour, LIV Golf and DP World Tour merger

Abigael Wafula 09:33 - 07.06.2023

PGA Tour golfer Michael Kim questioned how many people had known the merger was to happen.

The PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf announced on Tuesday, June 6, that they are merging to form a new collectively owned entity, news that has been greeted with surprise by players and experts.

As reported by The Guardian, the move, confirmed after a month of intense and secret negotiations which began in England, was hailed as “awesome” by LIV’s Phil Mickelson.

It was also reported that in due time, there will be a pathway for LIV golfers to return to the PGA or DP World Tours – and the Ryder Cup. The merging means that the lawsuits between LIV and the PGA Tour will also be dropped.

In a joint statement released to the media, the three parties said: “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.”

The news, however, has not been received well by some of the elite golfers around the world and some pundits as well.

Wesley Bryan, an American player replied to the PGA Tour tweet saying: "Love finding out info on Twitter. This is amazing. Y'all should be ashamed and have a lot of questions to answer.

I feel betrayed, and will not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA Tour for a very long time."

Canadian Mackenzie Hughes tweeted: "Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we're merging with a tour that we said we'd never do that with."

PGA Tour golfer Michael Kim questioned how many people had known the merger was to happen.

He tweeted: "The hell is going on? Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player-run organization, right?"

Another golfer, the former BMW PGA Championship winner Ben An said: "I'm guessing the LIV teams were struggling to get sponsors and PGA Tour couldn't turn down the money.

Win-win for both tours but it's a big loss for who defended the tour for the last two years."

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