PGA Tour makes huge LIV Golf concession

The PGA Tour will NOT prevent its members from participating in LIV Golf’s Promotions Event next month.

The shock news, first reported by Sports Illustrated, comes amid continued uncertainty over the US-based circuit’s so-called Framework Agreement with LIV’s Saudi Arabian bankrollers.

It means that any PGA Tour member who wishes to play in the qualifying event for LIV Golf, taking place in Abu Dhabi from December 8-10, will be able to do so without the threat of sanctions.

Currently, multiple players – Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson amongst them – are serving indefinite suspensions from the PGA Tour for having joined Greg Norman’s upstart tour last year.

A PGA Tour spokesperson told Sports Illustrated: “Based on the information publicly available regarding the LIV Golf Promotion event, it is determined to be a qualifying event only and not a part of an unauthorised series.

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“Therefore, the LIV Golf Promotion event is not categorised as an ‘unauthorised tournament’. This classification is subject to change should the details of the event change.”

It is unclear what punishment a PGA Tour member might face in the event they earn a place on LIV through the tournament and subsequently participate in one of the circuit’s 54-hole events next year.

By then, of course, the landscape of the men’s professional game could look radically different.

The PGA Tour, DP World Tour have been locked in talks for several months with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia – the backers of LIV Golf – over a proposed alliance that would see golf’s warring factions combine their assets into one for-profit entity.

A deadline of December 31 has been set for those discussions to be turned into a more formal arrangement, although it is expected that this may be pushed back.

A source with knowledge of the discussions told bunkered.co.uk last week that “it would not necessarily be a bad thing” if there is indeed a delay, with the priority to reach a full, definitive agreement which satisfies all parties.

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The PGA Tour’s commissioner Jay Monahan said in August that he sees a “positive outcome” from the top-secret talks and that “sincere efforts are being made to get there”. However, it is no secret that the tour is also in discussions with American investors over a separate deal.

Regardless, the decision to allow its members to play in LIV’s Promotions Event is an interesting move by the PGA Tour.

Open to a wide range of professional and amateur golfers from around the world, the tournament will be unlike any other LIV Golf event in the fact that it is 72 holes, rather than 54.

It will also be broken up into sections featuring players from different exemption categories.

The event will have purse of $1.5 million, with the winner taking home $200,000, while second and third place will earn $150,000 and $100,000, respectively.

The top-three players will all receive an exemption into the LIV Golf League for 2024

Players finishing fourth to 10th will receive full exemption for all 2024 events on The International Series on the Asian Tour.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor