The rumors circulating between Saudi Arabia and the headquarters of PGA Tour Enterprises regarding the possible breakdown of the agreement between the Saudis of LIV and the Americans, if confirmed, could actually change the landscape of international golf, especially starting from 2025.
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If Saudi Arabia were to continue to generously finance its circuit, it is plausible to imagine a further expansion of the alliance between the LIV and the Asian Tour, supported by the Saudi PIF. This partnership could become the cornerstone of a new world golf order, with the creation of two interconnected circuits: one in series A, represented by the LIV, and one in series B.
In the new hypothesized scenario, the Asian Tour could organize a series of tournaments with high prize money, guaranteed by Saudi funding, with a results-based award structure that would allow the best players to access the Serie A tour, i.e. the LIV. At the same time, the bottom finishers in the LIV could be relegated to the Asian Tour, giving them another opportunity to compete.
This system could also solve the issue of missing points in the World Ranking, with LIV players able to obtain the necessary points by participating in Asian Tour tournaments, as demonstrated by players such as Niemann and Puig.
As for the PGA Tour Enterprises, it seems oriented towards the creation of a series A circuit, represented by the Signature Events, and a series B circuit, for “normal” tournaments. However, there has been criticism from players regarding this split.
It is clear that we are facing a period of significant change in the world of professional golf, and statements from authoritative figures such as Paul Azinger reflect the feeling that the PGA Tour may be losing its prominent position to the LIV. However, the future of golf still remains to be seen and could hold surprises even beyond the next two to three seasons.
The inception of a potential rival to the PGA Tour began to take shape in 2019 with the announcement of the Premier Golf League. This new league aimed to challenge the PGA Tour’s dominance in professional golf. In response, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan suggested that golfers participating in the new league could face exclusion from PGA Tour events.
In 2020, the PGA European Tour and the PGA Tour formed a strategic alliance to collaborate on various aspects including commercial ventures, scheduling, and prize funds for their respective memberships. This move was seen as a response to the emerging competition from the Premier Golf League.
While the Premier Golf League engaged in discussions with Saudi investors for financial backing, Golf Saudi, a division of the Public Investment Fund, decided to fund its own initiative in 2020. This led to the establishment of a new entity known as LIV Golf Investments in October 2021, often referred to as the “Super Golf League”. Greg Norman, a former professional golfer, was appointed as the CEO of this new venture.
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