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PIF joining the DP World Tour has never been more convincing. With the PGA Tour at odds with its investment group, SSG, this is the best opportunity for the Saudi fund to gain a seat in the global golfing scene. PIF tried to do this 4 years ago with LIV but failed terribly. In fact, LIV might have been golf’s worst financial failure. Addressing the messy political atmosphere of the current golf, some insiders couldn’t help but urge PIF’s move to the European Tour. Discussing LIV’s recent billion-dollar losses in the Fried Egg Golf podcast, Andy Johnson and Brendan Porath glazed over the current political scene in golf. Owing to massive prize purses without a steady revenue stream to back that, LIV has become the least appealing league financially for PIF, at $1.4 billion losses as per recent reports. Commenting on that, Johnson and Brendan suggested joining the DP World Tour with a far more reputable front. In contrast to the LIV, the European Tour has a broader audience and more critical acclaim. But without the fund. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad That’s where the PIF steps in. “If LIV took all the money — it’s wasted, just flushed down the drain — and applied even a nominal percentage of that to the European Tour, the European Tour suddenly becomes a far more desirable place and maybe a preferred place for a lot of the best players in the world, at least worldwide players,” Andy Johnson suggested in the podcast. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad While the PGA Tour promised bigger prize purses to the DPWT to attract today’s top golfers, the ground that supported the Tour is slipping away quickly. The SSG facilitated $1.5 billion in funding for the Tour, with the sole objective of financial returns and ROI. The PGA Tour’s commitment to the DP World Tour, which can cross hundreds of millions of dollars, can and likely will become a sore point between the organizations. Citing Eamon Lynch‘s Golf Today article, Porath read, “Guys who are unconcerned with elevating the game globally, much less sports watching, or who view things through the prism of commerce might see Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund as a welcome hedge for that obligation.” Apparently, the PIF will become an attractive alternative for the Tour’s world golf ambitions. For PIF, the decision would turn out to be a mutual success. This would bring PIF to the global forefront of golf, giving access to a tour with the Official World Golf Rankings. As Lynch suggested, this investment decision would also provide a seat at the table in tours that command the world’s top golfers. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Moreover, the DPWT would ensure a bigger ROI than the LIV possibly ever could. With the Saudi fund bringing bigger winner payouts, the world’s top golfers would find themselves contending inside the circuit more frequently. That will pump up TV ratings and in-person crowds. Needless to say, if Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy competed in the DP World Tour more often, the arenas would fill up in no time. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad As Porath added, “Eamon suggests that at the end of his article, like you’re letting the fox in the hen house here. They’re giving PIFF access to a tour with world ranking points and some official seat at the table, and people want, PE — there are a lot of world-class players that don’t want to play a strictly American schedule.” Apparently, PIF’s decision to join the DP World Tour would not only be beneficial for the Saudi fund itself, but it would also prop up the global atmosphere of the sport. Whether the PIF shifts its focus to DPWT is still debatable. But one thing is clear: the LIV has lost the initial appeal it projected. LIV’s evolving climate amid a crumbling financial front Here’s the tea—the Saudi-backed event accrued around $500 million in losses just last year. And that the financial reports of only 1 out of its 4 years in operations. With is launch costs at around $243 million in 2022, and losses of around $395m in 2023, the general trend of the LIV has only accured in indebting losses. In fact, the figures have only gone further south over the years. LIV’s international broadcasts raked in $3.5 million in 2024. In contrast, the PGA Tour amassed over $650 million in revenue across all streaming platforms. The different is huge, and only looks painful in comparison to LIV’s expenditures. Moreover, LIV only gathered $17.1 million in sponsorship deals in 2024. While DPWT isn’t immune to losses either, the presence of top golfers makes it a more stable league.
