PGA Tour and DP World Tour strengthen forces against LIV threat

The PGA Tour led by commissioner Jay Monahan hasn’t been shy in expressing its thoughts about the rival LIV Series.

Last week Monahan called the upstart league “an irrational threat” to reporters.

“If this is an arms race and if the only weapons here are dollar bills, the PGA Tour can’t compete,” he said. “The PGA Tour, an American institution, can’t compete with a foreign monarchy that is spending billions of dollars in an attempt to buy the game of golf.

“We welcome good, healthy competition. The LIV Saudi Golf League is not that. It’s an irrational threat, one not concerned with the return on investment or true growth of the game.”

As the LIV Series prepares for their second tournament and first in the U.S. this weekend, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour have moved to strengthen their alliance against LIV.

During a joint press conference Monahan and DP World Golf Tour CEO Keith Pelley detailed a new 13-year joint operational agreement between their organizations. The agreement will provide a new path to qualify for the PGA Tour, and increase prize money in DP World Golf Tour events.

The PGA Tour will increase their ownership in European Tour Productions from 15 to 40 percent, and will also boost purses.

Perhaps the biggest bonus, starting next year, the top 10 finishers on the DP World Tour will receive their PGA Tour card for the following season. This may entice more players around the globe to forsake the money being handed out by the LIV Series.

“We will continue to collaborate on a global schedule and key commercial areas as we draw our organizations and memberships even closer together while innovating to provide the most entertaining and compelling golf possible to fans around the world,” Monahan said.

Pelley was pleased with the new arrangement between his tour and Monahan’s, while acknowledging they can’t simply rest on their laurels as the LIV Series continues to add young, in their prime major champions like Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau to their ranks.

“I passionately believe that this move is the right thing for our players, our Tour, our fans, and the game of golf in general,” Pelley said.

Both tours have suspended tour memberships for those players who’ve played in the inaugural LIV Series event outside London, or who plan to play in Oregon this weekend.

The LIV Series continues to operate without a television deal in place, and without any Official World Golf Ranking points being awarded for their tournaments. Both of those will be crucial to their long-term survival, regardless of how much money they can throw at players.