Listen Live
LIV Golf Invitational - DC - Day Three

Source: Rob Carr / Getty

The PGA Tour has announced it will be merging with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League.

“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA Tour’s history, legacy and pro competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV – including the team golf concept – to create an organization that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans.”

This announcement comes after the PGA Tour and some of its players expressed opposition to the newly formed league. Several notable former PGA Tour players, such as Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf.

Shortly after the players left the PGA Tour in 2022, Monahan announced that they would be suspended and said: “It’s been an unfortunate week that was created by some unfortunate decisions, those decisions being players choosing to violate our tournament regulations. It’s my job to protect, defend and celebrate our loyal PGA Tour members, our partners and our fans. And that’s exactly what I did.”

Several LIV players also criticized the PGA Tour, some even filing lawsuits.

Following the announcement of the merger, many professional golfers responded to the news.

“Awesome day today,” Mickelson, a six-time major champion, wrote on Twitter.

Collin Morikawa, a two-time major champion, wrote: “I love finding out morning news on Twitter,” suggesting that some players were unaware of the merger before it was announced.