Leaders from all three sides of the golf civil war will reportedly converge on St Andrews this week, in what could prove a pivotal moment for the future of golf.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan – the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which finances LIV Golf – are expected to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, according to reports The Telegraph.
More than a dozen Rebels – including Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Tyrrell Hatton – will also battle the likes of Rory McIlroy in the DP World Tour event, pitting amateurs against professionals.
DP chief executive Guy Kinnings will also be in St Andrews, along with its influential chairman, Eric Nicoli.
It would be the first time since LIV Golf disrupted the old order of golf that the bosses of all three tours will be pictured in the same place at the same time.
PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan (L) and LIV Golf boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan (R) will both play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
The sport has faced an uncertain future since Saudi Arabia first threatened its dominance of the PGA and DP World Tours.
Last June they announced a ‘framework agreement’ for a shock merger. Since then, talks have dragged on over a deal that would see the PIF reportedly inject more than $1 billion into PGA Tour Enterprises.
According to The Telegraph, this week’s event is proof that – should no deal be reached on the PGA Tour – the DP World Tour could join forces with LIV Golf.
“If it doesn’t work out with the PGA Tour, I think there might be the European Tour [sic] back to the 1980s and 1990s when there were really two strong tours,” McIlroy said.
‘And, selfishly as a European, it would be great to get that investment and use that money properly for this tour – but it would still divide the game. However, it would be plan B to provide the best solution.”
Rory McIlroy will play in Scotland against Jon Rahm and several other LIV Golf rebels