PGA Tour and LIV Golf unification "inevitable", says outgoing DP ...

4 Mar 2024
PGA Tour
Collective product will be only way for growth and prize funds to “continue at this level”, according to Pelley Merger talks with PGA Tour and LIV Golf are ongoing

Outgoing DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley says unification between between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is “inevitable”, even if it takes ten years.

Golf’s civil war has rumbled on for two years since LIV, the big-money Saudi breakaway venture, began tempting a host of top names with lavish paydays.

“Whether it be in six months, a year, two years or ten years, I think people are coming to the realisation that a collective product is in the best interest of global golf,” Pelley told The Times.

“It is the only way growth and prize funds continue at this level. It is inevitable.”

Rory McIlroy said recently he fears golf will remain “fractured forever” unless the opportunity to create a more global game is embraced.

The four-time major winner, initially an outspoken critic of LIV, has suggested a world tour incorporating “corporate America” and Saudi Arabian investment, but one which also elevates historic national Opens in the likes of Australia and South Africa.

“I’m very much aligned with Rory,” added Pelley.

“Rory is the player I have leant on the most, going back to the beginning. You need people who aren’t afraid to say what they really think.”

It was confirmed in January that Pelley would be joining Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), owner of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Toronto Raptors and the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Toronto Maple Leafs.

Are you set up for success? Join us at SportsPro Live in London this April as we unlock the secrets to successful monetisation, audience engagement, and environmental and social responsibility. Get your pass now.

Read more
Similar news