A year ago, the golf world believed an agreement was imminent between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf's beneficiary, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
In the end, the framework agreement between the two parties, which also included the DP World Tour, had a specific deadline of December 31, 2023. But sadly, that date came and went without any arraignment taking place between golf's warring tours.
Then, in February 2024, at the dawn of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the Tour announced it had received a massive $1.5 billion investment from Strategic Sports Group (SSG), a consortium of American sports owners. In that group, new york mets.
Fast forward to Monday, the upstart TGL Golf League hosted an event in Manhattan for the New York-based club. Cohen, who is also an investor in TGL, expressed confidence that the tour's deal with PIF will reach the finish line soon.
“There's a lot of moving parts, but I think we'll get there,” Cohen said. bloomberg.
Too many variables still need to be sorted out, including possible intervention from the Department of Justice (DOJ), which reportedly has concerns that the deal violates antitrust laws. The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) also intervened, holding three separate hearings over the past 18 months. PSI is concerned about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's goals and objectives regarding sportswash.
But starting in 2022, a number of major champions and former PGA Tour greats have flocked to LIV Golf, receiving huge paychecks to participate in the startup league. Those players, including Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, were subsequently suspended by the PGA Tour. This group can only compete against the best players on tour, including Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Xander Schauffele, in four major championships and a handful of DP World Tour events.
“The goal is to reunite all the players, but at this point it's disjointed,” Cohen added.
“Playing one tournament, one venue, whatever it is, is exciting.”
Some feel that a unified golf schedule will become a reality in 2026, but given Cohen's history as a sports owner and investor, his confidence is welcome for golf fans eager to see the sport reunited. That's what you should do.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
