Anirban Lahiri and His Ex-Sponsors in India Show How Tension Between PGA Tour and LIV Golf is Starting to Subside

Lahiri, the best golfer in India, lost his sponsors, including Hero Motor Corp., once he joined LIV last year. But Hero's CEO played a LIV Golf pro-am this week, in a sign that times are changing quickly.

HERTFORDSHIRE, England – Like many members of the LIV Golf League, Anirban Lahiri saw several of his sponsors drop him when he signed a contract to play for the controversial series last year.

It stung that one of them was from his native India.

Lahiri, 36, who has two Asian Tour wins and seven more on the DP World Tour, signed on with LIV Golf following the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs and played his first LIV event in Boston.

Almost before the ink dried on the contract, Hero Motor Corp., the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, which is based in New Delhi, ended its long-running relationship with Lahiri, the country’s best golfer.

Hero’s relationship with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour caused the move.

But in one example of how the friction between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is possibly easing up, Hero’s CEO, Pawan Munjal, played in the LIV Golf London pro-am on Thursday. A billionaire, Munjal is an avid golfer who has become somewhat recognizable due to his presence next to Tiger Woods at all of the 15-time major winner’s news conferences at the Hero World Challenge.

And that appearance in the pro-am – playing in Phil Mickelson’s group – was not random. LIV Golf sources said they have talked to Munjal about playing a future LIV event in India with Hero’s sponsorship or assistance.

It’s something that would not have been possible prior to the June 6 announcement that the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia –which funds LIV Golf – had come to a “framework agreement’’ that will see all the parties work together.

Munal said during a brief interview on Thursday that the agreement is “good for the game of golf.’’ And Lahiri agreed.

“Him coming yesterday, potentially it is something that could happen; I would love to see a LIV Golf event in India,’’ Lahiri said after shooting 3-under-par 68 on Friday at Centurion Club in the first round of the LIV London event to trail leader Cam Smith by five shots. “I’m not part of the inner conversations. He’s someone who loves golf. He’s invested in golf. And I think it’s nice to see him potentially opening up to LIV.

“Whether you like it or not, there’s a lot of benefit to be had, especially outside of the U.S. When we travel, we are received really well. Most of the regions outside of North America have not seen the quality of field like this ever. I know for a fact that India hasn’t. So to have someone, a big corporate person who loves golf here for the pro-am, it is a positive for us.’’

Smith also joined LIV Golf to much bigger fanfare following the FedEx Cup playoffs. The reigning British Open champion signed a lucrative deal to be a captain of a team of Australians. He won in his second event in Chicago and lost in a playoff earlier this year to Dustin Johnson at the LIV Golf Tulsa event.

Smith shot 63 Friday and had the only bogey-free round to lead fellow Aussie Marc Leishman by a shot. Thomas Pieters is three back, with last week’s winner, Talor Gooch in a three-way tie for fourth. Smith’s Australian team Ripper GC leads the team competition by three shots over Gooch’s Range Goats team.

Lahiri’s defection was impactful in other ways, however, as a top international player, and his ties to a country with an enormous population and growing golf interest. It immediately had consequences.

“Honestly, they (Hero) have invested heavily in the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour over the years,’’ Lahiri said. "Mr. Munjal has a lovely relationship with Tiger and his event. (The Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.) And given how standoffish things have been, I was not surprised, honestly. I understand.

“There are a lot of companies, not just Hero. I was with Mastercard for seven years. They are a strategic partner of the PGA Tour. They were all very amicable. There was no negatively, it was, “Look, this is the position we are in. This is our overall view on things. So we have to go with that.’ I respect them for that.’’

Lahiri said he, like most, is unclear what the agreement really means. LIV Golf is proceeding with business as usual. A schedule for next year is being formalized, and a tournament in India would likely be 2025, if a deal can be made. That suggests optimism for those associated with LIV.

It also means some of the animosity has waned. Lahiri said he has not experienced bitterness personally from players, including at the PGA Championship, where he missed the cut in May.

“The funning thing is when I played the PGA Championship, that was my first event where I caught up with a lot of my friends and I guess former colleagues,’’ Lahiri said. “I didn’t know what to expect. It was anything but hostile. It was very warm. There were lot of high fives and hugs. “We miss you here. Great to see you playing well.’’’

Lahiri said much of the angst in the game has been fostered by media pushing aggrievement and false narratives.

“What’s the point of reporting potential outcomes and creating mass hysteria among the fan base,’’ he said. “It’s the fan base that reacted with a lot of vitriol towards us, which I feel to a large extent has been manufactured. Since this potential agreement, people have now started wondering, “What is this about?’ Unfortunately it’s a huge mess and the quicker we sort it out, the better.’’

That promises to take some time. But for now, Lahiri sees hope.

“I believe the world of golf is big enough for multiple products to exist,’’ he said.