It was reported last weekend that the PGA Tour have finally come to an agreement with LIV Golf bosses, and players who decided not to make the switch will be rewarded
Rory McIlroy’s call for players to be compensated for not leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf looks set to come true, after the two sides appeared to reach a groundbreaking agreement.
Having been at war since LIV’s formation in June 2022, the PGA Tour announced it was in negotiations with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) over ending their dispute. Nearly one-year-and-a-half on the two sides have come to an official agreement, according to The Sun.
On Saturday, the report claimed that golf’s civil war was over, with PGA Tour bosses and PIF chiefs agreeing a deal worth £1 billion, that would see the LIV setup move under the Tour ‘umbrella’.
As part of the agreement it was also claimed that players who opted to not follow the LIV riches and stay with the Tour will receive financial reward as part of the Saudi investment. A loyalty scheme was set up by PGA Tour bosses to reward those who stayed put earlier this year, and it is expected that PIF will add to this pot as part of a deal.
The reported proposal will be music to the ears of PGA Tour loyalist McIlroy, who made a similar claim after the two sides first announced their framework agreement in the summer of 2023. “There has to be something for those guys,” he told Sky Sports at the time.
“Yeah, I think so. Ultimately I think that’s what we’re talking about,” he later added when quizzed whether this ‘something’ should be financial. Per The Telegraph, McIlroy was one of the main beneficiaries of the initial loyalty payout from the Tour, alongside his TGL business partner Tiger Woods.
Rory McIlroy has been at the centre of the saga ( Image: Luke Walker/Getty Images)
McIlroy had previously been one of LIV’s biggest critics, but has warmed to the idea of the two circuits ending their bad blood to bring the sport back together. So much so, the Northern Irishman played alongside LIV chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan at last month’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, who also partnered PGA Tour commissioner – and fellow negotiator – Jay Monahan that week.
“I think it’s a great thing and good sign that Jay and Yasir are going to play together,” the four-time major winner said in Scotland. “And obviously you’ve got quite a big contingent over from LIV that are playing in this event. I think what Johann Rupert (who owns Dunhill) the man who runs this event is trying to do is just bring the golf world back together a little bit.
“If we need to be forced together in some way, he’s trying to do that. I think it will be good. It’s certainly a step in the right direction.” McIlroy also revealed that week that he expected a peace deal to be finalised by the end of the year. “In the business world, deals of this size take time.
“You are talking about billions of dollars changing hands, different jurisdictions. I think we’ll know a lot more by year’s end. We’re in October so hopefully three months to get something done.” McIlroy will return to DP World Tour action this week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
