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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The PGA Tour, European Tour and rival Saudi-backed LIV golf circuit announced a landmark agreement on Tuesday to merge and form a commercial entity to unify golf, bringing an end to what had been a bitter split in the sport.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, the three organisations said in a joint news release that they will work cooperatively to allow a process for any LIV Golf players to reapply for PGA Tour and DP World Tour membership following the 2023 season.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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 joint news release.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No details were given as to how the agreement will impact the current competitive golf landscape, including eligibility for this year’s Ryder Cup, though the parties did say they will work in the coming months to finalise the terms of the merger.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The LIV Golf series is bankrolled by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund and critics have 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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The announcement of the merger includes an agreement to end all pending litigation between the participating parties.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) will make a capital investment into the new entity to facilitate its growth and success.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Today is a very exciting day for this special game and the people it touches around the world,” said PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are proud to partner with the PGA Tour to leverage PIF’s unparalleled success and track record of unlocking value and bringing innovation and global best practices to business and sectors worldwide.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rival LIV Golf circuit, which features 54-hole events with no cuts instead of the traditional 72-hole format, launched in 2022 and lured big-name players away from the rival circuits with staggering sums of prize money for every golfer.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The PIF will initially be the exclusive investor in the new entity and the board of directors will include Al-Rumayyan as Chairman and the PGA Tour’s Monahan as CEO.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/the-players-championship-final-round-3/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1719613\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/inset-1-news.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /></a> <em>Jay Monahan, PGA Tour Commissioner, speaks during the trophy ceremony during the final round of The Players Championship on The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on 12 March 2023 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n<h4><b>‘Awesome day’</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The deal could well attract serious antitrust scrutiny. The PGA Tour had sought to fend off competition from LIV by barring PGA Tour players from participating in LIV tournaments.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Justice Department successfully blocked a merger of two US book publishers last year on the grounds that it would hurt author incomes.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among the more popular players who made the move to LIV Golf are Hall of Fame golfer Phil Mickelson, former world number one Dustin Johnson, reigning PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka and 2022 British Open winner Cameron Smith.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Awesome day today,” tweeted Mickelson, whose public image took a hit in February 2022 when the author of an unauthorised biography on him released excerpts from the book in which he called the Saudis “scary”, but said he was willing to look past their human rights records to gain leverage with the PGA Tour.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some PGA Tour players took to Twitter to express their surprise at having not been informed of the agreement before its announcement.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I love finding out morning news on Twitter,” wrote two-times major champion Collin Morikawa.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canadian world number 67, Mackenzie Hughes, wrote: “Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Former US president Donald Trump, who owns three courses that are part of LIV Golf’s 14-event schedule in 2023, celebrated the deal in a Truth Social post using all caps.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Great news from LIV Golf. A big, beautiful, and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf. Congrats to all!!”</span>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/liv-golf-invitational-dc-day-two/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1719615\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/inset-2-news.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /></a> <em>Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers GC looks on from the 18th green during day two of the LIV Golf Invitational - DC at Trump National Golf Club on 27 May 2023 in Sterling, Virginia. (Photo: Rob Carr / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n<h4><b>Players didn’t know</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monahan was asked during that interview what he thought the response would be from PGA Tour players.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PGA Tour fan favourite 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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Others were not shy to express their anger.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I feel betrayed, and will not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA Tour for a very long time.” </span><b>Reuters/DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The PGA Tour, European Tour and rival Saudi-backed LIV golf circuit announced a landmark agreement on Tuesday to merge and form a commercial entity to unify golf, bringing an end to what had been a bitter split in the sport.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, the three organisations said in a joint news release that they will work cooperatively to allow a process for any LIV Golf players to reapply for PGA Tour and DP World Tour membership following the 2023 season.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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 joint news release.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No details were given as to how the agreement will impact the current competitive golf landscape, including eligibility for this year’s Ryder Cup, though the parties did say they will work in the coming months to finalise the terms of the merger.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The LIV Golf series is bankrolled by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund and critics have 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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The announcement of the merger includes an agreement to end all pending litigation between the participating parties.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) will make a capital investment into the new entity to facilitate its growth and success.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Today is a very exciting day for this special game and the people it touches around the world,” said PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are proud to partner with the PGA Tour to leverage PIF’s unparalleled success and track record of unlocking value and bringing innovation and global best practices to business and sectors worldwide.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rival LIV Golf circuit, which features 54-hole events with no cuts instead of the traditional 72-hole format, launched in 2022 and lured big-name players away from the rival circuits with staggering sums of prize money for every golfer.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The PIF will initially be the exclusive investor in the new entity and the board of directors will include Al-Rumayyan as Chairman and the PGA Tour’s Monahan as CEO.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1719613\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/the-players-championship-final-round-3/\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1719613\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/inset-1-news.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /></a> <em>Jay Monahan, PGA Tour Commissioner, speaks during the trophy ceremony during the final round of The Players Championship on The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on 12 March 2023 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n<h4><b>‘Awesome day’</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The deal could well attract serious antitrust scrutiny. The PGA Tour had sought to fend off competition from LIV by barring PGA Tour players from participating in LIV tournaments.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Justice Department successfully blocked a merger of two US book publishers last year on the grounds that it would hurt author incomes.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among the more popular players who made the move to LIV Golf are Hall of Fame golfer Phil Mickelson, former world number one Dustin Johnson, reigning PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka and 2022 British Open winner Cameron Smith.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Awesome day today,” tweeted Mickelson, whose public image took a hit in February 2022 when the author of an unauthorised biography on him released excerpts from the book in which he called the Saudis “scary”, but said he was willing to look past their human rights records to gain leverage with the PGA Tour.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some PGA Tour players took to Twitter to express their surprise at having not been informed of the agreement before its announcement.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I love finding out morning news on Twitter,” wrote two-times major champion Collin Morikawa.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canadian world number 67, Mackenzie Hughes, wrote: “Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Former US president Donald Trump, who owns three courses that are part of LIV Golf’s 14-event schedule in 2023, celebrated the deal in a Truth Social post using all caps.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Great news from LIV Golf. A big, beautiful, and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf. Congrats to all!!”</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1719615\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/liv-golf-invitational-dc-day-two/\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1719615\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/inset-2-news.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /></a> <em>Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers GC looks on from the 18th green during day two of the LIV Golf Invitational - DC at Trump National Golf Club on 27 May 2023 in Sterling, Virginia. (Photo: Rob Carr / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n<h4><b>Players didn’t know</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monahan was asked during that interview what he thought the response would be from PGA Tour players.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PGA Tour fan favourite 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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Others were not shy to express their anger.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“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. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I feel betrayed, and will not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA Tour for a very long time.” </span><b>Reuters/DM</b>",
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Jay Monahan, PGA Tour Commissioner, speaks during the trophy ceremony during the final round of The Players Championship on The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on 12 March 2023 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers GC looks on from the 18th green during day two of the LIV Golf Invitational - DC at Trump National Golf Club on 27 May 2023 in Sterling, Virginia. (Photo: Rob Carr / Getty Images)