--- title: PGA Tour and LIV Golf Marriage Shows the Power of Saudi Cash description: In a shocking twist, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf announced the two organizations would join forces and end intense sniping and litigation. canonical: https://time.com/6285296/pga-tour-liv-saudi-arabia-golf-merger/ author: Sean Gregory article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-06-06T20:13:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:24:15.733Z article:section: Sports og:title: A Stunning Golf Merger Shows How Saudi Cash Could Change Sports og:description: Critics call it "sportswashing" og:url: https://time.com/6285296/pga-tour-liv-saudi-arabia-golf-merger/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt87c9def0ba0b1d1d/698a3d994ee262afba31b747/GettyImages-1404487146.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3382 og:image:height: 1902 og:image:alt: Travelers Championship - Preview Day 3 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A Stunning Golf Merger Shows How Saudi Cash Could Change Sports twitter:description: Critics call it "sportswashing" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt87c9def0ba0b1d1d/698a3d994ee262afba31b747/GettyImages-1404487146.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A Stunning Golf Merger Shows How Saudi Cash Could Change Sports > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: A Breakdown of the Stunning PGA Tour-LIV Golf Merger [Watch (HLS stream): A Breakdown of the Stunning PGA Tour-LIV Golf Merger](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/R7wor19Y.m3u8) (6:46)  _Published 2023-06-09. The PGA Tour announced a stunning merger with Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf venture on June 6 that creates a global operation featuring the world’s top professional golf players backed by the Saudis’ massive wealth. Sean Gregory breaks down the international controversy from LIV Golf’s origins to where it stands today._  by [Sean Gregory](https://time.com/author/sean-gregory/)  ## Sean Gregory Senior Correspondent Jun 6, 2023 8:13 PM UTC The PGA Tour announced a stunning merger with Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf venture on June 6 that creates a global operation featuring the world’s top professional golf players backed by the Saudis’ massive wealth. Sean Gregory breaks down the international controversy from LIV Golf’s origins to where it stands today.  by [Sean Gregory](https://time.com/author/sean-gregory/)  ## Sean Gregory Senior Correspondent Jun 6, 2023 8:13 PM UTC Almost a year ago to the day, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan joined CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz for a live television interview at the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto. The Saudi-backed LIV Golf, the upstart rival to the PGA that had raided the tour to sign some of its star players, like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau, to lucrative contracts, had just kicked off its first event, in London. Nantz started the discussion noting that 9/11 Families United had sent a letter to representatives of newly minted LIV golfers accusing them of “betraying the United States.” Families have filed lawsuits [accusing Saud](https://apnews.com/article/terrorism-us-news-ap-top-news-courts-barack-obama-238920f856534d1aaf63984d3bb02293)i Arabia of playing a role in the attacks—15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis. Saudi Arabia has denied such accusations. The kingdom, however, has a[ long history](https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/saudi-arabia/report-saudi-arabia/) of human rights abuses; a U.S. intelligence report, for example, concluded that the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, approved the operation that resulted in the murder of Washington _Post_ journalist [Jamal Khashoggi, ](https://time.com/5944070/us-sanction-mohammed-bin-salman/)a long-term U.S. resident. “You’d have to be living under a rock,” Monahan told Nantz, “not to know that there are significant implications” for signing on with LIV. Monahan mentioned that two families close to him lost loved ones in the attacks. “I would ask any player that has left, or any player that would ever consider leaving, have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?” Monahan said. Litigation between the two entities soon commenced. That clip, which is still posted on the [PGA Tour’s Twitter page,](https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1536079782085070848) is remarkable to view in light of today’s stunning news: the PGA Tour and LIV Golf—along with the[ DP World Tour,](https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/schedule/) or the European Tour—have agreed to merge, and in theory form a unified global entity to showcase the game of golf. All litigation between the two bodies will cease. **Read More:** [_How the Next Big Golf Star Is Perfecting His Game_](https://time.com/collection/next-generation-leaders/6278542/matt-fitzpatrick/) While the exact structure of this unnamed, for-profit entity—and what it means for golf fans—is still being worked out, it seems safe to say that the PGA Tour and the players themselves will directly benefit from Saudi investment, especially when it comes to prize money. The kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), according to the release announcing the merger, “will have the exclusive right to further invest in the new entity, including a right of first refusal on any capital that may be invested in the new entity, including into the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and DP World Tour.” Monahan isn’t mentioning any apologies today. For almost two years, since word of LIV Golf’s impending launch began causing jitters, the PGA Tour and many of its players—especially four-time major winner Rory McIlroy—have bashed the emergent entity. “There’s no room in the golf world for LIV Golf,” says McIlroy. “I don’t agree with what LIV is doing. If LIV went away tomorrow, I’d be super happy.” The announcement caught Tour players off-guard. “Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening,” Michael Kim [wrote on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Mike%5Fkim714/status/1666086822357913602?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1666086822357913602%7Ctwgr%5E25624ab35d765537cdcdd150048b5d8cc7fe9b95%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5F&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fgolf%2F2023%2F06%2F06%2Fliv-golf-pga-merger-live-updates-player-reactions%2F). “About 5-7 people? Player run organization right?” “So, you preach loyalty to a tour and convince guys not to take 8 and 9 figure deals based, in part, on that loyalty and, in part, on the source of the money,” ESPN anchor and golf studio host Scott van Pelt [wrote on Twitter](https://twitter.com/notthefakeSVP/status/1666100382160879617). “Then those guys find out on Twitter YOU took the very same money?” Some pundits compared the merger to the NBA-ABA unification in 1976, or the NFL combining with the AFL a decade earlier. Indeed, it’s been a long time since an upstart sports entity bullied its way into the establishment. And both the NBA and NFL were better off, long-term, after absorbing the other entity’s players and franchises. **Read More:** [_$255 Million in Prize Money. Phil Mickelson’s Implosion. Saudi Arabia’s Influence on Golf Raises Concerns_](https://time.com/6177593/pga-championship-phil-mickelson-saudi-tour/) But there’s a crucial difference between these deals and the PGA-LIV marriage. The ABA and AFL were backed by [polyester manufacturers who made a savvy business call ](https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2012/09/15/silna-brothers-nba)and a guy who dressed like [your neighbor in the witness protection program,](https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/editorials/article/Al-Davis-was-one-of-a-kind-2327724.php) Not the sovereign wealth fund of a state with a troubling record of malfeasance. The Saudis, however, have kept their aggressive push into sports, maintaining that sports investment plays a key part of the cultural transformation of the kingdom while contributing to its economic diversification. Critics call it [“sportswashing.](https://time.com/6127539/saudi-arabia-jeddah-f1-sportswashing/)” Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time world player of the year, is getting a reported $75 million per year to [play in the Saudi soccer league](https://time.com/6244440/saudi-arabia-ronaldo-correspondent/). Saudi Arabia [may bid](https://www.politico.eu/article/qatar-fifa-world-cup-the-secret-saudi-plan-to-buy-the-cup/) on the 2030 World Cup, and the PIF purchased Newcastle United, the English Premier League club, in 2021\. F1’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix debuted two years ago. Saudi Arabia has hosted boxing and WWE events. Given all the acrimony between the PGA Tour and LIV, the tour seemed likely to resist the Saudi sports play. That’s why this deal is such a stunner. Golf couldn’t resist the cash, which speaks louder than any human rights group. ## Transcript [00:06] So live [00:07] golf is part of Saudi Arabia's [00:11] large scale investment into sports. [00:15] It is backed by the kingdom's public investment fund, [00:19] which seems to have an endless flow of resources. [00:24] The state of Saudi Arabia [00:25] has been investing into sports to try to modernize its economy. [00:29] Critics say it's a way in which the kingdom can whitewash [00:35] its human rights record. [00:36] That strategy is known as sports washing. [00:38] Saudi Arabia, according to U.S. [00:40] intelligence, was behind the murder of a US resident and Washington Post [00:45] journalist Jamal Khashoggi. [00:46] There have been other human rights violations in Saudi Arabia, [00:48] treatment of women, treatment of the LGBTQ community, all kinds of things. [00:53] And going back to 911, the 911, nine, 11 victims groups [00:58] hold Saudi Arabia still responsible for the attacks. [01:01] When you partner with a country that stands in stark opposition [01:04] to American ideals and often ranks amongst amongst one of the worst human [01:08] rights abusers in the world, you aren't just playing golf. [01:11] You're taking a political stance. [01:13] Live golf started about a year [01:15] ago, was the first event it was announced in March of 2022. [01:19] Greg Norman, the Golf Hall of Famer, was the CEO. [01:23] It kicked off last year to much fanfare and criticism [01:27] because live golf used [01:30] Saudi Arabia's seemingly endless resources to sign [01:34] several big time golf stars from the PGA Tour. [01:38] Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and others. [01:42] Dustin Johnson. Bryson DeChambeau. [01:44] So big names on the PGA Tour fled to live golf. [01:48] The PGA Tour would say they were traitors in a way, took the money, [01:52] and the PGA Tour was very critical [01:54] of the source of the live money, which was the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [01:58] And in a way, they were framing live golf's resources [02:03] as a sort of blood money, which makes the fact that the PGA [02:07] Tour is now partnering with live golf that much more shocking. [02:11] Live golf, it seemed, offered millions and millions of dollars. [02:15] So, for example, reportedly, Rory McIlroy [02:19] might have turned down something like $500 million to join live golf. [02:24] Tiger Woods was reportedly offered, I believe, in the $700 million range. [02:30] This is all kind of second hand reporting speculation. [02:33] But the bottom line is there's no doubt that live [02:37] golf offered eye popping sums of money. [02:40] You know, the PGA's reaction was aggression. [02:43] When live golf started, they saw saw live golf as the enemy. [02:47] Lawsuits were filed against live golf almost a year [02:50] to the day that this merger was announced. [02:54] PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan did an interview on CBS Sports with Jim Nantz, [03:00] basically calling out the source of live golf funds, the Saudi Arabian state. [03:05] And I would. [03:05] Ask, you know, any player that has left or any player that would ever consider [03:10] leaving, have you ever had to apologize [03:14] for being a member of the PGA Tour? [03:17] Almost a year later, he has changed his tune when again, [03:21] he is now welcoming Saudi money into the PGA Tour fold. [03:26] This ultimately is a decision that I think is in the best interests [03:29] of all of the members of the PGA Tour. [03:31] The player reaction was complete surprise and shock, and they were stunned [03:36] that the PGA Tour, which is supposed to represent professional players, [03:39] did not clue any professional players into what was going on. [03:43] The people that left the PGA Tour are rapidly harmed. [03:47] This tour started litigation against it, like we can't just welcome them back in. [03:52] Like, that's not going to happen. [03:54] I still hit live like I hit it [03:57] like I hope it goes away. [04:00] The incentives for both organization for for this partnership [04:04] for let's start with the PGA Tour. It's money. [04:06] It's a huge revenue source. [04:09] You know, if live golf is offering Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods [04:13] and all these players hundreds of millions of dollars to join their tour, [04:17] that money can now flow into the overall PGA umbrella [04:22] and make the game, [04:24] in theory, more attractive to players, [04:27] maybe do some different experimentations with tournament. [04:31] Another incentive is the PGA Tour seemingly will get its players back. [04:35] Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, you know, they will be back in the fold. Oh, [04:43] they're going to. [04:43] Help you, Phil. [04:44] PGA Tour gets a lot of money [04:46] and gets its players back so you can understand why they would do this. [04:51] The PGA Tour sort of eliminates the competition here live golf [04:55] and the Saudi investment fund gets to keep its power in the game. [05:00] The release makes clear [05:01] that the Saudi decision makers have first dibs on capital investments. [05:06] The whole point of this was Saudi Arabia using its resources to diversify [05:12] its economy, get return on its sports investments, and be a global player [05:16] in sports. [05:17] Saudi Arabian cash is in golf to stay and is in global sports to stay. [05:22] Taking all the ethical things aside, if you're a pure golf fan [05:26] and all you care about is seeing entertaining golf week to week. [05:31] It stands [05:32] to reason that this can be a good thing, that more money coming into the game, [05:36] perhaps more innovation players back in playing and at each other. [05:40] So from a purely golf point of view, it does no doubt have some upside. [05:45] You can see why the stakeholders made this decision. [05:48] The question is now, after a year [05:51] of criticizing live golf, criticizing the state of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia [05:56] for past sins, you're in a marriage with Saudi Arabia, [05:59] and how do you handle that ethically and morally? [06:02] The bottom line is memories tend to be short [06:06] and people like their sports and sports washing is a thing. [06:11] But who's going to not watch golf because of it? [06:14] When live golf merges with the PGA Tour, it's the sovereign wealth [06:18] fund of a foreign entity with a questionable human rights record. [06:22] That's never happened before. [06:24] American sports has never had to really grapple with that. [06:27] And it'll be really interesting to see how American sports grapples [06:32] with this very convoluted, complicated, geopolitically tense issue. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6285296/pga-tour-liv-saudi-arabia-golf-merger/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6285296/pga-tour-liv-saudi-arabia-golf-merger/"},"headline":"A Stunning Golf Merger Shows How Saudi Cash Could Change Sports","datePublished":"2023-06-06T20:13:40.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T07:24:15.733Z","description":"Critics call it \"sportswashing\"","url":"https://time.com/6285296/pga-tour-liv-saudi-arabia-golf-merger/","keywords":["golf","society-team"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt87c9def0ba0b1d1d/698a3d994ee262afba31b747/GettyImages-1404487146.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sean Gregory","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/sean-gregory/"}],"articleSection":"Sports","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt87c9def0ba0b1d1d/698a3d994ee262afba31b747/GettyImages-1404487146.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Travelers Championship - Preview Day 3","caption":"Travelers Championship - Preview Day 3","creditText":"Michael Reaves—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/sports/","name":"Sports"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/golf/","name":"golf"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6285296/pga-tour-liv-saudi-arabia-golf-merger/","name":"A Stunning Golf Merger Shows How Saudi Cash Could Change Sports"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"A Breakdown of the Stunning PGA Tour-LIV Golf Merger","description":"The PGA Tour announced a stunning merger with Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf venture on June 6 that creates a global operation featuring the world’s top professional golf players backed by the Saudis’ massive wealth. 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