The golf world was rocked Tuesday morning with the game-changing news of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour merging with LIV Golf.
Golf Twitter quickly went into a frenzy.
The announcement signaled the end of a nearly two-year-long battle between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf that led to suspensions and fines for players who jumped ship to play for the new tour.
Details of the agreement are still scarce, but the news hit everyone right at the same time. Players and fans alike learned some of the biggest news ever in professional golf from Twitter.
Safe to say many PGA Tour players weren’t pleased not to get any heads up from the PGA Tour before the announcement at about 10:00 a.m ET.
And everyone thought yesterday was the longest day in golf
— Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa) June 6, 2023
Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.
— Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) June 6, 2023
I feel betrayed, and will not not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA TOUR for a very long time
— Wesley Bryan (@wesleybryangolf) June 6, 2023
The hell is going on?
— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 6, 2023
Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organization right? 🤷🏻♂️
— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 6, 2023
I’ve grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour!
— Joel Dahmen (@Joel_Dahmen) June 6, 2023
Now that we’re all friends, is it too late for us to workshop some of these team names? pic.twitter.com/O8EDVqKClz
— max homa (@Maxhoma) June 6, 2023
I’m guessing the liv teams were struggling to get sponsors and pga tour couldn’t turn down the money. Win-win for both tours
— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) June 6, 2023
but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years
Can I also say that I love @PhilMickelson and everything he’s said the past two years has been spot on. He went up in flames in the media cuz of his brutal honesty and now everyone’s finally realizing he was right and the PGA Tour does whatever they feel like 😂😂😂
— Dylan Wu (@dylan_wu59) June 6, 2023
Was having quite the nice practice session this morning too pic.twitter.com/qWBKuM2yHO
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 6, 2023
Can’t wait for the next players meeting 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🥲🤣🤣🤣🤣 @PGATOUR
— Jhonattan Vegas (@JhonattanVegas) June 6, 2023
Surprised that this merger has happened so quickly but not surprised it’s happened. Definitely in the financial interest of both sides. Definitely in the financial interest of the players even though some of those who gain will feel like they’re losing. Good for the cohesion of…
— Padraig Harrington (@padraig_h) June 6, 2023
— Tyrrell Hatton (@TyrrellHatton) June 6, 2023
A few LIV golfers, like Phil Mickelson, also reacted in real-time to the announcement. Mickelson remained somewhat cryptic in response to one tweet by No Laying Up’s Chris Solomon. Brooks Koepka, meanwhile, took the chance to take a shot a Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee who had been vocal in his disdain for LIV Golf.
Awesome day today 😊 https://t.co/qUwVJiydym
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023
Not exactly
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023
Welfare Check on Chamblee
— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) June 6, 2023
Soo can I play tpc sugarloaf again? @PGATOUR
— Andy Ogletree (@andy_ogletree) June 6, 2023
Time to get on the bush hog
— Harold Varner III (@HV3_Golf) June 6, 2023
The story was broken by CNBC at the same time the PGA Tour sent a press release, leading to media members also reacting to the announcement with shock.
So, you preach loyalty to a tour and convince guys not to take 8 and 9 figure deals based, in part, on that loyalty and, in part, on the source of the money. Then those guys find out on Twitter YOU took the very same money?
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) June 6, 2023
Nino Brown, “Always business, never personal.”
Greg Norman and Jay Monahan greeting each other at work every morning pic.twitter.com/bqVjEwDWWF
— Tim Reilly (@LifeOfTimReilly) June 6, 2023
Good time make a golf show! https://t.co/AQZc4KGOdY
— Chad Mumm (@chadmumm) June 6, 2023
Virtually everything that has happened in the last two years has been rumored, hinted at, or at least done with SOME awareness in the golf community.
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) June 6, 2023
This seems to be an absolute stunner for essentially everyone, players included.
I’ve been enjoying a little break after turning in the book – so nice to unplug. I think I’ll go camping this morning somewhere without cell reception. Feels great that I won’t have to make any major changes to the manuscript.
— Alan Shipnuck (@AlanShipnuck) June 6, 2023
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) June 6, 2023
Truly gobsmacked today.
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) June 6, 2023
Of the 10,000 different outcomes, this was never talked about, never discussed, never even floated. Everyone who would have known was at the PGA two weeks ago, and nobody even came close to hinting at it!
This really is our own Succession finale. In retrospect, it seems obvious. And yet still shocking.
— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) June 6, 2023
PGA Tour didn’t communicate this to players at all. They found out same time we did.
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) June 6, 2023
“Shocked and confused.”
“Disgusted. They didn’t tell us anything.”
More people have texted me today than any other life event.
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) June 6, 2023
I genuinely feel sorry for someone like Hideki Matsuyama. He reportedly turned down about $300 million … and now his loyalty to the tour doesn’t mean much
— Stephen Hennessey (@S_HennesseyGD) June 6, 2023
The golf world right now.. pic.twitter.com/RRtdXFbYNJ
— Smylie Kaufman (@SmylieKaufman10) June 6, 2023
Like it or not, the bottom line is that the Saudis now own golf.
— Mike Francesa (@MikeFrancesa) June 6, 2023
