The PGA Tour made a major decision on Wednesday that moved them one step closer to ending the bitter war with LIV Golf.
In 2021, an unexpected war began in professional golf. After a century of dominance, the PGA Tour had serious competition with the creation of LIV Golf. The upstart league immediately became a major threat due to having the bottomless bank accounts of the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
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It allowed them to lure away many PGA stars with absurd contracts that the Tour could never match. In response, the Tour banned LIV athletes from all of their events, and the majors — long loyal to the PGA — followed suit. However, in the last two years, some LIV players have been allowed to compete in the PGA Championship.
Earlier today, the PGA made a major announcement that further bridges the divide between the two leagues and shows that the bitter war could soon be at an end.
PGA Tour expands LIV Players eligibility for PGA Championship and Ryder Cup
“To ensure the PGA Championship will continue to deliver the strongest field in golf and that the US Ryder Cup team will continue to have access to the best American players, the PGA of America board has determined that LIV Golf players be eligible for both,” the statement said.
“Going forward, all LIV Golf players are eligible for the PGA Championship, and any American players who qualified for the Ryder Cup on points or is added to the US team as a captain’s pick is eligible to compete.”
The news means that LIV players are eligible for A-3 membership. Which broadens the potential requirements they can meet for the Tour Championship and Ryder Cup. This comes while the PGA and LIV are back at the negotiating table to hammer out a deal to finalize a merger. This could be the first of many steps to complete an agreement this year.