Who can forget June 6, 2023? After a year of tug of war and taking each other to courts, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s backed, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund had finally shaken hands. It was seen as the unison of the game, which was bifurcated by the presence of LIV Golf. But who would have thought a deal would take over two years?

Even after coming to the same page, the PGA Tour and PIF are still to finalize the $3 billion merger. Now, LIV Golf has started to look for an even different CEO. Surprisingly, Greg Norman would reportedly be replaced in 2025 but would remain in a senior position. Amid uncertainty regarding the merger, DP World’s [the European League’s sponsor] Group Chief Communications Officer, Daniel Van Otterdijk, has shared why the merger might be complete in the upcoming months.

In an interview with Gulf News, Otterdijk took a dig at the golf media and explained that if the media’s nonsense and politics are kept aside, then the PGA Tour, PIF backing LIV Golf, and the DP World Tour “are all entities that love golf—no doubt about it.” He further added that PIF’s governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, is one of the biggest fans of golf.

So, even though the PGA Tour and LIV Golf started on the wrong foot initially, “Everyone has the right intention,” said the insider, and they would inevitably come together to solve it. To give it a time frame, Otterdijk said, “We’re confident that within the next six months, they’ll come up with a structure that befits world golf in a much better way than what we currently have. But, of course, there are legacy issues to sort out.” 

What is the legacy issue the DP World Tour officer is talking about? Well, it is about LIV Golf certainly having none, but the PGA Tour has a decades-long legacy that has starred many golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, and Sam Sneads, to name a few. While the merger with PIF remains on hold, the PGA Tour did move forward with the Strategic Sports Group for $3 billion.

If Otterdijk’s statement is to be trusted, then the PGA Tour would have another $3 billion cash influx to improve the league and golf. And Otterdijk’s prediction might be true as Jay Monahan and Yasir Al Rumayyan shared some friendly moments at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in early October. However, two hurdles may be in the way of the merger.

Rory McIlroy describes why the merger is getting delayed

By all means, there might be a thousand other reasons behind the PGA Tour and PIF not finalizing the merger, but according to Rory McIlroy, the biggest hurdle is the Department of Justice and players’ different opinions. Ahead of the BMW Championship in Wentworth, McIlroy said, “Department of Justice. Maybe different interests from the players’ side.”

He further explained that of golfers on LIV Golf and PGA Tour, half want it to be done while the other half are against it. But the Northern Irishman has reiterated that there has to be compromise from both sides if a merger is to become a reality. If all the golfers come on the same page and the DOJ gives the green light, there would be no time that the merger would be complete.

However, unlike Otterdijk, McIlroy believed that it would be around 2026 that the merger would be finished, as many things have to be worked on. In the end, the golf enthusiasts probably just want the merger to be finalized, whether it would be in 6 months or another year.