The most disruptive year in golf history ended in June when the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, agreed to merge to create a new entity to “unify” golf.
A delay beyond the Dec. 31 deadline could mean that LIV Golf may continue to operate as a separate sports organization for some or all of the upcoming professional golf season. LIV has two more events this year scheduled. One at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia, and another at Trump National Doral in Miami.
The PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf announced a merger this summer after years of bad blood between the two organizations. LIV poached several big name golfers away from the PGA, and members of both parties at times pursued legal action against one another.When the merger agreement was announced, many PGA golfers were shocked and one American golfer Dylan Wu tweeted “I guess money always wins.
Critics of golfers and the PGA Tour for getting involved with LIV often cite Saudi Arabia’’s human rights record.