PGA, LIV, and DP Tours to merge

Holy. Shit. Brandel Chamblee’s head just exploded

Quick take: If you were morally opposed to supporting LIV, can you now still support the PGA Tour?

As part of the merger, the PGA will control holes 1-8 and 12-18.

The Saudis do 9-11.

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I don’t follow golf, but weren’t the LIV TV ratings atrocious? Couldn’t the PGA have just waited it out and won? Or is it that the LIV ratings being terrible forced the Saudis to come in with a financially outrageous merger offer rather than continuing with their own thing?

Hi, question for a Halktalk friend of mine asking from Scotland (home of golf) : Does this mean the gigantic paydays are still going to happen or does this void the remainders? Seems complicated. How pissed would you be if you passed on the big bucks a year ago and found in the end it didn’t matter. It’s confusing.

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Yes.

LIV always had the money. PGAT always had the product. Years and years of litigation was probably not exciting for either side (ie. discovery).

So LIV pays a TON to get out from a shoddy LIV product and now has ownership in this new pro golf entity. PGAT gets a reprieve from antitrust litigation and a massive influx of $$$.

Though lots of people look like hypocrites here in the aftermath, on all sides.

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Except that Jay Monahan said on the record today that they merged with a competitor to reduce competition. Whatever the deal is with LIV players’ lawsuit against the PGA, “We merged to get rid of competition” is the kind of thing the FTC doesn’t like.

Paid From our oil purchasing money,all the better.

Hence “reprieve” I guess.

Personally speaking, you’re 100% correct. There’s more anti-competition today than there was yesterday.

But the immediate lawsuits have closed and now the onus is on the FTC/Congress to do anything, if they do choose.

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This country–under both parties–hasn’t enforced anti-trust laws since the 80s. I won’t be holding my breath.

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