Comment on PGA Tour and European tour agree to merge with Saudis and end LIV Golf feud

By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer) The PGA Tour ended its expensive fight with Saudi Arabia’s golf venture and now is joining forces with it, making a stunning announcement Tuesday of a merger that creates a commercial operation with the Public Investment Fund and the European tour. As part of the deal, the sides immediately are dropping all lawsuits involving LIV Golf. From the golf side, still to be determined is how players like Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson can rejoin the PGA Tour after defecting last year for signing bonuses reported to be in the $150 million range. From the commercial side, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund joins the PGA Tour board of directors and leads the new business venture as chairman, though the PGA Tour will have a majority stake. News of the deal came as a surprise to many watchers of the lawsuits and Saudi Arabia’s inroads into U.S.