‘Creating a Divide’: Golf Fans Left Furious After $3,000,000,000 Merger Architect Reveals Major Details

A great deal of uncertainty is currently coursing through the golf community following the PGA Tour’s merger with the Saudi-funded LIV Golf. The most prominent question doing the rounds, however, is concerning the fate of the players who turned down the LIV riches and stayed loyal to the Tour.

Now, the chief architect of the surprising new union has offered fans an insight into the reward for the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and more. Let’s dive in to find out what’s in store for these PGA Tour pros!

Man behind golf’s most shocking deal talks about rewards for PGA Tour loyalists

While the likes of Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau received well over $100 million for their defection to LIV last year, players like Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama, and more turned their backs on similar jaw-dropping deals. Per reports, Tiger Woods received an offer worth close to $1 billion to join the Saudi PIF-funded league but passed on the opportunity.

Now, in the face of their $3,000,000,000 merger with LIV Golf, how does the PGA Tour plan on rewarding its loyal players? Well, the Tour’s Jimmy Dunne shared that the golfers will receive equity stakes in the new parent company set to be formed if the deal between the PGA Tour and the Saudi PIF gets finalized.

“The new [business] would grow, and the [eligible] players would get a piece of equity that would enhance and increase in value as time went on,” Dunne told ESPN. The PGA Tour Policy Board member further shared that a panel, likely including the Tour’s golfers, will be set up to decide on punishment and reinstatement of defectors.

“I think we would form a panel, including tour players, that would evaluate what the terms would be,” he said. After Dunne’s comments came to the surface, fans were quick to relay their doubts about the PGA Tour’s decision.

Also Read: ‘No Operation Change’: Amid Billions PGA Tour Merger, LIV CEO Greg Norman Drops a Bold Statement

PGA Tour’s decision to reward loyalists divides fans

The PGA Tour’s decision to reward loyal golfers with equity stakes and punish the defectors has not sat well with fans. Many believed that it would fuel further division among golfers down the road.

Many golf fans have also slammed PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan, with one saying that the 53-year-old will have to put his personal feelings aside for the deal to succeed. Others pointed out that the likes of Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau will still be way ahead of their PGA Tour counterparts, thanks to their multi-million-dollar LIV deals.

The specifics of the equity system, or how big a stake each golfer will get, are still not clear. Despite Dunne shedding some much-needed light on things, fans still wait to see how the mega-merger will play out.

Watch This Story: Despite Billions at Stake, We Might Never See Tiger Woods Again After a Breach of Trust From the PGA Tour

Do you agree with the Tour’s decision to reward players who turned down deals from LIV? What are your thoughts on the PGA Tour-LIV merger? Tell us in the comments!