The PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Asian Tour announced a significant strategic alliance Tuesday, effective immediately through 2029. This collaboration aims to provide commercial and playing opportunities, particularly for Asian Tour members seeking to join European circuits, and appears to sideline LIV Golf.
Rory McIlroy, a vocal critic of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, described the announcement as "positive news" and "great to see the respective tours working together for the good of international golf." This comment suggests a continued divergence from LIV Golf's strategy.
LIV Golf, which had previously invested $300 million in the Asian Tour to establish the 'International Series,' faces an uncertain future. The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, LIV's primary financial backer, has indicated it will not fund the league beyond the current season. LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil has been seeking new investors to ensure the league's continuation into 2027 and beyond.
The newly formed alliance reinstates a partnership between the DP World Tour and the Asian Tour, which previously co-sanctioned events from 2016 to 2021 before ceasing in 2022. The upcoming agreement is expected to include at least two co-sanctioned Asian Tour events annually for the next three years, with further details on player access to European and Challenge Tour events still being finalized. Cho Minn Thant, commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour, stated that the collaboration will increase the scope of professional golf in Asia, allowing members to compete globally and enabling players from partner tours to participate in premier Asian events.
Christian Hardy, senior vice president of international for the PGA Tour, characterized the alliance as a demonstration of "collaboration by tours with a shared vision for the future of professional golf." He added that the PGA Tour, through its alliance with the DP World Tour, has been working to build a "more connected global golf ecosystem" and welcomes the Asian Tour's inclusion to create new player opportunities and strengthen pathways for developing talent.
This strategic move by the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Asian Tour comes amidst separate legal and financial pressures for LIV Golf. Reports indicate that Mobii Systems Group has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Miami, alleging LIV Golf owes $925,100 in fees for the "Any Shot, Any Time" broadcast technology. The company is also seeking $209,531 in lost revenue for the remaining six events of LIV's 2026 schedule. A May 25 email cited in the report from LIV Golf's senior vice president of technology, Nick Connor, stated that the league would no longer use the technology after the South Korea event on May 31 as it reevaluates its business model.