Ok PGA Tour, What’s Next?

I honestly don’t know.  I don't know what today's announcement regarding a "merger" of the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and LIV Golf means.

As I’m writing this, I’m getting the impression that no one knows right now.

Today’s announcement came as a surprise to almost everyone, maybe not the two principals, but apparently it was to everyone else.

So, in the hours that have passed since the announcement of this partnership between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the Saudi Investment Fund (LIV GOLF) there has been a lot of speculation.  A lot of emotion, a lot of tweets but very little facts.  That’s because just about EVERY detail needs to be worked out.

When I hear the word “merger” I’m old enough to remember the old AFL/NFL merger.  The ABA and the NBA.  By the way, it doesn’t escape me that we still refer to those leagues as the NFL and the NBA.  No AFL or ABA mentions.  Maybe an omen.

But here’s the thing I wonder, will this in the end be an actual co-mingling of players, events and schedules?  Maybe.  Or maybe, if you listen VERY carefully to the wording of the announcement, it’ll be one large organization, funded by these three entities, but still operating as we have come to know them.  The PGA Tour will still travel from city to city, playing tournaments on familiar golf courses and because of the charitable component, leave those cities better than they found them.  The DP World Tour will still criss cross the world, primarily Europe and the Middle East playing their events.  And LIV, they’ll continue to do whatever it is they do.

I said earlier during a TV interview, when the news was raw, that I was beginning to envision what Greg Norman had thought about decades ago.  A singular tour, playing 40 to 45 events, all around the world.  What would something like that mean for a collection of PGA tournaments?  What would happen to Hilton Head, Greensboro, etc.? What about the smaller stops on the DP World Tour.  I don’t have any idea how this will shake out.  As I continue to digest the information, I’m thinking that if in the end, things in 2024 don’t look that much different than 2023, I’m not going to be surprised.

Maybe it was all about ending the litigation.  Maybe none of the principals wanted to open up their books for scrutiny.  Is that how we got here?

Oh, and one more thing, because Augusta National always figures into the conversation.  There is a train of thought that it was the Club and the Masters that got us to this point.  Allowing the players from LIV to play, and subsequently, them playing in the other majors, forced the hand of the PGA Tour and they had to come to some sort of an agreement.  Again, no idea.

There are many more questions than answers.  The leaders at the head of the table seem to be unsure.  If that’s the case, then we’re just guessing.  Wouldn’t be surprised if we’re guessing wrong.