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Major Merger: PGA Tour Joins Forces with LIV Golf
PGA Tour merges with LIV Golf in a surprising turn of events while this week's tournaments are highighted by the Canadian Open and a Mixed field event in Scandinavia
Jack Middlebrook
June 07, 2023
LIV and PGA Tour Merger
It has certainly been a crazy week in golf with the announcement of the PGA Tour merging with the LIV Golf yesterday. PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan, appeared on CNBC with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) Governor, to break the news. What just weeks ago seemed unthinkable now sees the two biggest tours in Men’s golf joining forces.
For now, the details surrounding the new structure are unclear. What we know now is that a new entity will be created that includes the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and DP World Tour under a single umbrella where Yasir Al-Rumayyan will act as the chairman, and Jay Monahan will be CEO. Also, the ongoing lawsuits have been dropped.
What is clear is that the PIF will now inject a bunch of cash into the PGA Tour and have an instrumental role in shaping the future of professional golf.
As a player-run organization, the PGA Tour seemingly left the players in the dark until the news broke. Jay Monahan is in Canada and held a Player meeting for those in the field at the Canadian Open to discuss the announcement and explain what happened.
I love finding out morning news on Twitter
— Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa)
2:13 PM • Jun 6, 2023
In an interview with Golf Channel after the players meeting, Geoff Ogilvy said Monahan didn’t provide much information on the new structure but mentioned it had been in the works for seven weeks. Ogilvy also described the mood in the room as “grumpy,” with some players speaking up about the hypocrisy of Monahan.
More to come in the weeks ahead. Aside from the seismic shift in golf, there are still tournaments to be played this week.
Top 100 preview
It’s a light week on the men’s side for the week before the US Open. 25 of the top 100 are in Canada for the PGA Tour event and 4 in Sweden for the Mixed European tour event.
The women’s game also has many top 100 players resting. The LPGA event has 29, 14 each between Korea and Japan LPGA, and another 4 in the Scandinavian Mixed.
Purses
Canadian Open
Scandinavian Mixed
ShopRite LPGA Classic
Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies Open Golf Tournament
BMW Charity Pro-Am
Celltrion Queens Masters
ASO IIZUKA Challenged Golf Tournament
PGA Tour - Canadian Open
Let's turn up the heat, eh? This week, the PGA Tour makes a pitstop in the Great White North for the RBC Canadian Open, held at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto.
Rory McIlory is back again to defend his title at a new course this year. He is coming off back-to-back top 10s, and Jay Monahan spared him from sitting in another seven-hour board meeting on the LIV merger, so he should be ready to play.
Then, there's the strong English trio of Matt Fitzpatrick (World Rank: 8), Tyrrell Hatton (World Rank: 16), and Tommy Fleetwood (World Rank: 23). Fitzpatrick's been a mixed bag of late but already has a win this year at the RBC Heritage and looks to make it an RBC double. With a pair of top 5 finishes in his recent outings (Byron Nelson, Wells Fargo Championship), Hatton will look to continue his strong results in 2023.
Don't count out the home team! We've got a Canadian contingent led by Corey Conners (World Rank: 29), Adam Svensson (World Rank: 65), Mackenzie Hughes (World Rank: 67), Nick Taylor (World Rank: 69), and Adam Hadwin (World Rank: 75). The last Canadian to win here was Pat Fletcher in 1954.
With the top players like Rahm and Scheffler skipping, the event features a prime opportunity for players like Cameron Young or Sahith Theegala to capture their first PGA Tour win. Both haven’t had their best results recently, with Young coming off two missed cuts and Sahith’s best finish a T40 in his last three starts. Either of these guys has the firepower to take advantage this week.
The Canadian Open is also the pro debut for former number-one-ranked amateur Ludvig Aberg. The Swedish star hopes to follow up on Rose Zhang’s debut win on the LPGA tour.
Another young star in the field is amateur Michael Thorbjornsen, playing on a sponsor’s exemption. Thorbjornsen just finished his collegiate year at Stanford and qualified for the US Open on Monday.
Oh, Canada, here we come!
DP World Tour and Ladies European Tour - Scandinavian Mixed
For the third year, the Men’s and Women’s tours in Europe join forces for a mixed event outside of Stockholm. The tournament features men and women in the same field playing separate tees, competing for the same $2 million purse.
Last year saw the first female winner, Linn Grant, dominate the field, winning by nine strokes. Grant is the highest-ranked player in the field this year and looks to repeat.
Alex Noren is the highest-ranked men’s player in the field. The Swede has had a difficult 2023 with seven missed cuts but looks to turn things around on his home soil.
LPGA - ShopRite LPGA Classic
The LPGA stays in New Jersey for the ShopRite Classic, a 54-hole event at Seaview Club.
Brooke Henderson looks to defend her title, which she won in a playoff over Lindsey Weaver-Wright.
The top-ranked player in the field, Atthaya Thitikul, is coming off of two top-10 finishes and is a favorite this week.
Japan LPGA - Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies Open Golf Tournament
The LPGA of Japan tour heads to the Rokko Kokusai Golf Club in Kobe, Japan. Top players in the tournament field include Miyuu Yamashita, Jiyai Shin, Hinako Shibuno, and others. Yamashita has been in tremendous form, coming off an impressive streak of tournament finishes, including two wins.
Korn Ferry Tour - BMW Charity Pro-Am
The KFT is in South Carolina this week for a Pro-Am event over two courses, The Carolina Country Club and Thornblade Club.
In the spotlight, this week is Rico Hoey, who won recently at the Visit Knoxville Open and tied for 2nd the week prior at the AdventHealth Championship. Just behind him, Ben Kohles, has already won twice this year on the Korn Ferry Tour, and a third win would mean a promotion to the PGA Tour.
NCAA Individual Champion, Fred Biondi, makes his pro debut this week after opting to turn professional at the end of his season for Florida. He leads a handful of players in the field making their pro debut as part of the PGA Tour University Ranking system, where top collegiate players earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Korea LPGA - Celltrion Queens Masters
The upcoming Korea LPGA tournament, the Celltrion Queens Masters, is set to take place at Seolhaeone in Sokcho, South Korea. Min Ji Park and Su Ji Kim headline the field.