The announcement signaled the end of a nearly two-year-long battle between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf that led to suspensions and fines for players who jumped ship to play for the new tour.
Details of the agreement are still scarce, but the news hit everyone right at the same time. Players and fans alike learned some of the biggest news ever in professional golf from Twitter.
Safe to say many PGA Tour players weren’t pleased not to get any heads up from the PGA Tour before the announcement at about 10:00 a.m ET.
And everyone thought yesterday was the longest day in golf
I’m guessing the liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years
Can I also say that I love @PhilMickelson and everything he’s said the past two years has been spot on. He went up in flames in the media cuz of his brutal honesty and now everyone’s finally realizing he was right and the PGA Tour does whatever they feel like 😂😂😂
Surprised that this merger has happened so quickly but not surprised it’s happened. Definitely in the financial interest of both sides. Definitely in the financial interest of the players even though some of those who gain will feel like they’re losing. Good for the cohesion of…
A few LIV golfers, like Phil Mickelson, also reacted in real-time to the announcement. Mickelson remained somewhat cryptic in response to one tweet by No Laying Up’s Chris Solomon. Brooks Koepka, meanwhile, took the chance to take a shot a Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee who had been vocal in his disdain for LIV Golf.
The story was broken by CNBC at the same time the PGA Tour sent a press release, leading to media members also reacting to the announcement with shock.
So, you preach loyalty to a tour and convince guys not to take 8 and 9 figure deals based, in part, on that loyalty and, in part, on the source of the money. Then those guys find out on Twitter YOU took the very same money?
I’ve been enjoying a little break after turning in the book – so nice to unplug. I think I’ll go camping this morning somewhere without cell reception. Feels great that I won’t have to make any major changes to the manuscript.
Of the 10,000 different outcomes, this was never talked about, never discussed, never even floated. Everyone who would have known was at the PGA two weeks ago, and nobody even came close to hinting at it!
I genuinely feel sorry for someone like Hideki Matsuyama. He reportedly turned down about $300 million … and now his loyalty to the tour doesn’t mean much
Jack Hirsh is the Associate Equipment Editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.
