After a couple years of controversies, big money deals, and even an attempt to send a message to the PGA at this year's Masters, PGA commissioner Jay Monahan announced that the LIV and PGA will push their differences aside and agree to a historic merger.
"After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love," read a statement made by Monahan in a press release, "This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA TOUR’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV – including the team golf concept – to create an organization that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans.”
Monahan, who has been the PGA commissioner since January 2017, is now deciding to merge with the LIV, who he has bashed previously for being funded by a country that supports terrorists who were responsible for 9/11 and other terroristic threats across the globe.
Saudi Arabia is able to fund these types of leagues and other large projects due to the money the country makes every year by selling oil to nations that either have progressive thinking people in charge (I.E Joe Biden’s America) or are unable to produce their own fossil fuels.
The Saudi Arabian funded and based LIV – which is roman numerals for 54, the amount of strokes you would shoot if you birdied every single hole on a par 72 course – had convinced some of the biggest golfers in the world to walk away from the PGA for tons of money despite the concerns from fans that this money was being handed out by a country that was responsible for some of the most despicable acts of terrorism in recent memory.
Some big names like Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, and the Kopeka brothers (Brooks and Chase) all jumped ship to join the Saudi funded golf league due to the higher payday. The LIV also employs PGA legend and one of golf fans favorite golfers ever, Greg “The Shark” Norman as their CEO.
In the past, Jay Monahan was extremely critical of these people who would jump ship for the LIV and “sell their souls for a big pay day.” Now Monahan is being called a hypocrite who also has sold his soul over money.
"I have two families that are close to me that lost loved ones,” said Monahan in a statement made back in 2022 when he spoke to legendary commentator Jim Nantz on SkySports, "My heart goes out to them and I would ask that any player that has left, or that would ever consider leaving, have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?"
Monahan also stated that he would never under any circumstances merge with the LIV or welcome any LIV golfer back into the PGA tour.
The big question some golf fans originally questioned was would this Saudi funded Golf tour live past its infancy or be able to support all these mega contracts golfers were signed to.
Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, even made a statement on his Truth Social Media account where he predicted a merger between the two professional golf tours last July as professional golfers were weighing huge paydays to defect to the LIV Tour despite facing heavy criticism over its Saudi funding or what has now become known as “Blood Money.”
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Trump, who is an avid golfer himself, also released another statement via Truth Social after the merger saying “Great news from LIV Golf! A big, beautiful, and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf. Congrats to all!"
The President also has hosted some LIV events on his properties in the past and his following of golf is well known by almost everyone who keeps up with Mr. Trump.
Unlike Donald Trump, many other golf fans and golfers were not too fond of the PGA for agreeing to merge with the LIV Golf Tour due to their shady fundings by the Saudi Arabian Government and their terroristic ideology, headlined by former world number one golfer Rory Mcllroy.
“I still hate LIV. I hate them,” said Mcllroy on Wednesday when he spoke to the media about the merger before he competes to defend his RBC Open Title, “I hope it goes away. We just can't welcome them back in," he said. "It's hard not to feel like I was a sacrificial lamb. I've come to terms with it. I've resigned myself to the fact that this is what's going to happen.”
Mcllroy, 34, also claims that he was never offered a contract by the LIV when they tried to poach all the big names away from the PGA in the past couple of years.
Barstool CEO Dave Portnoy was one of the biggest critics of the merger, as he fired off a dozen tweets about the merger and calling Jay Monahan “a vile human” amongst other words and obscenities since the announcement went public.
“I guess the commish of PGA Jay Monahan is no longer morally opposed to LIV because of 9/11 since they are merging now”, said Portnoy via Twitter, “Funny how that works.”
In another tweet, Portnoy continued to drag Monahan through the mud stating, “Also I could give a s–t less they are merging. Getting all the best golfers back in the same tournaments is great for golf and the fans. It's just hilarious all the bulls–t that was being spewed about how morally superior the PGA was only to have them merge almost instantly.”
“I don't know how Jay Monahan sleeps at night,” added Portnoy in another Tweet, “He co-opted 9/11 victims for the moral high ground. He clearly didn't give a s–t about them. Just using their pain as a marketing tactic. Special type of hell for guys like that.”
Many people also wonder what will happen with player salaries as the LIV has all this dirty money to throw around and the answer seems pretty simple. Most of these mega deals, including Phil Mickelson’s $200 million deal, will be paid out until the end of the 2025 season (which is when the longer deals signed will expire).
“Not much has emerged about the lengths of the contracts which players signed with LIV Golf,” read a statement made on AS.com, “While some may have agreed short-term arrangements, others signed longer deals – and will be under contract through the 2025 season.”
In the meantime, reporters all across the world are waiting for more details about the ongoing merger and we will be covering the aftermath of this major announcement as it unfolds.