The PGA was taking advantage of an arcane payment and reward system within the sport of golf. An alternative to the control of the PGA Tour was created by a competing organization called LIV golf. The LIV Tour paid the pro players with contracts similar to other competitive sports.
The result was a traditional PGA tour furious with the competition in their business model, while simultaneously the LIV tour enthusiastically embraced the game and created a more fun and engaging experience for the fans of golf. President Trump was one of the first to see the value in the LIV business model, and as the politics of the PGA blacklisted Trump properties, Donald Trump opened his championship courses to all the LIV events. [2022 Truth Social]
President Trump could see the future of the sport and warned last year the PGA players were painting themselves into a corner. Trump could see the vibrancy of the sport was leaning in favor of the LIV approach. Donald Trump could also foresee the two competing organizations merging. That merger was announced today, about a year after President Trump noted it was a foregone conclusion.
[PGA TOUR] – The PGA TOUR, DP World Tour and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) today announced a landmark agreement to unify the game of golf, on a global basis. 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.
In addition, PIF will make a capital investment into the new entity to facilitate its growth and success. The new entity (name TBD) will implement a plan to grow these combined commercial businesses, drive greater fan engagement and accelerate growth initiatives already underway. With LIV Golf in the midst of its second, groundbreaking season, the PGA TOUR, DP World Tour and PIF will work together to best feature and grow team golf going forward.
Notably, today’s announcement will be followed by a mutually agreed end to all pending litigation between the participating parties. Further, the three organizations will work cooperatively and in good faith to establish a fair and objective process for any players who desire to re-apply for membership with the PGA TOUR or the DP World Tour following the completion of the 2023 season and for determining fair criteria and terms of re-admission, consistent with each Tour’s policies.
“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “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. Going forward, fans can be confident that we will, collectively, deliver on the promise we’ve always made – to promote competition of the best in professional golf and that we are committed to securing and driving the game’s future. (read more)
As part of the agreement, the sides agreed to mutually end all pending litigation. The PGA Tour had filed a federal lawsuit in October against Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, while LIV Golf players had filed a federal antitrust last August after the PGA Tour threatened to prevent LIV Golf players from competing in the four majors.
“There is no question that the LIV model has been positively transformative for golf,” PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan said in a statement. “We believe there are opportunities for the game to evolve while also maintaining its storied history and tradition. This partnership represents the best opportunity to extend and increase the impact of golf for all.”
“Prescient Trump!”
The sports jocks on the Golf Channel are losing their minds over this. Those liberal hacks can’t stand conservatives like Phil who went to LIV.
More power to those big names that bolted the PGA for LIV. Obviously with big name LIV players winning majors and finishing in top five, that was too much for the PGA and they caved.
Since LIV played on Trump courses, the PGA might have to go back there now, too.
Mother Jones doesn’t like Trump … or the Saudi’s … or Golf … or money … or profits … or winners and losers … or competition … or American values …
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/06/live-golf-pga-trump/
Mother Jones and their leftist lunatics can GFT
That article on mother jones was up for 6 hours and has ONE comment.
1
They’re begging for contributions.
LMFAO
Die on the vine mj!
LOL I just read the article and Mother Jones must have taken down their comment section because there are NO comments today.
They will be going to Trumps courses, they won’t have a choice, they no longer call the shots, the owners do. Those with the bankroll are the owners and we all know who that is.
Sooner or later they will be teeing up a major on a Trump venue.
Another fossil fuel victory.
Yes indeed great for pro golfers. Just remember two things.
The women’s golf – LPGA is and has been for years sponsored by the same Saudi money which the lefties were protesting LIV were taking.
Secondly the Open (or British Open as is known in America) is owned by the Royal and Ancient of St Andrews.
They in common with the entire British media suffer from terminal Trump derangement syndrome.
I cannot visualise a time when they will be cured and return the Open to Trump Turnberry – one of the finest Scottish venues.
I read a long time ago that the UK takes over 50% of the prize money from the winner of the British Open. I think I would forego any tournament in the UK.
They are not jocks, they are talking heads. Most never had a jock on in their lives. Most not even played golf and just read script
its hilarious. AND, from what I read, discovery was coming in the suits and PGA wanted NO part of that! I was shocked to read they are a 501 3(c) tax exempt !! Really??!! o boy.
Trump has incredible business acumen.
Yes he does, very smart but it does not carry over to people judgement . Terrible judgement I’m people and unfortunately you need that skill in politics
Unused to “playing politics”, but President Trump wants government to be run as a “Business”, not as a political machine. Better ‘selection’ process may occur when he gets another Term. May it happen!
I don’t believe that’s all on him. Chief of Staff Priebus & the other guy referred anti-Trump RINOs… Christie did so also during transition. Other functions entrusted to Pence, like corona, etc. And then, Senate only approves UniParty Swampers… he could have improved, but they were all swimming upstream…
Trump walked into a rat’s nest, 90% of DC is corrupt. He knows now who to trust.
Another reason we love Trump, he’s just smarter than the criminal buffoons stumbling around in DC and those obediently regurgitating their masters scripts on the MSM.
Trump can assess reality and its most likely consequences for what they are, and most likely will be, and boldly speaks to them out loud.
His supporters may not be able to clearly define what all his qualities are in these regards but they’re obvious to see as they play out. Which is precisely why it literally freaks those out suffering from acute TDS to the point of hysteria and mental self destruction. Reality, and Trump stating it, is their Tell-Tale Heart
President Trump has that way of making people unmask themselves.
LIV golf will be gone in a year or two. There was very little interest in the tournaments from golf fans (with exception of Australia) and the TV contract with CW produced very few viewers. The golfing world will revert to the way it was before LIV with the PGA TOUR, the DP World Tour and the various other developing tours. The only difference will will be the ginormous volume of sportswashing money that the Saudi’s will throw at it.
PGA was flexing its muscle threatening advertisers & networks with its own boycotts. No wonder there was little exposure. When two of the four major champions are members of LIV, it is a hard sell to continue to say LIV members are all has-beens. Ironically, many staunch PGA players such as Rory McElroy annually play in lucrative Middle Eastern Qatar that borders with Saudi Arabia. Trump is right that this merger is good for all golf players.
Some of the LIV members are past their prime. Many are not. Koepka would have won the PGA Championship even if he had still been a member of the tour he was already that good. Same with Cam Smith. He wasn’t a LIV member when he won the OPEN. The good in their prime golfers were not deveopled by LIV golf. They were bought by LIV golf and I don’t blame them for taking the money. The merger is good for golf. It will get it back on an even keel. I still think that LIV will disappear. Best part is no more snipping by the huge chip on their shoulders from a few of the participants.
As an aside, many PGA tour players are bought and paid for by major corporate interests. In fact, the bulk of money for PGA professionals at the top comes from these sources – not winning tournaments.
Also, take note that this money by and large is not flowing down to the country clubs and their assorted support staffs (golf pros for example).
Sore point with me is that so many golfers (other sports entities too), wear the Nike stuff, when so much negative information is available about the company and its practices.
if PGA members should be angry at PGA.. it should be because they are replacing them with younger and younger competition and more dilution:.. PGA Junior League, PGA U, PGA Works (‘underprivileged’), APGA, (color, not skill, how insulting really to them).. The pressure is on to win, and injuries are out of control! PGA members ought to be happy for the cash infusion and opportunities!
I doubt that. On all sides this has been about money from day 1.
Golf powers that be are looking at global economic dynamics and demographics. They’re looking at revenue streams that extend well beyond golf courses. They have an idea of where growth for the sport is going to happen.
Lest one forget: golf was already descending prior to Covid. In some respects, Covid saved golf’s bacon.
Huh? LIV tournaments were packed, tv coverage great from what I watched. Its new.
FYI…The LIV tour is a 54 hole tournament, thus the roman numeral 54, LIV.
Thanks , Daryl Poe , for reading my mind !
I was just wondering what LIV stood for and Boom💥there was my answer 😊
🗣Fore ⛳
With that explanation, it would seem that LIV ( as Alex Thomson believes) MUST disappear… at least the name.
all professional sports have gone through monopoly, competition and merger. Professional baseball had merger of upstart American league and National league in about 1906; NFL was monopoly from 1925 through about 1968, then upstart AFL formed in 1960 and merged with NFL in 1970; NBA had monopoly until mid 1970s when ABA was formed, then NBA and ABA merged some time in 1980s. So, PGA is going through same challenge to its monopoly and I agree with President Trump that PGA and LIV golf will most likely merge
Islam just purchased the PGA for 1 billion dollars. This is a huge step in the wrong direction for America. Jones, Hogan, Palmer are rolling. Nicklaus should make a statement, in no uncertain terms, condemning this move. The character of this nation has been further compromised. Ladies and gentlemen we are, in fact, going gently…
I happen to agree. I can’t help thinking about the 15 out of 19 were Saudi nationalist terrorist. How easily we forget.
Hunny the CIA and Mossad did 9/11 not the Saudis
Yea! Why, the PGA players could even enlarge the Nike emblems festooned all over their shirts, hats and jockstraps!
Cleaner dirt as it were.
I would have preferred LIV be independent of the PGA – it’s like a merger between MAGA and the GOPe. I’m sure that just like the GOPe, the PGA is like ‘In time we’ll run them out’.
Tiger and Rory look like buffoons. Hard lesson for Rory in particular – probably left +$10M on the table.
If Rory thought he was doing the right thing why is he a buffoon?
Thinking and knowing are two different things.
“Trump could see the vibrancy of the sport was leaning in favor of the LIV approach” Sorry can’t agree with that comment. It is a simple game. Grown men hitting a little white ball around a grass field. No amount of loud music and teams can change that. This is no merger between PGA Tour and LIV. LIV will disappear and Greg Norman will need to find another job.
Yep. This is the establishment absorbing the upstart.
You can’t fight corrupt culture
I would love to know what the Saudi attorney learned about how the PGA Tour actually runs and where the money goes. It was so devastating that Jay Monahan would rather be the biggest hypocrite in sport history.
Speculation: discovery in the lawsuits about to take place.. lots of juicy stuff PGA did not want out there? .. Maybe it was a win win, a soft blackmail saudis knowing the junk pga had been up to? for a 501 3(c), they sure have a massive revenue stream😊
Agree💯
Personal, to me, is the free coverage of LIV “live”, which is not true of the PGA coverage. Interested to see what comes about regarding the free “live” coverage aspect.
Yep Precient Trump knows how to win at golf but can not or will not see the sand pits awaiting him in the 2024 election.
Precident Trump could avoid the biggest election sandpit if he would listen an heed this advice.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/05/why_kari_lake_couldnt_close_the_deal.html
Otherwise Precident Trump will get caught in the big election 2024 sand pit again as before.
Read and heed Mr Precident.
🧐
American Thinker and Julie Kelly are deepstate.
Keep up.
POTUS Trump was prescient. And still is, IMO.
Trump giving the Royal Saudis a stake in the game. Great move for improved Saudi relationships.
The sour grapes from the ‘PGA crowd’ sounds just like the GOPe – a lot of effeminate leg crossers talking in hushed tones.
I’ll take my golf the LIV way, with gusto!