Former US President Donald Trump predicted the merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour just under a year ago when he hit out at the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods for not switching.
On Tuesday, the Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf agreed to merge with the PGA Tour to end the divide in golf. Several of the world’s most prominent players, including Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, and Cameron Smith, decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour in favour of the lucrative LIV Golf.
The move means the pending legal dispute between the tours will be placed on the back burner as they attempt to co-exist as a single entity. A signed agreement will combine the PGA Tour and LIV's commercial operations and rights into a new company that is yet-to-be-named. The agreement also includes the DP World Tour.
While the news startled golf fans online, Trump predicted a merger between the two golf leagues back in July 2022. The former president said: “All of those golfers that remain 'loyal' to the very disloyal PGA..will pay a big price when the inevitable merger with LIV comes, and you get nothing but a big 'thank you' from PGA officials.”
Back in June, former President Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), attended a LIV Golf tournament at Trump’s Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey. He also saw the season-finale event played at his Doral course in Miami, while he took part in the LIV Golf Pro-Am.
The arrival of LIV Golf disrupted the landscape of golf, with players lured to the series with money as well as no-cut events and a team format. The breakaway tour is funded by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) which owns Newcastle United.
As news of the merger emerged, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Moynahan suggested different aspects of either tour will be used as he said: “After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love. This transformational partnership recognises 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 organisation that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans.
“We are pleased to move forward, in step with LIV and PIF’s world-class investing experience, and I applaud PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan for his vision and collaborative and forward-thinking approach that is not just a solution to the rift in our game, but also a commitment to taking it to new heights. This will engender a new era in global golf, for the better.”
