DP World Tour Boss Suggests PGA Tour/LIV Golf Deal Isn't Imminent

Outgoing DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley still believes unity is “inevitable” but not likely before he leaves next month.

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What seemed like a matter of time back in January now seems a ways off. Nobody is saying that officially, but the actions on both sides of the divide between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia don’t suggest anything is imminent.

And the outgoing CEO of the DP World Tour, Keith Pelley, seemed to suggest as much in his comments to the Times of London.

Pelley, who announced in January that he was stepping down after eight years to head back to his native Canada to run Maple Leaf Sports, said then that he intended to stay on until early April because “truly believe a deal can be completed,” he said. “I’ve believed it for a long time and that is the reason that we entered the framework agreement—and we need to move forward.”

Keith Pelley appears he'll be out of golf before a PGA Tour/Public Investment Fund deal is done :: Pedro Salado/Getty Images

The parties entered into a “framework agreement” on June 6 that shocked the golf world because PGA Tour representatives including commissioner Jay Monahan had negotiated with the PIF, led by governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, in secret.

A Dec. 31 deadline was set and missed. LIV Golf signed Masters champion Jon Rahm as well as Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk. It continues to operate is if it is not going anywhere.

The PGA Tour, meanwhile, signed Strategic Sports Group to become a huge investor in the new PGA Tour Enterprises—the entity that the PIF was to be negotiating with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour to be part of as an investor.

But while the parties say negotiations continue, nothing has happened.

Pelley said in the Times story that he is “convinced the game will be unified,” but doesn’t seem confident it will happen before he leaves next month.

“Whether it be in six months, a year, two years or 10 years, I think people are coming to the realization that a collective produce is in the best interest of global golf. It is the only way growth and prize funds continue at this level. It is inevitable.”

Pelley also addressed the controversy that has seen the DP World Tour allow its top 10 players—not already PGA Tour members—to gain PGA Tour status for the following year as part of its alliance with the Tour. The feeling is it has watered down the DP World Tour and turned it into a feeder tour.

“Our job is to provide earning potential for the members and those 10 players will earn a minimum of $500,000 each,” said Pelley, who also noted France’s Matthieu Pavon, who won the Farmers Insurance Open playing out of the DP World Tour category, will come back to the French Open “a much bigger star than if he’d stayed here the whole year.”

Retaining those players, he said, “Is not reality. The players want to get to America. We’re not in the 1970s and the 1980s.”

A few more things ...

This week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational will top out at 69 players after there were just 70 at the previous Signature event, the Genesis Invitational. There were always going to be issues to work out, but the Tour should fix this prior to the next Signature event, the RBC Heritage. Fill out the field to 78 players. It can continue off either of its next 10 or swing 5 lists. Why limit opportunities for these big-money events? It’s especially damning this week, when there is a cut to 50 and ties and anyone with 10 of the lead. ... This week also presents the first opposite event of the year, the Puerto Rico Open. With playing opportunities for those far down the Korn Ferry Tour list, this is a good chance to make a move. It would also open up more spots in the field if some of the players in this field were eligible for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. ... Tiger Woods is scheduled to play Monday in the Pro-Member event at famed Seminole in Juno Beach, Fla. The event annual attracts a strong list of current and former tour pros. Woods is paired with PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh. Tony Finau is playing with Tom Brady. ... Joaquin Niemann is on quite a roll. His victory at the LIV Jeddah event was in his second in three starts and followed a run that goes back to last year in which he was tied for sixth at the Pan American Games, fifth at the Australian PGA, won the Australian Open, was tied for fourth at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, tied for 30th at the LIV Las Vegas, was third at the International Series event in Oman and won in Jeddah. LIV Golf heads to Hong Kong with week. … Phil Mickelson’s tie for sixth in Jeddah is his best performance in LIV Golf, besting his tie for eighth at the 2022 Chicago event. ... The first round of the Masters is in 38 days.