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‘The hell is going on?’ Players, fans and others react to PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger

PGA Tour players were not happy on Twitter.

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The golf world was rocked Tuesday morning with the game-changing news of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour merging with LIV Golf.

Golf Twitter quickly went into a frenzy.

The announcement signaled the end of a nearly two-year-long battle between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf that led to suspensions and fines for players who jumped ship to play for the new tour.

Details of the agreement are still scarce, but the news hit everyone right at the same time. Players and fans alike learned some of the biggest news ever in professional golf from Twitter.

Safe to say many PGA Tour players weren’t pleased not to get any heads up from the PGA Tour before the announcement at about 10:00 a.m ET.

And everyone thought yesterday was the longest day in golf — Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa) June 6, 2023

Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with. — Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) June 6, 2023

I feel betrayed, and will not not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA TOUR for a very long time — Wesley Bryan (@wesleybryangolf) June 6, 2023

The hell is going on? — Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 6, 2023

Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right? 🤷🏻‍♂️ — Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 6, 2023

I’ve grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour! — Joel Dahmen (@Joel_Dahmen) June 6, 2023

Now that we’re all friends, is it too late for us to workshop some of these team names? pic.twitter.com/O8EDVqKClz — max homa (@maxhoma23) June 6, 2023

I’m guessing the liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years — Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) June 6, 2023

Can I also say that I love @PhilMickelson and everything he’s said the past two years has been spot on. He went up in flames in the media cuz of his brutal honesty and now everyone’s finally realizing he was right and the PGA Tour does whatever they feel like 😂😂😂 — Dylan Wu (@dylan_wu59) June 6, 2023

Was having quite the nice practice session this morning too pic.twitter.com/qWBKuM2yHO — Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 6, 2023

Can’t wait for the next players meeting 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🥲🤣🤣🤣🤣 @PGATOUR — Jhonattan Vegas (@JhonattanVegas) June 6, 2023

Surprised that this merger has happened so quickly but not surprised it’s happened. Definitely in the financial interest of both sides. Definitely in the financial interest of the players even though some of those who gain will feel like they’re losing. Good for the cohesion of… — Padraig Harrington (@padraig_h) June 6, 2023

pic.twitter.com/dndiYfJ12u — Tyrrell Hatton (@TyrrellHatton) June 6, 2023

A few LIV golfers, like Phil Mickelson , also reacted in real-time to the announcement. Mickelson remained somewhat cryptic in response to one tweet by No Laying Up’s Chris Solomon. Brooks Koepka, meanwhile, took the chance to take a shot a Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee who had been vocal in his disdain for LIV Golf.

Awesome day today 😊 https://t.co/qUwVJiydym — Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023

Not exactly — Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023

Welfare Check on Chamblee — Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) June 6, 2023

Soo can I play tpc sugarloaf again? @PGATOUR — Andy Ogletree (@andy_ogletree) June 6, 2023

Time to get on the bush hog — Harold Varner III (@HV3_Golf) June 6, 2023

Had 0 idea this was happening today. Mind blown. Its curious how anyone would trust a leader who does a complete 180 in a matter of months, and does the exact thing they promised their members would not happen “under their watch”. @PGATOUR @livgolf_league where’s Greg? iLoveLIV — Cameron Tringale (@CamTringale) June 6, 2023

The story was broken by CNBC at the same time the PGA Tour sent a press release, leading to media members also reacting to the announcement with shock.

So, you preach loyalty to a tour and convince guys not to take 8 and 9 figure deals based, in part, on that loyalty and, in part, on the source of the money. Then those guys find out on Twitter YOU took the very same money? Nino Brown, “Always business, never personal.” — Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) June 6, 2023

Greg Norman and Jay Monahan greeting each other at work every morning pic.twitter.com/bqVjEwDWWF — Tim Reilly (@LifeOfTimReilly) June 6, 2023

Good time make a golf show! https://t.co/AQZc4KGOdY — Chad Mumm (@chadmumm) June 6, 2023

Virtually everything that has happened in the last two years has been rumored, hinted at, or at least done with SOME awareness in the golf community. This seems to be an absolute stunner for essentially everyone, players included. — No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) June 6, 2023

I’ve been enjoying a little break after turning in the book – so nice to unplug. I think I’ll go camping this morning somewhere without cell reception. Feels great that I won’t have to make any major changes to the manuscript. — Alan Shipnuck (@AlanShipnuck) June 6, 2023

pic.twitter.com/fOsilKo9jL — Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) June 6, 2023

Truly gobsmacked today. Of the 10,000 different outcomes, this was never talked about, never discussed, never even floated. Everyone who would have known was at the PGA two weeks ago, and nobody even came close to hinting at it! — Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) June 6, 2023

This really is our own Succession finale. In retrospect, it seems obvious. And yet still shocking. — Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) June 6, 2023

PGA Tour didn’t communicate this to players at all. They found out same time we did. “Shocked and confused.” “Disgusted. They didn’t tell us anything.” — Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) June 6, 2023

More people have texted me today than any other life event. — No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) June 6, 2023

I genuinely feel sorry for someone like Hideki Matsuyama. He reportedly turned down about $300 million … and now his loyalty to the tour doesn’t mean much — Stephen Hennessey (@S_HennesseyGD) June 6, 2023

The golf world right now.. pic.twitter.com/RRtdXFbYNJ — Smylie Kaufman (@SmylieKaufman10) June 6, 2023

Like it or not, the bottom line is that the Saudis now own golf. — Mike Francesa (@MikeFrancesa) June 6, 2023

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Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at [email protected] .

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Jon Rahm joins LIV Golf: Rickie Fowler, Jason Day among PGA Tour players reacting to defection of world No. 3

Some of rahm's former pga tour peers offered their perspective of his decision.

Reality has set in for players on the PGA Tour as one of their best and brightest stars will no longer be with them on a weekly basis. With world No. 3 golfer Jon Rahm defecting LIV Golf , the departure of the two-time major champion and 2023 Masters winner has sent shockwaves through the golf world.

"Ultimately, down the road, division isn't a good thing," said Rickie Fowler. "I'm hopeful things will continue to work in the right direction for the greater of the game. But what that is, I don't know. I wish I could tell you. We're kind of all on this ride together and kind of figuring out and learning as we go."

Rahm's election to jump to LIV Golf comes at a time when the professional landscape is in flux. However, after two years, it appeared the game was finally on the road to recovery as the PGA Tour began negotiating with the Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund -- the financial backer of LIV Golf -- to house commercial operations under a new for-profit entity.

Whether the move to acquire the Spaniard is a negotiation tactic or simply a big-money signing will be revealed in due time, but it certainly has an effect on the greater ecosystem. An 11-time winner, former world No. 1, valiant Ryder Cup competitor and the current Masters champion, Rahm is among the biggest draws in the game. His decision does just as much to help LIV Golf as it does hurt the PGA Tour.

"This is a huge part of the jigsaw puzzle that you've seen Jon go," Justin Rose told  Sports Illustrated . "And then I don't know who else goes with Jon. I mean, obviously, if it's just Jon, that's bad enough. What does that mean now ... if it's Jon plus a trickle?" 

"We're all trying to evaluate PGA Tour versus LIV in the sense of the fan base and the economics around both tours, but he's the delta. He moves the delta. He weakens one side and strengthens the other. So, it's a big move."

A big move indeed, and a big purchase from the PIF, which has not been shy with its checkbook since the inception of LIV Golf. Rahm's signing will make him the highest paid player in the league with reports of a deal that exceeds $300 million and includes additional equity in his own team. 

This amount is jaw dropping in the golf world and comparable to elite quarterbacks in the NFL. Patrick Mahomes' 10-year deal amounts to $450 million, while Joe Burrow makes an annual salary of $55 million. Rahm is not only in that neighborhood now, he has the best lot as well.

"If anyone offered you 400, 500, 600 million -- I don't know what the number is, but it's somewhere in that ballpark. If someone offered you that much, you'd play on Mars, you know what I mean?" Jason Day said. "So, yeah, I don't think it has anything to do with the PIF and the PGA Tour deal or something." 

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PGA Tour players feel ‘betrayed’ by news of LIV Golf merger, call Jay Monahan a ‘hypocrite’

Following the shocking announcement of the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf merging under common ownership , players and personalities throughout the golf world and all of sports reacted with a wide range of emotions Tuesday, including surprise and disappointment.

Australian golfer Geoff Ogilvy told reporters at the Canadian Open that some players called PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan a “hypocrite” during a players’ meeting Tuesday afternoon.

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“It was mentioned, yeah,” Ogilvy said when asked. “And (Monahan) took it. He said ‘yeah.’ He took it for sure.”

Monahan, who is facing scrutiny for his previous opposition to LIV Golf and players accepting Saudi money, responded to the criticism , saying: “I recognize that people are going to call me a hypocrite.”

“Anytime I said anything, I said it based on the information I had at the moment, and based on someone trying to compete for the PGA Tour and our players,” he said. “I accept those criticisms. But circumstances do change.”

Read more: The LIV Golf, PGA Tour merger and the craziest day in golf history, explained  

Wesley Bryan, who plays on the PGA’s developmental Korn Ferry Tour, tweeted “I feel betrayed” and added that he won’t be able to “trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA Tour for a long time.” The winner of the 2017 RBC Heritage added in a previous tweet that he found out about the news on Twitter.

I feel betrayed, and will not not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA TOUR for a very long time — Wesley Bryan (@wesleybryangolf) June 6, 2023

Bryan wasn’t the only player to share that he learned of the acquisition from social media. PGA Tour’s Collin Morikawa, who has ranked as high as No. 2 in the World Golf Rankings and has five PGA Tour wins, echoed Bryan’s sentiment .

Canadian professional golfer Mackenzie Hughes of the PGA Tour tweeted his dismay about the acquisition Tuesday, saying “Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.”

Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with. — Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) June 6, 2023

Hughes is among a list of PGA players currently competing at the RBC Canadian Open.

Also at the Canadian Open, Adam Hadwin of the PGA Tour told reporters he read of the news “like most people when it came out” Tuesday.

“We were given an email I read through,” he said. “We also got an email with comments from Jay (Monahan) regarding it. I don’t know. I’ll be honest. I think that what’s transpired over the last year and a half and the rhetoric not only on this side, but on that side as well. I think it’s difficult to look at that and say how did we get here?”

PGA Tour golfer Michael Kim, winner of the 2018 John Deere Classic, aired his frustrations Tuesday as he found out about the news via social media rather than from the organization.

🇨🇦Adam Hadwin on the PGA Tour-LIV merger: “I don’t know. What’s transpired on the last year and a half and the rhetoric not only this side but that side as well. It’s difficult at that and how did we get here now.” Says there’s so many unknowns. #RBCCanadianOpen | #PGATour pic.twitter.com/dmZ0Obf91J — Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) June 6, 2023

Byeong Hun An, a PGA Tour golfer from South Korea, shared his suspicions Tuesday morning of the tours’ motivations behind the acquisition.

I’m guessing the liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years — Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) June 6, 2023

He jokingly added in a separate tweet that fellow PGA pro Hideki Matsuyama “could have bought spirit airlines if he had signed with LIV tour.”

Arguably the most notable name in LIV, Phil Mickelson, took to Twitter to share his exultation following Tuesday’s news.

Awesome day today 😊 https://t.co/qUwVJiydym — Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023

Mickelson, a six-time major champion, was among the first golfers to join the breakaway organization and played in 14 events since joining LIV Golf. In April, he finished second at the Masters, matching his lowest score at Augusta National.

Brooks Koepka, another major LIV name, cracked a joke at the expense of Brandel Chamblee, the former golfer and commentator who has been critical of LIV. Koepka became the first LIV Golf player to win a major championship with his win at May’s PGA Championship.

Welfare Check on Chamblee — Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) June 6, 2023

Justin Thomas, winner of 15 PGA Tour events and a former world No. 1-ranked player, tweeted a gif jokingly depicting his phone blowing up with messages following his Tuesday morning practice session.

Was having quite the nice practice session this morning too pic.twitter.com/qWBKuM2yHO — Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 6, 2023

Outside of the golf world, athletes and personalities from other sports weighed in as well.

NBA player Josh Hart of the New York Knicks shared his thoughts about the players who left for more money with LIV.

So the ones that took the bag to go to LIV just finessed the who system 😂 — Josh Hart (@joshhart) June 6, 2023

From the NFL , free agent tight end Eric Ebron called the acquisition “great for the sport” while recently retired stars JJ Watt and Golden Tate showed their surprise with the move.

PGA x LIV Great For The Sport !! See You All At The @usopengolf — Ebron85.chimp (@Ebron85) June 6, 2023

Fascinated to see the details of this PGA-LIV Golf deal. Fascinated. — JJ Watt (@JJWatt) June 6, 2023

PGA players have to be LIVid. https://t.co/1iquD9akWf — Golden Tate (@ShowtimeTate) June 6, 2023

Required reading

• PGA Tour, LIV Golf, DP World Tour to merge commercial operations, end litigation between parties
• In the PGA Tour, LIV Golf battle the money won. Morality was always secondary
• PGA Tour, LIV Golf to merge: Timeline of tension, lawsuits and criticism from both sides
• What is LIV Golf? Explaining the PGA Tour competitor Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson are joining
• LIV Golf and the king-sized ambition behind a game on the brink

(Photo: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)

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What Tour Leaders and Players are Saying About the Merger

Players and officials are split on the a blockbuster agreement.

By Victor Mather

• June 6, 2023

PGA Tour officials and LIV leaders hailed the announcement on Tuesday that their competing golf series would be joining forces, but players were split on the news. Here’s what they were saying:

“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love.” — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan , who is expected to be the chief executive of the new entity.

“There is no question that the LIV model has been positively transformative for golf. We believe there are opportunities for the game to evolve while also maintaining its storied history and tradition.” — The Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan , who will become chairman of the board of the merged tour.

“Awesome day today.” — Phil Mickelson , who left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf.

“Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.” — Mackenzie Hughes , PGA Tour player.

“Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right?” — Michael Kim , PGA Tour player.

“This is one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf. I do believe that the governing bodies, the entities, the professional entities, have sacrificed their principles for profits.” — Brandel Chamblee , a Golf Channel analyst who has been sharply critical of the LIV Tour.

“Welfare check on Chamblee.” — LIV golfer Brooks Koepka , referring to Chamblee, who last week declared that “any yielding to or agreement with them is a deal with a murderous dictator.”

“Now that we’re all friends, is it too late for us to workshop some of these team names?” — Max Homa , PGA Tour player, referring to LIV teams like Crushers, Iron Heads and Majesticks.

Victor Mather covers every sport for The Times. More about Victor Mather

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The PGA Tour-LIV deal stunned pro golfers — and upset more than a few

A little over a year after LIV Golf, the Saudi-funded breakaway league, divided the sport’s professional ranks by offering some of the world’s best players outrageous sums to play less frequently, PGA Tour golfers were apparently left stunned Tuesday by the announcement that the entities would merge parts of their operations .

Mackenzie Hughes, a Canadian on the PGA Tour who is ranked 67th in the world, summed up how the news was revealed and the sour feelings among tour players when he tweeted , “Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.”

PGA Tour agrees to partner with Saudi-backed LIV Golf, ending bitter feud

Phil Mickelson, who sacrificed much of his popularity when he left the PGA Tour for a hefty paycheck from LIV, tweeted simply, “An awesome day today.”

The agreement comes after months of hard feelings and back-and-forth litigation between LIV and the PGA Tour. In their announcement, the sides agreed to end “all pending litigation.”

“I think that what’s transpired the last year and a half,” PGA Tour veteran Adam Hadwin said at a news conference Tuesday, “and the rhetoric, not only on this side but on that side as well — I think it’s difficult to look at that and say, ‘How did we get here now?’ ”

The news was announced Tuesday morning as PGA Tour players prepared for this weekend’s Canadian Open in Toronto, where a meeting was held that afternoon between players and Commissioner Jay Monahan, who brokered the deal largely in secret with his Saudi counterparts. Hadwin told TSN beforehand that he anticipated “a lot of screaming and yelling and complaining” at the meeting, and Monahan subsequently described the encounter as “intense, certainly heated.”

Tell me why Jay Monahan basically got a promotion to CEO of all golf in the world by going back on everything he said the past 2 years. The hypocrisy. Wish golf worked like that. I guess money always wins @PGATOUR — Dylan Wu (@dylan_wu59) June 6, 2023

I’m guessing the liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years — Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) June 6, 2023

“The guys who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour, it’s kind of a kick in the teeth to them,” PGA Tour player Callum Tarren said on Golf Channel . “Obviously Rory [McIlroy] was a huge advocate of the PGA Tour, and now it kind of looks like all his hard work and sticking up for the PGA Tour was left by the wayside.”

What questions do you have about the PGA-LIV partnership? Ask The Post.

Players such as McIlroy surely had plenty to discuss in Toronto, including how the news came to them. “I love finding out morning news on Twitter,” tweeted Collin Morikawa, a two-time major champion. Mark Hubbard tweeted that he was as much in the dark as anyone, writing , “I find out all of my information from text chains and ESPN alerts like the rest of you so stop texting me.”

pic.twitter.com/dndiYfJ12u — Tyrrell Hatton (@TyrrellHatton) June 6, 2023

What’s happening? — David Lingmerth (@dlingmerth) June 6, 2023

The immediate responses were by turns salty, snarky and serious about just how golfers who took massive amounts of money to jump to LIV will return to the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour had banned players who defected to LIV, but the organizations now “will work cooperatively and in good faith to establish a fair and objective process for any players who desire to reapply for membership,” Tuesday’s announcement read.

Common sense has prevailed!!! — Bernd Wiesberger (@BWiesberger) June 6, 2023

I’ve grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour! — Joel Dahmen (@Joel_Dahmen) June 6, 2023

Brooks Koepka, who earned a symbolic victory for LIV when he won the PGA Championship last month , took a poke at Brandel Chamblee, the Golf Channel commentator who recently called out the Saudis for using golf to “sportswash,” a term used to describe creating a distraction from the country’s human rights abuses.

Welfare Check on Chamblee — Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) June 6, 2023

Chamblee appeared on Golf Channel later Tuesday and said he was “completely shocked” by the news. “After the shock sort of ebbed away, I was hugely disappointed,” Chamblee said . “I think this is one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf. I do believe that the governing bodies, the professional entities, have sacrificed their principles for profit.”

LIV star Bryson DeChambeau saw things in a more positive light.

“There’s been too many times where it’s been frustrating, not being able to say certain things,” he said on SiriusXM Radio , “but then all of a sudden we all come together and it’s like, ‘Let’s put down our weapons and figure this out.’ … Could things have been handled differently on both sides? For sure, but we’re now at the point where we’re merging together, and we’re making this for the best interests of the fans and for the game of golf in general.”

Former president Donald Trump , whose Trump National Golf Club hosted a LIV tournament in Northern Virginia last month, praised the agreement on Truth Social, his social media platform. “Great news from LIV golf,” Trump posted. “A big, beautiful and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf. Congrats to all!!!”

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) mentioned his recent meeting with PGA Tour officials, tweeting : “So weird. PGA officials were in my office just months ago talking about how the Saudis’ human rights record should disqualify them from having a stake in a major American sport. I guess maybe their concerns weren’t really about human rights?”

Augusta National — host of the Masters, which, like each of the sport’s major tournaments, allowed LIV golfers to participate this year — remained neutral in a statement it released Tuesday afternoon. The Georgia-based club echoed sentiments expressed by the USGA, LPGA and Britain’s R&A that the day’s developments served as an important step toward bringing cohesion to, as the women’s tour put it , a “fractured ecosystem.”

“As we have expressed previously, what makes golf special is its rich history and ability to bring people together,” Augusta National’s statement read. “We are encouraged by this announcement, which represents a positive development in bringing harmony to men’s professional golf. Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament are — and will remain — devoted to developing the game and celebrating its many virtues.”

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Golf pros react to PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger

The news of golf's new merge on tuesday sent shockwaves across the internet, by julia elbaba • published june 6, 2023 • updated on june 6, 2023 at 4:50 pm.

Who could've seen this one coming?

The PGA Tour announced on Tuesday morning that it would merge  with the controversial  LIV Golf  in order to "unify the game of golf." The deal also includes the DP World Tour, which is the PGA's European Tour.

The announcement has shocked the golf world and has pro players who currently tour utterly speechless.

So how did the players react and what is being said about the merge? Let's take a look at some of the reactions:

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Welfare Check on Chamblee — Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) June 6, 2023

I’ve grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour! — Joel Dahmen (@Joel_Dahmen) June 6, 2023

I love finding out morning news on Twitter — Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa) June 6, 2023

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Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right? 🤷🏻‍♂️ — Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 6, 2023

The golf world right now.. pic.twitter.com/RRtdXFbYNJ — Smylie Kaufman (@SmylieKaufman10) June 6, 2023

Awesome day today 😊 https://t.co/qUwVJiydym — Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023

🤔 https://t.co/9Hx4rGZSrI — Smylie Kaufman (@SmylieKaufman10) June 6, 2023

Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with. — Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) June 6, 2023

pic.twitter.com/dndiYfJ12u — Tyrrell Hatton (@TyrrellHatton) June 6, 2023

Time to get on the bush hog — Harold Varner III (@HV3_Golf) June 6, 2023

https://t.co/ON6E91L3GE pic.twitter.com/6zGxWZ1orE — max homa (@maxhoma23) June 6, 2023

Was having quite the nice practice session this morning too pic.twitter.com/qWBKuM2yHO — Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 6, 2023

Reaction from Sahith Theegala. Players just in absolute shock. pic.twitter.com/E8rCLvOtCi — Gabby Herzig (@GabbyHerzig) June 6, 2023

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‘How many people knew?’ Golfers react to shock merger between PGA Tour and LIV Golf

Phil mickelson was delighted by the ‘awesome’ news, article bookmarked.

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Golfers have reacted with surprise at the sudden announcement of a merger between the PGA Tour , Europe’s DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s controversial LIV Golf .

The news, announced in a statement on Tuesday, ended the legal wrangling between the parties, and the initial reaction among golfers suggested they were not informed and had no say in the outcome.

“I love finding out morning news on Twitter,” two-time major winner Collin Morikawa tweeted. Fellow American PGA Tour player Michael Kim wrote: “Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right?” Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes tweeted: “Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.”

The reliably droll Joel Dahmen tweeted a dig at LIV Golf’s team format: “I’ve grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour!”

While the details remain sketchy, the deal will see a way back to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour for those players who jumped ship for vast sums of money to join LIV over the past two years.

• LIV Golf and PGA Tour merger explained: Everything we know so far
• Bitter rivals LIV Golf and PGA Tour announce shock merger to end golf’s civil war

One golfer was delighted with the news. Phil Mickelson has been one of the leading figures on the LIV Golf tour and has been outspoken in his criticisms of the PGA Tour and its defenders, including Rory McIlroy.

“Awesome day today,” Mickelson tweeted.

And Brooks Koepka, another leading LIV star fresh from winning the PGA Championship in New York, aimed a dig at one of the Saudi tour’s most outspoken critics, NBC and Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee.

“Welfare Check on Chamblee,” Koepka wrote.

South Korea’s Byeong Hun An offered an analysis of what unfolded in negoatiations between the parties. “I’m guessing the liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours but it’s a big [loss] for [those] who defended the tour for last two years.”

Sahith Theegala, ranked 27th in the world, described the news as “crazy” and warned there was “no way” PGA Tour players would accept the news developments.

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Golf world reacts to PGA Tour-LIV unification

Chris Canty reacts to the PGA, LIV Golf and DP World Tour merging. (1:24)

In a massive development announced Tuesday morning, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf League announced they were unifying .

The deal ends two years of what PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan called "disruption and distraction," but also included numerous legal proceedings and tense relationships between players across the different circuits.

The deal's announcement caught players by surprise. One PGA Tour player, reached by ESPN on Tuesday, said: "No f---ing way."

Other players from the leagues shared their reactions:

Awesome day today 😊 https://t.co/qUwVJiydym — Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023

Welfare Check on Chamblee — Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) June 6, 2023

Monumental day for the game of golf. — Bryson DeChambeau (@b_dechambeau) June 6, 2023

For a kid whose only jobs have been caddy and golfer that struggles to remember to check his email, I sure have been on a lot of important business-like phone calls today — max homa (@maxhoma23) June 7, 2023

Was having quite the nice practice session this morning too pic.twitter.com/qWBKuM2yHO — Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 6, 2023

And everyone thought yesterday was the longest day in golf — Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa) June 6, 2023

Cheers to my LIV and PGA Tour people, cheers to the future of golf, and cheers to the fans. Today was a win for all of us. I'm more than excited for the future. Go Range Goats pic.twitter.com/EsAE9Qgarf — Talor Gooch (@TalorGooch) June 6, 2023

I've grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour! — Joel Dahmen (@Joel_Dahmen) June 6, 2023

The golf world right now.. pic.twitter.com/RRtdXFbYNJ — Smylie Kaufman (@SmylieKaufman10) June 6, 2023

Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right? 🤷🏻‍♂️ — Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 6, 2023

Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we're merging with a tour that we said we'd never do that with. — Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) June 6, 2023

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PGA Tour players react to LIV Golf merger

Mike Weir, Adam Hadwin and other players across the PGA Tour discuss their initial thoughts on the sudden news of their organization’s merger with LIV Golf.

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Golf legend Jack Nicklaus is whistling a different tune after the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger  on Tuesday.

Nicklaus, who previously said the LIV Golf league “wasn’t for me,” said Tuesday he believes the controversial merger is good for the sport.

“The last three years have been difficult for the game and the players,” Nicklaus said, according to The Palm Beach Post, adding that he spoke with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan on Tuesday morning.

“He seemed pleased with the arrangement that will once again bring together the best players in the world. I agree that this is good for the game of golf.”

Nicklaus went on to explain that his full support lies in what is best for the game.

“I also appreciate the commissioner’s comments about continuing the tradition of the Tour and the mission to support important charitable causes,” the 83-year-old continued. “I am certainly interested in seeing the details.

“Jay indicated that this all will happen in 2024, so very soon the proof will be in the pudding. Whatever is best for the game of golf enjoys my full support.”

Nicklaus’ comments came just a week after he seemingly dismissed LIV Golf defectors before the PGA Tour’s 2023 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

When asked by Golfweek if he was disappointed not to have winners of two of the last four majors — LIV’s Brooks Koepka and Cam Smith — on the course, Nicklaus didn’t sugarcoat his response.

“I don’t even consider those guys part of the game anymore,” he said. “I don’t mean that in a nasty way. This is a PGA Tour event and we have the best field we can possibly have for a PGA Tour event for those who are eligible to be here. The other guys made a choice of what they did and where they’ve gone and we don’t even talk about it.

“There were certain players that it was probably the right thing for,” Nicklaus said of those who joined LIV. “It probably spurred the PGA Tour, I don’t think there’s any question about that, either, to move it to greater heights. But it wasn’t for me, it wasn’t for what my legacy was. Obviously, I pretty much started what the Tour is out here.”

In July 2022, Nicklaus pledged his support for the PGA Tour after he was asked about his friend and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman being  disinvited by the Royal & Ancient  to the 150th British Open at St. Andrews last year.

Everything to know about the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger

PGA Tour and LIV Golf are ending a war — by joining forces.

The two golf leagues, along with the European DP World Tour, are merging into one company after a period of fierce rivalry, one where LIV Golf defectors were banned from competing on the Tour.

LIV, financed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund and led by legendary golfer Greg Norman, lured some of the top names in golf last year with reported nine-figure contracts, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.

Other huge golf names, however, like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, stayed loyal to the Tour, despite being offered a massive amount of money.

Follow The Post’s coverage of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger

• PGA Tour and LIV Golf merging in stunning end to sport’s war
• PGA Tour players furious after learning about LIV merger through Twitter
• Brooks Koepka buries Brandel Chamblee with four words after PGA-LIV merger
• LIV golfers will ‘definitely’ be fined if they want to rejoin PGA Tour

Norman  said last year  Woods turned down a payday in the range of $700 million-$800 million to stick with the PGA Tour.

With the merger, the Saudi-backed LIV and the Tour are ending an antitrust battle and agreed to end all litigation between the two sides.

“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA TOUR’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model.”

At the time, the tournament officials determined that Norman — a two-time past Open champion — would be a distraction due to his involvement with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour.

“Unfortunately, he and I just don’t see eye-to-eye in what’s going on [with LIV Golf]. I’ll basically leave it at that,” Nicklaus said at the time.

Separately, Nicklaus previously said he turned down millions of dollars from Saudi investors to join LIV Golf in a similar role to Norman’s.

“I was offered something in excess of $100 million by the Saudis, to do the job probably similar to the one that Greg is doing,” Nicklaus told the Fire Pit Collective in May 2022.

“I turned it down. Once verbally, once in writing. I said, ‘Guys, I have to stay with the PGA Tour. I helped start the PGA Tour.’ ”

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PGA Tour players react to LIV merger, say they found out on Twitter

P GA Tour players were apparently blindsided by the news Tuesday morning that their tour had agreed to merge with rival league LIV Golf and accept funding from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

"I love finding out morning news on Twitter," two-time major champion Collin Morikawa tweeted.

Multiple news outlets reported that PGA Tour players were not told ahead of time that the news was coming before a press release was posted online and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan appeared together on CNBC for an interview.

Monahan was asked during that interview what he thought the response would be from PGA Tour players.

"Listen, a lot of people have been reading about the tension. And I said previously that we were going down our path and they were going down theirs," Monahan said. "And today, that tension goes away. The litigation is dropped. We're announcing to the world, that on behalf of this game, we're coming together. And it's less about how people respond today, and it's all about how people respond in 10 years. And when they see the impact we're having on this game together, there will be a lot of smiles on people's faces, and there will be a lot more people playing this game all over the world.

"And if you're a young player that wants to get to the highest level in the game today, you'll be more inspired than you've ever been before."

PGA Tour fan favorite Joel Dahmen poked fun at LIV's team concept, which the tours announced would be kept alive in some form in their new combined entity.

"I've grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour!" he tweeted.

Others were not shy to express their anger.

"Love finding out info on twitter. This is amazing. Y'all should be ashamed and have a lot of questions to answer," Wesley Bryan wrote on Twitter. "I feel betrayed, and will not not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA TOUR for a very long time."

LIV Golf players were not given an indication the merger was coming either, according to the Golf Channel, though they received the news differently.

"Awesome day today," Phil Mickelson tweeted with a smiling emoji.

Mickelson was among the first players to make the jump from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, and it was the six-time major champion's presence that legitimized LIV enough for others to follow. Mickelson has not been shy in recent months about lobbing accusations of collusion at the PGA Tour and other golf governing bodies.

While the likes of Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and others accepted massive guaranteed contracts to defect to LIV, other players turned them down to stay loyal to the PGA Tour. Hideki Matsuyama of Japan reportedly turned down $300 million from LIV to remain with the PGA.

The tours' announcement said there will be a path for LIV players who want to re-apply for membership to the PGA or DP World Tour. Barstool Golf's Dan Rapaport reported that players who defected to LIV will need to pay a fine that "won't be equal for every player."

Want more articles like this? Follow Field Level Media on MSN to see more of our exclusive golf content.

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PGA Tour commissioner has ‘heated’ meeting with players after LIV Golf merger

FILE - PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan speaks during a news conference before the start of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in Cromwell, Conn. The most disruptive year in golf ended Tuesday, June 6, 2023, when the PGA Tour and European tour agreed to a merger with Saudi Arabia’s golf interests, creating a commercial operation designed to unify professional golf around the world.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Collin Morikawa lines up a putt on the 14th hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country Club on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in Pittsford, N.Y. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Mackenzie Hughes watches his approach shot on the ninth hole during the second round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Friday, May 12, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan spent more than an hour explaining to players Tuesday afternoon why he changed his mind about taking Saudi funds in a surprise collaboration, saying it ultimately was for their benefit.

And to think it was nearly a year ago to the day that Saudi-funded LIV Golf teed off in its inaugural event as a rival and a threat, flush with defectors from golf’s top circuit.

Morals were questioned . Lawsuits were filed . Golfers doubled down on their affiliations.

A merger, it seemed, wasn’t in the cards. But on Tuesday, professionals from both tours were caught off guard by news that their worlds would collide — that the PGA Tour, European tour and LIV Golf were merging.

“As time went on, circumstances changed,” Monahan said in a conference call after the meeting. “I don’t think it was right or sustainable to have this tension in our sport.

“I recognize everything I’ve said in the past. I recognize people will call me a hypocrite. Any time I’ve said anything, I’ve said it with the information I had, and I said it with someone trying to compete with our tour and our players.”

Before Monahan could send a memo to players, a news outlet broke the embargoed announcement that the tours were merging commercial interests. Some players learned about it on social media.

And that’s where they responded.

“Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with,” Mackenzie Hughes tweeted .

“And everyone thought yesterday was the longest day in golf,” tweeted Collin Morikawa, who also said he found out about the merger on Twitter.

Justin Thomas was in the middle of a practice session when he said his phone lit up with notifications. Tyrell Hatton simply tweeted an NFL blindside hit. Sepp Straka felt that was an accurate depiction.

Not getting in on the social media reaction was Rory McIlroy, who spent the past year vehemently defending the PGA Tour against LIV before going quiet on the topic in recent weeks. McIlroy is the defending champion at the Canadian Open.

Monahan described Tuesday’s meeting as “intense, certainly heated.”

“I’m not surprised,” he said. “This is an awful lot to ask them to digest. This is a significant change for us. As I’m trying to explain as we go forward, this ultimately was a decision in the best interests of all at the PGA Tour.”

Phil Mickelson, among the loudest LIV defectors, called Tuesday “an awesome day.”

It wasn’t immediately clear how the unification would work going forward.

Players who switched to LIV inked lucrative signing bonuses — in Mickelson’s case, a reported $200 million — yet now might have a way to rejoin players who opted not to take money from a league that some have called a Saudi Arabia “sportswashing” initiative.

Michael Kim jokingly tweeted that he might live stream the meeting. But he added: “Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right?”

Monahan said he was operating under a pledge of confidentiality and the circle of trust had to shrink.

He relied mainly on two board members, New York attorney Ed Herlihy (the PGA Tour board chairman) and financier Jimmy Dunne, who lost colleagues and friends from Sandler O’Neill when terrorists flew a jetliner into the south tower of the World Trade Center.

Still to come are details on how this venture will work and what it means to the tour — players that want to return, what consequences they face for defecting, and whether LIV Golf will even exist next year. Monahan said an evaluation would determine how to integrate team golf.

“I don’t want to make any statements or make any predictions,” he said. “But what is in place is a commitment to make a good-faith effort to look at team golf and the role it can play.”

PGA Tour member Byeong Hun An joked that Hideki Matsuyama “could have bought spirit airlines” if he had signed with LIV (Matsuyama was seen boarding a Spirit Airlines flight after the Memorial in Ohio). He also said his guess is “liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money.”

“Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for (players) who defended the tour for last two years,” he tweeted .

Dylan Wu, a 26-year-old second-year player on the PGA Tour, called the merger “hypocrisy.”

“Tell me why Jay Monahan basically got a promotion to CEO of all golf in the world by going back on everything he said the past 2 years,” Wu tweeted, adding: “I guess money always wins.”

AP Sports Writer Ryan Kryska in New York contributed to this report.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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PGA Tour players react to LIV merger, say they found out on Twitter

Multiple news outlets reported that PGA Tour players were not told ahead of time that the news was coming before a press release was posted online and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan appeared together on CNBC for an interview.

PGA Tour players were apparently blindsided by the news Tuesday morning that their tour had agreed to merge with rival league LIV Golf and accept funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

“I love finding out morning news on Twitter,” two-time major champion Collin Morikawa tweeted.

Al-Rumayyan said Tuesday that LIV CEO Greg Norman, a former PGA player who became a Tour nemesis by aligning with the competitor, was in the dark on the merger until moments before a national TV interview announcing the deal.

“I made a call just before this and of course he is a partner with us, and all the stakeholders that we have with us they had the call right before this interview,” Al-Rumayyan said.

Monahan was asked during that interview what he thought the response would be from PGA Tour players.

“Listen, a lot of people have been reading about the tension. And I said previously that we were going down our path and they were going down theirs,” Monahan said. “And today, that tension goes away. The litigation is dropped. We’re announcing to the world, that on behalf of this game, we’re coming together. And it’s less about how people respond today, and it’s all about how people respond in 10 years. And when they see the impact we’re having on this game together, there will be a lot of smiles on people’s faces, and there will be a lot more people playing this game all over the world.

“And if you’re a young player that wants to get to the highest level in the game today, you’ll be more inspired than you’ve ever been before.”

PGA Tour fan favorite Joel Dahmen poked fun at LIV’s team concept, which the tours announced would be kept alive in some form in their new combined entity.

“I’ve grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour!” he tweeted. Others were not shy to express their anger.

“Love finding out info on twitter. This is amazing. Y’all should be ashamed and have a lot of questions to answer,” Wesley Bryan wrote on Twitter. “I feel betrayed, and will not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA TOUR for a very long time.”

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LIV Golf players were not given an indication the merger was coming either, according to the Golf Channel, though they received the news differently. “Awesome day today,” Phil Mickelson tweeted with a smiling emoji.

Mickelson was among the first players to make the jump from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, and it was the six-time major champion’s presence that legitimized LIV enough for others to follow. Mickelson has not been shy in recent months about lobbing accusations of collusion at the PGA Tour and other golf governing bodies.

While the likes of Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and others accepted massive guaranteed contracts to defect to LIV, other players turned them down to stay loyal to the PGA Tour. Hideki Matsuyama of Japan reportedly turned down $300 million from LIV to remain with the PGA.

The tours’ announcement said there will be a path for LIV players who want to re-apply for membership to the PGA or DP World Tour. Barstool Golf’s Dan Rapaport reported that players who defected to LIV will need to pay a fine that “won’t be equal for every player.”

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PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf merger explained: What it means for Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy and for golf's future?

The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf announced on Tuesday they are merging to form "a new collectively owned" entity; the decision comes less than two weeks before the third major championship of the men's golf season, the US Open

Wednesday 7 June 2023 17:00, UK

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The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf stunned the sporting world on Tuesday when announcing they are to form "a new collectively owned" entity. But what do we know so far about the shock merger, what does it mean for the Ryder Cup and golf's future, and how have the players reacted?

What has happened?

LIV Golf, launched in 2022, was able to lure some of golf's biggest names away from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, with players like Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter among those to sign up and claim a share of the staggering sums of money being offered.

The new entity was bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) - owners of Newcastle United - and critics accused it of being a vehicle for the country to attempt to improve its reputation in the face of criticism of its human rights record.

PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf agree to stunning merger

• Reaction to shock merger between PGA Tour and LIV golf
• Latest golf news

After over a year of disharmony between the various tours, resulting in multiple lawsuits being filed and the suspensions of numerous LIV golfers from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, Tuesday's deal hopefully signals the end of such rifts.

Key points from PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf merger

• LIV golfers who were suspended indefinitely by the PGA and DP World Tour will be able to re-apply for membership from the end of the 2023 season
• All lawsuits between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV golf will be ended
• Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which funded LIV Golf's emergence, will make a capital investment into the combined entity as part of the agreement "to facilitate its growth and success"
• A "comprehensive evaluation of LIV Golf to determine how best to integrate team golf into the professional game" will take place
• LIV Golf's 2023 schedule will continue as planned

PGA Tour commissioner Monahan, who had previously ruled out an agreement with LIV , said: "After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love."

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The decision to merge comes less than two weeks before the third major championship of the men's golf season, the US Open. For parts of 2022 and 2023, the majors were the only times LIV Golf players were included in the same field as PGA Tour and DP World Tour players.

How did the players react?

The move was announced to players in a letter from Monahan on Tuesday.

Golf reacts to shock merger

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It read: "Today is a momentous day for your organization and the game of golf as a whole.

"The PGA Tour - your Tour - is leading the formation of a new commercial entity to unify golf, one that sees the end of the disruption and distraction that has divided the men's professional game for the better part of three years."

Mickelson, who has become a de-facto spokesperson for the LIV Tour over the last year, tweeted: "Awesome news".

Awesome day today 😊 https://t.co/qUwVJiydym — Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023

But some PGA Tour players, including two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, appeared to suggest they discovered the news via social media at the point it broke.

Morikawa tweeted: "I love finding out morning news on Twitter."

I love finding out morning news on Twitter — Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa) June 6, 2023

Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with. — Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) June 6, 2023

Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right? 🤷🏻‍♂️ — Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 6, 2023

Was having quite the nice practice session this morning too pic.twitter.com/qWBKuM2yHO — Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 6, 2023

Sky Sports News reporter Jamie Weir said: "This is, first and foremost, a complete shock. This came out of the blue,

"I think everybody was surprised by this - I've spoken to a lot of players this afternoon and they knew nothing about this at all, so they were finding out for the first time like a lot of us by scrolling through Twitter this afternoon, finding out bits and bobs here and there."

How will the Ryder Cup be affected?

A big question to come out of the announcement of the merger is how might selection be affected for this September's Ryder Cup teams in Rome.

DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley explained to Sky Sports News: "There's only two criteria to be a Ryder Cup player - you have to be European and you have to be a DP World Tour member. Those are the criteria.

"If you're not a DP World Tour member, you can't play in the Ryder Cup."

European stalwarts Garcia, Poulter, Lee Westwood and Henrik Stenson, who was initially named team captain, all resigned from the DP World Tour in May following further sanctions on players who competed in LIV Golf events last year without permission.

Pelley said of the quartet: "They're not members. They would have to be reinstated. Maybe they will request reinstatement but we will have to see."

Weir added: "Luke Donald will still be the European Ryder Cup captain in Rome this year.

"Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, the backbone of many successful Ryder Cup teams, they will not be in Rome this year.

"Under the DP World Tour criteria, by May you need to have become a member of the DP World Tour to be eligible for the Ryder Cup team. Those guys are not eligible for the Ryder Cup team as things stand.

"That's not to say that come 2024 they might re-join the DP World Tour and they could be on the team in 2025 and Ian Poulter could be captain."

McIlroy reacts to merger: I still hate LIV

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy was often at the forefront of the battle with LIV over the last two years, defending the PGA Tour.

In addressing the media for the first time since Tuesday's announcement, McIlroy said he learned of the deal "pretty much at the same time everyone else did", adding that he felt like a "sacrificial lamb".

McIlroy also said there has to be "consequences to actions" for the golfers that left the PGA Tour but believes the new merger is ultimately "good for golf".

He also maintained that despite welcoming the new entity he still "hates LIV" and he suggested that LIV Golf is not part of the new deal, adding that it's Saudi-backed Public Investment Fund that are joining as a partner.

McIlroy said: "Whether you like it or not, the PIF are going to keep spending money in golf... at least the PGA Tour now controls how that money is spent.

"One of the biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world, would you rather have them as a partner or an enemy? At the end of the day, money talks and you'd rather have them as a partner."

He added: "I think this is going to be good for the game of professional golf. It unifies it and it secures its financial future.

"There's mixed emotions in there as well, as there is going to be.

"At least it means that the litigation goes away, which has been a massive burden for everyone involved with the tour and playing on the tour."

Is Greg Norman still involved?

A key name absent from the press release announcing the merger was Greg Norman, LIV Golf's CEO and one of the leaders in the Saudi-backed Tour's creation.

He has been the target of a lot of criticism from those on the PGA Tour, and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan - who holds the position as chair of the newly-formed entity - told CBS he only informed Norman about the merger moments before making it public.

"I made a call just before this and of course he is a partner with us, and all the stakeholders that we have with us they had the call right before this interview," Al-Rumayyan said.

Sky Sports golf expert Dame Laura Davies said of that revelation: "It sounds like it's been a bit cloak and dagger; if Greg Norman didn't know about it, then if I was Greg Norman then I would feel like one of the losers in this deal because you would have thought he would have been at the forefront."

Weir added on Norman: "He's conspicuous by his absence in that statement.

"He's been an agent of disruption for Saudi Arabia over the past 12 months; he's ruffled a lot of feathers. There was a lot of people saying that for there to be some kind of consensus and common ground he would have to be moved to one side - it appears that might now well be the case."

Sky Sports News' Jamie Weir:

"There are a lot of unanswered questions. One of them is how will men's professional golf look next year?

"The PGA Tour have already created this new schedule for next year with designated events - how are they going to look now? There will be a DP World Tour schedule and will LIV continue in its own form?

"For the rest of this season it will continue presumably as normal but next season, will we see these 54-hole shotgun start tournaments with the Fireballs and the Majesticks? Perhaps not. All of this still needs to come out in the wash.

"What does it mean this Saudi involvement in golf? Deep in the statement, it says PIF now have first refusal on anybody else wanting to invest in the PGA Tour. Essentially now Saudi Arabia have a much larger stake in men's professional golf than they did before.

"And the big, big question is what happens with the players? The players that stayed loyal and the players who will be coming back.

"There needs to be some form of sanction for those players, I think is what a lot of the PGA Tour loyalists will feel. The players are understandably pretty aggrieved and a lot of them feel those huge sums of money they turned down, will they be recompensed for that and will there be any sanctions for these guys coming back?

"It's been a crazy 12 months for the game of golf. I don't think this is going to go away any time soon."

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Smith calls ‘BS’ over LIV claim... but pre-Masters post exposes big flop, star’s ‘horrible mistake’

Ahead of the Masters last weekend, star Sergio Garcia took to X (Twitter) to post a photo of himself and 12 other LIV Golf competitors invited to compete at the year’s first major.

“We’re coming for the green jacket,” the two-time major winner declared.

But Garcia and his 12 LIV compatriots underwhelmed. None finished in the top five, though three – Bryson DeChambeau, Australian Cam Smith, and Tyrrell Hatton – made it into the top 10. Five missed the cut, including Garcia himself. The 13 players finished a combined +82 for the weekend.

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It’s a very different story to 2023, when they took three of the top six places before winner Jon Rahm subsequently defected to LIV. And at the PGA Championship last year, LIV’s Brooks Koepka reigned supreme.

So claims that LIV stars are unable to hang with their PGA Tour rivals anymore – given they only compete over 54 holes at LIV events – might seem a little overblown, an over-reaction.

Smith had a fierce response when asked whether LIV players had less competitive edge compared to their PGA Tour competitors.

The Aussie said: “No. No, that’s BS.”

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But the LIV cohort was roundly slammed for their performances this weekend, none more so than defending champion Jon Rahm.

Rahm finished in a tie for 45th at nine-over (his worst Masters scorecard ever), while his rounds of 73, 76, 72 and 76 meant he never went under par.

He blamed the Friday wind for a horror 76 which could have been worse if not for a couple of late birdies.

“A couple times (I was) questioning myself why we were out there, especially when I got to 18 and saw the whole front of the green just full of sand [blown out of the bunker by the wind]. It’s rolling a little bit different,” he said.

“I understand they want us to finish. I can imagine they were very close to calling it a few times, especially when we were on 11 green and we were getting those massive gusts every couple of minutes or so. It was extremely difficult.”

And yet in perfect conditions for the final round, he shot another 76. Perhaps the weather wasn’t to blame after all.

“He has been playing resort courses in shorts for the past couple of months and hasn’t really been tested yet,” three-times Masters champion Nick Faldo said prior to the tournament.

“Rahm’s a hell of a player, but he’s going to have to make a little bit of effort to step it up and get the right intensity. Whether he’s just not quite sharp enough because he hasn’t tested himself quite as much, we’ll have to wait and see.”

Faldo’s concerns quickly manifested into reality.

Rahm was far from his best all weekend, and – though he hardly ever smiles anyway – he looked particularly unhappy with his lot.

The Spaniard’s dire performance led to a withering take-down from respected Daily Mail journalist Oliver Holt, who wrote: “He played his final round wearing the air of a man who is beginning to realise he has made a horrible mistake. He was the king of the world and all of golf stretched out before him, waiting to be conquered. And then he sabotaged it all.

“He ruined his legacy by turning his back on mainstream golf at the height of his powers and joining a tour with a 54-hole format, where the lack of intensity seems to have left Rahm singularly unprepared for a return to the demands of more competitive golf.”

It’s the same criticism that Smith called ‘BS’. But in the fourth and final round – the one not played on the LIV Tour – only three LIV golfers went under par: Smith, Hatton, and 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed.

Holt added of Rahm: “He is not the first to have struggled with the mantle of winning the Masters but his defence of his title was particularly tepid, bitter and uninspired.”

“It didn’t feel as if we were watching the reigning Masters champion. It felt as if we were watching a guy who blew it when he was at his peak.”

His defection has certainly cost him plenty of popularity, and led to some ‘hostile attitudes’ from former PGA Tour acquaintances.

The 29-year-old told Spanish newspaper El Mundo: “Yes, I have noticed hostile attitudes.

“But I expected it, my friends have continued to be my friends, but some with whom I had a very cordial relationship have not even looked at my face.”

But like Smith, Rahm denies that playing on LIV has diminished his ability to compete over 72 holes.

“That’s an argument that, if you haven’t experienced playing in a tournament you can’t really understand,’’ Rahm said. “I understand there’s less people [in the LIV tournament fields]. I understand the team format’s a little different. I understand we’re going shotgun and things are a little bit different (54 holes) to how they are in a PGA Tour event (72 holes).

“But the pressure’s there,’’ Rahm continued. “Like, I want to win as bad as I wanted to win before I moved on to LIV. So, yeah, going down the stretch when you’re in contention is the exact same feelings. That really doesn’t change.

“The same way it was when I went through the Spanish Open or many other events where the field might not be up to the level that it could be on a designated [PGA Tour] event. That doesn’t really … winning is winning, and that’s what matters.’’

But no LIV star looked like winning. Not even close.

2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson missed the cut at +13. Former Masters champions Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel (+10 and +11 respectively) were similarly atrocious. Sergio Garcia, the 2017 winner, missed the cut at seven-over.

As John Huggan wrote for Golf Australia: “The combination of predominantly weak fields, not-great courses and a format that is both shorter than the norm and conflicted by the combination of individual and team play would seem to have had a detrimental effect on the play of most.”

Johnson, Watson, Schwartzel and Garcia all looked as though they are well past their best – perhaps why they’re all competing in LIV these days.

Jon Rahm, just 29 years old, has conceded he misses competing with some PGA Tour rivals and misses playing some PGA Tour events, too.

But if he believed his bombshell defection to LIV would force the PGA Tour to finally seal a unification deal with the Saudi-backed league, the stalled negotiations has left those hopes unfulfilled.

And on the evidence of his dire Masters performance, he might be heading down the road of the likes of some of his LIV compatriots at Augusta National – a shining light of the game reduced to a fading star.

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Jon Rahm reveals a Masters competitor “wouldn’t even look at my face”

Rahm was playing in his first Masters as a member of LIV Golf and his expectations were met, on every front.

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Share All sharing options for: Jon Rahm reveals a Masters competitor “wouldn’t even look at my face”

Jon Rahm entered the grounds at Augusta National this past week as the reigning champion. He then hosted the annual Masters Champion Dinner , with an epic menu that was well received.

But in the back of his mind, he was aware that there might be moments of awkwardness during his return.

That is, of course, because Rahm left the PGA Tour behind for LIV Golf and at least $400 million.

As the Spaniard scuttled his way around Augusta, Rahm detailed his perceptions, per Spanish outlet El Mundo.

“Yes, I have noticed hostile attitudes, but I expected it, my friends have continued to be my friends, but some with whom I had a very cordial relationship have not even looked at my face,” Rahm said.

#MIXED REACTION — Jon Rahm says some of his old friends on the PGA Tour didn’t receive him with open arms at The Masters: "Some did. I expected it. And then, there was someone else who I expected to be a little tougher... and one of them hugged me. I think that, among all… pic.twitter.com/lW07lMKoSt — NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) April 14, 2024

“These are things that happen, if someone changes their opinion of me, it is more their problem than mine. I am not worried. I knew it was going to happen. I didn’t know who.”

The two-time major champion did not drop names. But there are certainly some we can probably rule out, like his Ryder Cup teammates. He and Rory McIlroy were seen getting along as the tournament progressed.

That did not help his play, however. Rahm finished tied for 45th at 9-over par.

Despite the mixed reaction from his former competitors on the PGA Tour, Rahm lay the blame for his poor play solely at his own feet.

Sadly, the next time most golf fans will get to see Rahm tee it up will be at the PGA Championship next month.

The framework agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV does not appear to be making any substantial progress. So the division within the sport remains, leaving fans as the biggest losers.

Kendall Capps is the Senior Editor of SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social media platforms.

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Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson want 'best outcome' of PGA Tour-LIV dispute

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson want to see the PGA Tour-LIV Golf dispute get settled.

Speaking during a joint press conference after the three legends hit the  ceremonial tee shots  to the 88 th  edition of the  Masters , Watson shared a special moment during the  Champions Dinner , which brought together 33 of the past winners – seven of them members of LIV – in their Green Jackets and Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley, on Tuesday evening.

“We were sitting down and we were having great stories about Seve Ballesteros and people were laughing and talking. I said to Mr. Ridley, I said, ‘Do you mind if I say something about being here together with everybody?’ He said, ‘Please do.’

“And I got up and I said – I’m looking around the room, and I’m seeing just a wonderful experience everybody is having. They are jovial. They are having a great time. They are laughing. I said, ‘Ain’t it good to be together again?’ ” Watson recalled.

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He added that he hoped the players would take it upon themselves to reach a resolution, sooner rather than later.

“We have to do something,” Watson said. “We all know it’s a difficult situation for professional golf right now. The players really kind of have control I think in a sense. What do they want to do? We’ll see where it goes. We don’t have the information or the answers. I don’t think the PGA Tour or the LIV Tour really have an answer right now. But I think in this room, I know the three of us want to get together. We want to get together like we were at that Champions Dinner, happy, the best players playing against each other. The bottom line: that’s what we want in professional golf, and right now, we don’t have it.”

Nicklaus echoed that sentiment and placed his trust in PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan to lead the way.

“The best outcome is the best players play against each other all the time. That’s what I feel about it. And how it’s going, I don’t know, I don’t want to be privy to it,” Nicklaus said. “I talked to Jay not very long ago, and I said, ‘Jay, don’t tell me what’s going on because I don’t want to have to lie to the press and people that ask me questions.’ I said, ‘How are you doing?’ He said, ‘We’re doing fine.’ I said, “OK, that’s all I want to know.’ If Jay thinks we’re doing fine, we’ll get there, I think we’ll get there. And I certainly hope that happens, the sooner the better.”

Player touched on how that division in golf and attention on the greed in the game has turned off the public. But he also noted that the players who had stayed loyal to the PGA Tour needed to be compensated in some way (which they will be through the infusion of capital into the Tour’s new for-profit arm from private equity investment.)

“Anytime in any business whatsoever, not only in the golf business, there’s confrontation, it’s unhealthy. You’ve got to get together and come to a solution. If you cannot, it’s not good. The public don’t like it, and we as professionals don’t like it, either,” Player said. “But it’s a big problem because they paid all these guys to join the LIV Tour fortunes, I mean, beyond one’s comprehension and the players that were loyal, three of us and others. Now these guys come back and play, I really believe the players, that if they are loyal, should be compensated in some way or another. Otherwise, there’s going to be dissension.”

Wise words from three of the all-time greats, who still care deeply about the state of professional golf.

PGA TOUR Sustainability

Since its early origins on sand dunes shaped by wind and rain, golf has been intrinsically connected to nature and the environments where the game is played.

In more recent decades the sport has grown exponentially, accompanied by an evolution of course design, agronomy, technology, tournaments and media.

As golf has grown, so has awareness and concern about the health of the planet. Society, and golf itself, better understand the threats caused by extreme weather and a changing climate. At the same time, public expectation, industry regulation and corporate responsibility are driving a more sustainable future..

The PGA TOUR is committed to playing its part. This includes implementing credible sustainability initiatives that both reduce negative environmental impacts and drive positive change in the communities where we work and play.

Through our tournaments, golf courses and offices across the globe, the PGA TOUR will lead a collaborative effort to reduce emissions, conserve water and divert waste from landfill. With guidance from partners and experts, the TOUR is identifying areas of improvement, innovating new processes and implementing creative programs that achieve measurable results.

Guided by our mission, the PGA TOUR is focused on specific action in each of its four pillars.

Mission Statement: The PGA TOUR will lead, partner and inspire to take climate action and promote nature

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