LIV Golf suffered a possible setback on Tuesday when the PGA Tour, European Tour and Asian Tour introduced a strategic alliance aimed toward international cooperation, which might affect the Asian Tour and LIV partnership.
Within the partnership, efficient instantly till 2029, the PGA Tour and European Tour (commercially often known as the DP World Tour) will accomplice with the Asian Tour to supply business and enjoying alternatives and assist set up a path for Asian Tour members to affix the European circuit.
The PGA Tour and the DP World Tour have one other partnership, which has not but been renewed, that features 10 of the highest gamers on the European Tour who will earn PGA Tour playing cards. Officers from each excursions met on the British Open Championship. The partnership with the Asian Tour is seen as a brand new deal growth, together with the PGA Tour’s involvement within the Australian Open.
The announcement is a blow to LIV Golf, which has had a relationship with the Asian Tour since earlier than the rival league was launched in 2022.
LIV invested $300 million within the Asian tour and created the “Worldwide Sequence,” with a most of $2 million in funding. LIV gamers akin to Peter Uihlein, Carlos Ortiz, and David Puig have gained.
The Saudi Public Funding Fund, which funds LIV Golf, has introduced that it’s going to not present funding to the league after this season. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neal is in search of buyers to maintain the league going past 2027.
DP World Tour was affiliated with Asian Tour from 2016 to 2021. In 2022, joint sanctioning of Asian Tour occasions can be suspended.
The partnership is now anticipated to host no less than two collectively sanctioned Asian Tour occasions over the following three years, marking a return to that dedication. Different particulars are nonetheless being labored out, together with whether or not Asian Tour gamers will have the ability to take part in European Tour and Problem Tour occasions.
“We really feel the time is correct to work with the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour to strengthen the Asian Tour for our members, followers and companions,” mentioned Cho Min Thant, Commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour. “Bringing the three excursions collectively below one partnership will develop the scope of the skilled sport in Asia.
“With co-sanctioned occasions, we stay up for not solely permitting our members to compete often on the world stage, but additionally welcoming gamers from different excursions to our premier occasions.”
It is optimistic information and nice to see the excursions working collectively for the good thing about worldwide golf. https://t.co/MdUk4HTxi3
— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) July 21, 2026
The announcement comes a day after it was reported that Canada-based Mobii Methods Group has filed go well with towards LIV Golf in U.S. District Courtroom in Miami, alleging that LIV has not paid $925,100 in charges to the corporate that gives the league’s “Any Shot, Any Time” know-how throughout LIV broadcasts.
Mobii Methods additionally claims $209,531 in misplaced income for the remaining six occasions in 2026.
ESPN reported that Nick Connor, LIV Golf’s senior vice chairman of know-how, wrote in an electronic mail to Mobii Methods on Could 25 that LIV will not use the know-how after the Korean occasion, which ended on Could 31, or the remainder of its scheduled occasions, because it evaluates its enterprise mannequin.
The PGA Tour just lately introduced a business partnership with the DP World Tour for the Australian Open because the golf world raises consciousness of the Nationwide Open. This yr’s Masters added six home open champions to its invitation standards.
Christian Hardy, the PGA Tour’s senior vice chairman of worldwide affairs, mentioned the three-tour alliance is an instance of cooperation between excursions “with a shared imaginative and prescient for the way forward for skilled golf.”
“Via our strategic partnership with the DP World Tour, we’ve got been working to create a extra linked international golf ecosystem, and we’re happy to welcome the Asian Tour to that effort,” mentioned Hardy. “Collectively, we’re creating new alternatives for gamers, strengthening main Nationwide Opens all over the world, and persevering with to evolve and strengthen our pathway to discovering and creating the following era of elite expertise.”
