The game of golf has become quite volatile in the past few years. After LIV Golf’s inception, a huge threat came to the unchallenged PGA Tour. However, on June 6, 2023, the Tour announced a merger deal with the PIF and the DP World Tour. Although the deadline for the merger deal was announced to be December 31, 2023, it eventually got postponed.
But after the PGAT brought SSG on board with a whopping $3 billion investment in the newly planned PGA Tour Enterprise, this certainly closed the doors for Public Investment Fund’s entry, at least, in terms of financial aspects. This meant that any future hopes of LIV Golfers getting back on the PGA Tour is certainly far from being achieved.
When PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced a merger with the PIF, it was said that he wanted them on board to shut down the league. However, things got even more complicated after the PGA Tour announced a $3 billion deal with the Strategic Sports Group.
However, as per the former DP World Tour CEO, Keith Pelley, the negotiations between the two parties are still on and things can not be ruled out. But some reports suggest that the talks between them have gone cold keeping the future of LIV Golfers hanging.
It is also said that the Public Investment Fund wants LIV Golf to be integrated with the PGA Tour and the players must be allowed to play on the Tour’s event. However, whether the PGA Tour is actually looking at these prospects is still unknown.
A few reports also suggest that players did not get bitter about having PIF on board. But they had only one condition that the players from the Saudi-funded league are left out.
What Did Players Say About The Possibilities of LIV Golfers Being Back On The PGA Tour?
Multiple PGA Tour players asked for a penalty of some sort of punishment for LIV golfers if they were allowed back. Player Director Jordan Spieth stated that there was no need for a deal with the PIF after the PGAT-SSG deal. However, he added that if the deal still happened it would solely mean for the unification of golf.
“I don’t think that it’s needed. I think the positive [of a deal with PIF] would be a unification [of PGA Tour and LIV players], but I just think it’s something that is almost not even worth talking about right this second. The idea is that we have a strategic partner that allows the PGA Tour to go forward the way that it’s operating right now without anything else.”
However, Rory McIlroy wished for the deal to happen to unify the game of golf. He urged both the parties, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, to “let bygones be bygones” and work together for the betterment of golf.
“We need to get everyone back together and try to forget about what’s happened in the past, let bygones be bygones and we all move forward together, and I think that’s what’s going to be the best thing for the professional game,” the Northern Irishman said.
Meanwhile, Justin Thomas expressed his discomfort about LIV golfers being back on the PGA Tour. He backed these thoughts by explaining that it would hurt a lot of players who stayed loyal to the Tour and decided to hold themselves from accepting lucrative offers.
“I think there’s a lot of us that made sacrifices and were very … whether it’s true to our word or what we believe in or just didn’t make that decision, and I totally understand that things are changing and things are getting better, but it just would … I would have a hard time with it,”
After a whopping $3 billion PGAT-SSG deal if the PIF are still brought on board, it would certainly be because of one sole reason; the unification of the game. So, all fans can do is hope for the best. If the deal is finalized between them, there are chances that LIV Golfers may be allowed to compete again on the US-based Tour. But what intensity of punishment is given to them is still unknown.
