05 November 2023 , 12:26
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The tectonic plates of the world of golf continue to shift with a surprising decision from the PGA Tour that will allow its players to compete in a LIV Golf event.
PGA Tour members have been granted permission to take part in the LIV Golf Promotions event in December. The three-day event at Abu Dhabi Golf Club will award the top three finishers a place among the 48-man field for LIV's third season in 2024.
“Based on the information publicly available regarding the LIV Golf Promotion event, it is determined to be a qualifying event only and not a part of an unauthorised series," a PGA Tour spokesman said. "Therefore, the LIV Golf Promotion event is not categorised as an ‘unauthorised tournament.’ This classification is subject to change should the details of the event change.”
The tours have been at war over the past two seasons, with the PGA Tour forbidding its players from playing in the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway tournament. As a result of the hardline stance, a slew of the world's best players and biggest names have defected to LIV due to the allure of smaller fields, bigger purses and a lighter schedule.
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The game at the elite level has been left fractured as a result, with PGA Tour superstars like Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm only competing against LIV players such as Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith at the four major championships.
But stunning news came in June that the PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan had agreed to a proposed deal to join forces and create a new governing body, giving the Saudis a seat at the top table and ending the back-and-forth litigation between both sides.
The merger is yet to be ratified and has faced significant scrutiny from the United States Senate. Details on the new entity and what the game will look like in the years ahead are limited.
The PGA Tour, led by Jay Monahan, has softened its stance on LIV Golf with merger talks ongoing. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)But the decision to permit players to compete in a LIV-run event emphasises the softening in approach from both sides. Until now, the PGA Tour has had a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to its members taking part in LIV events.
The PGA Tour rulebook states: “Any player who has participated in an unauthorised tournament is ineligible to compete in any event sanctioned by the PGA Tour for a period of one year, from the final round of competition of the unauthorised tournament in which he participated.”
As for who competes in the promotion event at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, it is unlikely any of the PGA Tour's star players will be involved. LIV has forked out huge signing fees for top players like Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson to join, rather than forcing them to earn their place on merit.
The event is likely to be more appealing for the PGA Tour's rank-and-file members in the lower reaches of the rankings, who do not have the same kind of job security enjoyed by their more successful peers. The opportunity to play for a guaranteed place on LIV's roster without fear of punishment from the PGA Tour could be of significant appeal.