Jay Monahan in August on the Tour Championship.
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The PGA Tour, in a surprising determination, will let its gamers take part in an upcoming LIV Golf occasion.
As first reported by Sports Illustrated’s Alex Miceli and confirmed by GOLF.com on Saturday, Tour gamers can play with out penalty subsequent month in the LIV Golf Promotions occasion, which will award its high three finishers a spot in the 48-player LIV tour subsequent yr. Previously, the PGA Tour had deemed LIV Golf occasions to be “unauthorized events,” and its gamers who performed in them had been topic to a one-year Tour suspension.
But in a press release, the Tour stated the Promotions occasion “is determined to be a qualifying event only and not a part of an unauthorized series” — so no suspension. Below is the Tour’s full assertion:
“Based on the information publicly available regarding the LIV Golf Promotion event, it is determined to be a qualifying event only and not a part of an unauthorized series. Therefore, the LIV Golf Promotion event is not categorized as an ‘unauthorized tournament.’ This classification is subject to change should the details of the event change.”
The Promotion occasion, although, nonetheless seems to be the one LIV occasion that PGA Tour gamers can play — which means that ought to they end in the highest three, they’ll have a call. Over e mail, GOLF.com additionally requested a Tour official whether or not there had been a change in the Tour’s “unauthorized tournament” rule, and the query went unanswered.
The rule reads as such:
“Any player who has participated in an unauthorized tournament is ineligible to compete in any event sanctioned by the PGA Tour for a period of one year, from the final round of competition of the unauthorized tournament in which he participated.”
The Tour’s declaration is surprising. And perhaps revealing.
For one yr and two seasons, the Tour and LIV Golf have battled, with gamers leaving the established model for the upstart, and numerous pictures being thrown. Then got here June. And the most important stunner: Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was sitting subsequent to Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund — which has backed LIV. The two sides had come to a proposed deal that may create a for-profit entity operated by the perimeters.
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Key right here is the phrase ‘proposed.’ The settlement on the Tour aspect wants approval, and there’s been little phrase on the negotiations. But might this latest determination be a sign of the place issues are headed?
Maybe. You’re not flawed in pondering this looks like an olive department. Or it might be nothing.
As for the Promotions occasion, it will be performed throughout three days (Dec. 8 to 10) and 72 holes at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates. Entry is $25, it’s open to numerous, predetermined gamers, and the purse will be $1.5 million.
Very possible, the Tour’s determination ought to spike curiosity. Players can play, then determine — although you’d assume the selection could be comparatively apparent ought to they journey to the Middle East and both win or end in the highest three.
Before the information, gamers on the Volvo China Open had been curious who would enter. That match is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and LIV Golf League’s International Series.
“Obviously we have all seen the exemption categories, but we don’t know what players will show up,” stated Andy Ogletree, who’s in line for a LIV Golf spot subsequent yr because the chief of the Asian Tour’s season-long standings.
“Some players might be worried about losing their current status so it will be really interesting to see.”
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