EXCLUSIVE: An elite global tour – featuring 18 tournaments across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Series – is in the works for 2025 as part of golf’s extraordinary peace deal with Saudi Arabia’s PIF
EXCLUSIVE: Elite Global Golf Tour – featuring 18 tournaments across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Series – is scheduled for 2025 as part of an extraordinary peace deal with Saudi Arabia’s PIF
- The plans were developed after a framework agreement was signed in June
- A proposal for an umbrella organization – led by the PGA – is being considered
- The prize money would increase significantly to around £20 million per event
The world’s best golfers will be invited to participate in a unified 18-tournament global tour as part of golf’s extraordinary peace deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
Mail Sport has learned of plans for a unified global schedule of tournaments on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Series, developed after a framework agreement was signed in June.
The three main tours will continue to operate independently next year, but it is clear that the changes are planned for 2025.
While the framework agreement contained few details, it is hoped that a new calendar will be agreed by the end of the year, backed by around £2 billion in Saudi investment.
Sources involved in the discussions have told Mail Sport that a proposal being seriously considered is for an umbrella organization – led by the PGA – to control all three tours, which would otherwise overlap.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, chairman of Newcastle, is governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund
As many as twelve events are expected to take place in the US to recognize the pre-eminence of the PGA Championship
Officials from the PGA, DP World Tour and LIV remain in talks over the unified tour schedule (photo, LIV Chief Greg Norman)
Unlike now, players will be allowed to appear on all three tours, but an elite series of 18 events would also be put together in addition to the four majors, with invitations limited to leading players.
As many as twelve of these events are expected to take place in the United States to recognize the preeminence of the PGA Tour, with about three each devoted to European and LIV events.
Invitations would be determined based on world rankings, although some wild card entrants may also be allowed.
To recognize the status of the top 18 tournaments, the prize money would increase significantly to around £20 million per event. US investment bank Allen and Co has been brought in to work out the details of the prize fund with the Saudis.
In addition to these events, the DP World Tour and LIV will continue as they do now, although players will be able to move freely between these events. The huge difference in prize money between the tours would also be significantly reduced.
Officials from the PGA, DP World Tour and LIV remain in talks about the schedule. Any significant change from the current setup would require the support of players, whose influence has grown since Tiger Woods was named the sixth player director to the PGA Tour’s policy board last month.
That means there are now more golfers than the board’s independent directors.