According to Endeavor chief executive Ari Emanuel, the company was pitched a stake in the Saudi-backed circuit by Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau.
When Rory McIlroy shot five-under on the back nine in Wednesday’s practice round at Augusta National in April, he allowed himself a thought that he knew he should never have: This is going to be my best Masters ever.
At peace with himself, his game, his move to LIV Golf and his appearance in Netflix’s “Full Swing” series, Brooks Koepka showed some promise that he can contend in next week’s Masters after a hot start to LIV Golf’s Orlando tournament Friday.
Golf Digest spoke to a number of players about the plan that was presented to them in a meeting on Tuesday at the Players Championship – and was apparently passed in a surprise vote nine days ago by the PGA Tour Policy Board during the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Sentiment ranged from hope to unease to downright indignation.
Phil Mickelson has made it abundantly clear that he believes if the PGA Tour leadership had latched onto some of his ideas to emphasise its marquee players, it wouldn’t find itself in the position of contending with LIV Golf. And to take it a step further, maybe the upstart Saudi circuit wouldn’t have come into existence at all.
The tour and DP World Tour announced they have expanded their relationships with the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association, with the KPGA now a part of the circuits’ strategic alliance.
With four months’ worth of hindsight, it appears the gathering of nearly two dozen high-profile tour pros in August can be viewed as a turning point for the PGA Tour in its ongoing fight with the Saudi-backed upstart.
The top three players on the Japanese Order of Merit will earn membership onto the DP World Tour for the ensuing year, beginning with the 2022-2023 season.
The golf impresario Jimmy Dunne, the ultimate elite-golf clubby insider with the disarmingly candid demeanour of an old-school New York City cab driver, will be joining the PGA Tour policy board in the new year as an independent director.
Australian Golf Digest
