Nick Faldo Doesn't See LIV Golf Surviving After PGA Tour - PIF Merger: 'Nobody's Really Interested'
The future of professional golf is entirely up in the air with the proposed merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF). With so much uncertainty, many believe LIV Golf's demise will come sooner rather than later, and six-time major winner Nick Faldo has made it clear that he's of that opinion as well.
Speaking ahead of this week's British Masters on the DP World Tour, Faldo said he thinks the sport as a whole will benefit from the presumed billions the Saudis will pump into it, but LIV Golf will simply be tossed to the wayside due to a lack of interest.
"I don't think so, because nobody's really interested,' Faldo said when asked if LIV would keep going. "They're not going to get the sponsorship that they want. They call it a team (event) and it's not because it's strokeplay."
"It's only half a dozen (players) that are really current, half of the field I don't really know and half the field are there for the very nice last-placed money that you still get if you shoot 20 over," Faldo continued.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi's PIF, was very much a part of the PGA Tour - LIV Golf merger decision and announcement. (Photo by Luke Walker/WME IMG/WME IMG via Getty Images)
It's tough to argue against Faldo's points, in fact, they're the same plenty of golf fans and media members have been shouting since LIV officially came onto the scene a year ago.
He may also be right, too.
According to a recently leaked document, the PGA Tour is still going to be in the driver's seat, at least on paper, of whatever this new-look venture is going to be between itself, the DP World Tour, and the PIF. With that comes oversight of LIV's future.
“The fate of LIV, the rogue golf league created by the PIF and fronted by Greg Norman, will be dictated by a NewCo board that will be controlled by a PGA Tour majority,” per the agreement.
Professional golf may look very different in the near future, especially behind the scenes, and the changes very well may not include LIV Golf at all.
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