Rory McIlroy has incurred the displeasure of some colleagues. Image: AFP
The PGA Tour receives billions in funding, while the Saudis counteract this with LIV Golf. Now even allied stars like Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth are clashing. Where is this supposed to end?
The “civil war” in the Gulf continues. An end to the split, now in its third year, between the traditional PGA Tour series and the rival league LIV Golf, which is financed with billions by the Saudi Arabian Private Investment Fund (PIF), appears to be after the new deal that the PGA Tour signed with the PGA Tour last week Strategic Sports Group (SSG) is not in sight.
The SSG, a consortium of American owners of professional sports clubs, is investing three billion dollars (2.78 billion euros) in the creation of the new for-profit company PGA Tour Enterprises, of which the first tranche of 1.5 billion dollars (1.39 billion euros) is immediately available.