Even as professional golf settles into its holiday break, there are indications that plenty of activity is continuing as reports of a possible LIV Golf agreement with the DP World Tour coincide with the expected announcement of a new CEO and commissioner for the Saudi-backed tour.
According to a Bloomberg Report last week, LIV Golf and the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) are having discussions that could lead to a working agreement between the two organizations separate from negotiations involving the PGA Tour.
Asked about the report, the DP World Tour issued a statement to Global Golf Post that said, “We remain in discussions with the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Enterprises, SSG and PIF relating to the ongoing overall picture for men’s global golf, but no agreements have been reached.”
While there have been indications that negotiations between the PGA Tour, the Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour are making progress, it is unclear where those discussions stand and what a potential deal might look like.
LIV Golf and the Public Investment Fund declined to comment on the Bloomberg report.
The idea of a LIV-DP World Tour working arrangement has been tossed around since LIV became a factor in pro golf. It seemed to cool when the PGA Tour struck a strategic alliance with the DP World Tour, helping subsidize purses on the European-based tour.
Any agreement between LIV and the DP World Tour could help clear the path for players that left the European circuit to regain their playing ability. Sergio Garcia recently reapplied for tour membership in hopes of qualifying for the European Ryder Cup team next fall.
The PGA Tour and the PIF have been in negotiations about a potential investment of $1 billion or more from the Saudi group into the new PGA Tour Enterprises, joining SSG (Strategic Sports Group), which has committed $3 billion in private equity investment to the tour’s new for-profit entity.
It is likely that LIV Golf will name Scott O’Neil, a former NBA and NHL executive, as its new commissioner and CEO in the near future, replacing Greg Norman in those roles.
Norman’s LIV contract is set to expire in August and it is possible he will remain with the organization in some capacity going forward. Norman has spearheaded – often amid great controversy – the creation of the new golf league that has disrupted the professional game while creating a fracture within the sport.
According to multiple reports, the announcement of O’Neil’s hiring could come as early as this week.
O’Neil has served as CEO of Merlin Entertainments, a London-based company that operates amusement parks and resorts. He recently told the company that he is leaving at the end of the year to pursue a new opportunity.
Prior to his work with Merlin Entertainments, O’Neil is a former CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers. He also became CEO of the New Jersey Devils, both franchises being part of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment.