The PGA Tour and LIV Golf have agreed to a merger that will bring the world’s best golfers back to the same stage. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Golf betting has been unified following Tuesday’s announcement that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have agreed to merge.
Unifying the game of golf on a global basis.”
The Saudi-backed LIV Tour launched in 2022 as an alternative to the traditional home circuit for professional golfers and has delivered stunning contracts of excellence. All that chaos and controversy came for nothing as the two agreed to join in “unifying the game of golf, on a global basis,” according to a PGA Tour statement.
Players who signed deals with each round will be allowed to apply to return to the next without any penalty. The Saudi Public Investment Fund will also contribute a “capital investment” to the new formation.
The biggest winners from advertising are golf fans and bettors. The split meant that many of the world’s best and most celebrated golfers did not attend certain events due to contractual stipulations. Also, some athletes have never met others, again, due to deals in place.
According to information published in 2022, betting on the PGA Tour was seven times higher than on the LIV Tour.
Scott Warfield, vice president of gaming for the PGA Tour, said last year that the future of golf gambling was bright.
“Goal for 2025? I’d like to believe we could be one of the top four or five sports betting teams if we did it right.”
Sportsbooks also reported golf betting between $4 and $5 billion in 2021 alone, roughly 8.5% of all sports betting revenue for the year. Those numbers are only going to go up now that the best golfers are back under the same umbrella.
