Tours form new alliance in latest blow to LIV Golf

LIV Golf has suffered another blow with the announcement of a global alliance between the leading men's professional tours.

Masters champion Rory McIlroy has welcomed the partnership that the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have struck with the Asian Tour, which had been linked with the LIV circuit.

LIV, whose next event starts at the JCB Club in Staffordshire on Thursday, is already reeling from the withdrawal of Saudi Arabian financial backing after the Kingdom ploughed in more than £3.75bn to bankroll its first three years.

The PGA Tour and DP World Tour's new partnership with the Asian Tour was confirmed in meetings at last week's Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

"Positive news," McIlroy said in a social media post. "Great to see the respective tours working together for the good of international golf."

The PGA and DP World Tours already had a strategic alliance which will now be extended until at least 2029. That deal, which could have expired next year, had been under discussion in recent months.

The Asian Tour partnered with LIV in 2021 prior to the launch of the breakaway league the following year. It offered a promotion and relegation pathway to and from LIV's series of $30m tournaments.

Under the old deal, the top two from the Asian Tour's order of merit gained promotion to LIV for its 2026 season.

The Asian Tour's Saudi-funded International Series also provided lucrative playing opportunities for LIV's leading stars who had been banned by the PGA Tour.

They were controversial events because some were staged in Europe, infringing on territory that had previously been the traditional domain of the DP World Tour.

Taking immediate effect, the PGA and DP World Tours, through their existing strategic alliance, will partner with the Asian Tour to provide commercial and playing opportunities.

There will also be pathways for the leading golfers in Asia to allow them playing rights from the 2027 DP World Tour season.

Certain events will return to being co-sanctioned between the DP World and Asian circuits, as was the case prior to the latter's alliance with LIV.

This is a blow to LIV boss Scott O'Neil, who is seeking $350m investment to keep alive a circuit that has stars such as Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau playing on it.

O'Neil had identified national opens from around the world to play a part in a new schedule and stops on the Asian Tour were considered central to that plan.

"We feel the time is now right to collaborate with the DP World Tour and PGA Tour to enhance the Asian Tour for our members, fans and partners," said Cho Minn Thant, the Asian Tour's CEO.

"Bringing the three Tours together under one partnership will increase the bandwidth of the professional game in Asia.

"Not only will co-sanctioning events see our members competing regularly on the global stage, but we are excited to welcome players from the other tours to our pinnacle events."

Ben Cowen, the DP World Tour's chief tournament and operations officer, described the move as "a hugely positive step for golf in Asia, but also an exciting new era of collaboration for our game globally".

The PGA Tour's boss of international affairs Christian Hardy added: "This agreement is another example of what can be accomplished when organisations come together with a shared vision for the future of professional golf.

"We are excited to welcome the Asian Tour into that effort."