LIV Golf and the PGA Tour have found new common ground after the breakaway tour enlisted the help of one of the world’s biggest sports agencies to aid its business dealings
LIV Golf has followed the PGA Tour’s lead and enlisted the influential sports agency CAA to act on its behalf in business dealings amid protracted merger talks between the tours.
The PGA Tour has a long-standing arrangement with CAA, which represents many of the biggest sports stars and organisations across the world. And now breakaway circuit LIV has joined its extensive list of clients.
According to Front Office Sports, CAA will represent Saudi Arabia-bankrolled LIV in media rights and corporate sponsorship negotiations as it tries to build upon the foundations it has laid since launching two years ago. LIV is nearing the end of its third season and the Greg Norman-fronted league has dramatically interrupted golf’s status quo, instigating a civil war with the PGA Tour.
But tensions cooled dramatically in June 2023 when the rival tours announced and LIV’s backer, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, announced a “framework agreement” to merge amid a growing consensus that closer ties suited both sides.
Visible progress has been minimal since, with the best players from the respective tours only meeting at the four majors. Numerous deadlines have passed, although those negotiating the finer details of the deal, including PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, insist the proposed merger remains on track, albeit there is a long way to go.
But with the PGA Tour and LIV finding more common ground with a shared partner in CAA, it suggests a deal can finally come to fruition. After all, CAA exists to deliver for its clients and it is adept at negotiating big-money deals.
Patrick Cantlay, an influential figure in the merger talks, says progress has slowed in recent monthsMonahan was asked for an update on the talks at the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee last week. He admitted: “They’re very complicated discussions. There’s a lot of elements to them. When you have the level of interaction, we’re continuing to meet and move forward and discuss and debate, you can’t be anything but hopeful.
“As it relates to times and timeframes and where we are, I’ll just say we’re in a good place with the conversations. That’s the most important thing. I have a lot of meetings on the subject. I’m not going to get into the specifics of it. It’s a clear focus of mine, it’s a clear focus of the organization. That said, there is a lot of dialogue.’’
Patrick Cantlay, a player-director on the PGA Tour Policy Board admitted in Memphis that progress has slowed of late. He said: “Well, it’s definitely quieted down, there hasn’t been as much chatter the last few months, which has been nice. I think that’s just kind of the nature of it. There’s going to be ebbs and flows, depending on what kind of information comes out or what announcements.
“When you say ‘end in sight,’ it’s always evolving. The PGA Tour has always been changing and trying to evolve and get better. Depends on what you define as the finish line. But I know all of us are working incredibly hard all the time to get the best outcome.”
