Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan embrace in the hug seen ’round the golf world. Richard Heathcote, Getty Images
Beyond the scores, the deep-pocketed camaraderie and the enchanting sense of place that makes the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship one of the most enviable invites in golf, two things stood out from the happenings in Scotland last week.
The first was the hug seen ‘round the golf world when PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, embraced like fraternity brothers seeing each other again at a class reunion. It was a telling photo, one suggesting the rumors of progress in the difficult discussions between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF may have some merit. No one is telling any secrets yet, at least not publicly, but the intentional grouping of Monahan and Al-Rumayyan together in the pro-am suggested they like each other’s company, which is a good starting point.
Meanwhile, Matt Fitzpatrick offered his own telling insight early in the week when he was asked about the state of the professional game, which may or may not be permanently fractured by LIV Golf’s determined existence, even as 14 LIV members were playing in the Dunhill. “I think in terms of bringing the game together this week, I’m past the point of caring. I just don’t care,” Fitzpatrick said in a pre-tournament media session.
It may be startling to the principals lined up on both sides of golf’s great divide that most people probably now feel the way Fitzpatrick does. They’re past the point of caring. Whether it’s fatigue or aggravation or a distaste for the manipulation of the game in the pursuit of more power and more money, it’s there. If you’re looking for analytics to support that notion, you won’t find them here, though much has been written and discussed about television ratings taking a dive this year. But in the same way golf is at least as much about feel as it is about process, the same goes for assessing the moment. For many who follow golf, whatever they felt when LIV crashed the party and began buying big-name players – anger, a sense of betrayal, a dose of retribution for the PGA Tour’s perceived arrogance – time and an adjustment to the new normal has worn away some of the passion that fueled the initial reactions. Some fans surrendered and left. Others have learned to live with the new model, and while they hope the day comes when there are bridges rather than fences between the competing sides, there’s a sense of, Let us know when you figure this thing out.
The PGA Tour has had a terrific year, with Scottie Scheffler cementing his place among the elites and Xander Schauffele growing into a multiple major champion. The signature events worked, there were unexpected success stories such as Nick Dunlap’s, and the Rory McIlroy storyline keeps pulsing along. LIV Golf insists it’s growing in popularity and relevance. Not everyone agrees, but that’s not unusual.
The truth is, there are only a handful of LIV players who matter to the PGA Tour any more – Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and, perhaps, Cam Smith.
There is no question that pro golf would be better if the great divide didn’t exist, but the past two years have demonstrated that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf can operate in their own orbits. The business end of it may be more difficult for both sides, but from a golf standpoint, they can be standalone entities. While seeing them in the majors is a reminder of what’s missing, the tour has found a way to solidify itself with the infusion of private-equity partners. The sense of trepidation has been replaced by a new path forward, with or without a deal.
In the coming weeks, the PGA Tour is expected to formalize new regulations that will make it even more exclusive, catering to the best players in the process. The expectation is that beginning in 2026, players will have to finish in the top 100 of FedEx Cup points to maintain their full privileges, a reduction from the top 125. Access to the big tour from the Korn Ferry Tour will go from 50 spots each year to 25 spots. Field sizes in some PGA Tour events will go from 156 to 144, with some even smaller. The signature events are already limited to around 70, though those field sizes may expand.
As difficult as it is to reach the PGA Tour, it’s about to get more difficult. That’s great for the players who make it. The tour sells itself as being the ultimate meritocracy, but when it shrinks the number of playing spots, it limits access to that meritocracy while seemingly making it easier for players who are on the tour to stay there.
For most of the summer, there was almost no discussion about a possible deal between the tour and the PIF. The relative silence was nice. Rory McIlroy offered hope last week that a deal could be finalized before the end of the year, reiterating the reality that any such mega-agreement requires time, patience and, most likely, the seal of approval from the U.S. Department of Justice. For the glass-half-full types, the Monahan-Al-Rumayyan.
