Earlier this week, golf’s civil war came to an abrupt end when the PGA Tour announced plans to merge commercial operations with its Saudi-funded arch-rival, LIV Golf.
The shock announcement marked the culmination of a year of disruption, player poaching and heated litigation. It also brought attention to Saudi Arabia’s growing ambitions in sports and raised the possibility that the kingdom will use its seemingly limitless resources to buy into US sporting behemoths such as the NFL and NBA.
While US professional sports are highly lucrative – the NFL alone generated $18bn in revenue last year and its most valuable team, the Dallas Cowboys are worth $8bn – the Saudis are not after short-term profits.
Saudi Arabia’s agreement with the PGA Tour marks the latest in a series of high-profile investments aiming to transform a controversial kingdom marred with human rights abuses into a tantalizing hub for global sports and entertainment events.