The PGA Tour, Europe’s DP World Tour and the Asian Tour announced a strategic alliance on Tuesday in another potential setback for LIV Golf.
The DP World Tour said this new chapter for global golf is effective immediately and runs through at least 2029, creating new commercial and playing opportunities while establishing pathways for leading Asian Tour members to join European circuits starting in 2027.
“Bringing the three Tours together under one partnership will increase the bandwidth of the professional game in Asia,” said Cho Minn Thant, commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour. “Not only will co-sanctioning events see our members competing regularly on the global stage, but we are excited to welcome players from the other Tours to our pinnacle events, which showcase the strength and diversity of golf in Asia.”
The Asian Tour has had a relationship with LIV Golf since the rival Saudi Arabia-backed tour launched in 2022. LIV Golf invested $300 million in the Asian Tour and created the International Series, featuring purses of up to $2 million.
Before that, the DP World Tour had an alliance with the Asian Tour and co-sanctioned events from 2016-21. The new relationship is expected to feature at least two co-sanctioned Asian Tour events in each of the next three years.
“We are delighted to rekindle our historic relationship with the Asian Tour and indeed strengthen it with the addition of the PGA TOUR to our new partnership,” said Ben Cowen, chief tournament and operations officer for the DP World Tour.
“As Golf’s Global Tour, we bring together the best international talent and the formal pathways established by this partnership will provide unprecedented international opportunities for Asian Tour members. Our agreement therefore represents not only a hugely positive step for golf in Asia, but also an exciting new era of collaboration for our game globally.”
PGA Tour senior vice president of international Christian Hardy praised the three tours’ “shared vision for the future of professional golf.”
“Through our Strategic Alliance with the DP World Tour, we have worked to build a more connected global golf ecosystem, and we are excited to welcome the Asian Tour into that effort,” Hardy said. “Together, we are creating new opportunities for players, enhancing key National Opens around the world and continuing to evolve and strengthen pathways to identify and develop the next generation of elite talent.”
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland posted about the alliance on X.
“Positive news,” he wrote, “and great to see the respective tours working together for the good of international golf.”
The alliance is another blow to LIV Golf, which is already seeking alternative funding sources after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced earlier this year that it is pulling the financial plug at the end of this season.
–Field Level Media
