Ian Poulter believes changes need to be made for golf’s merger to succeed

Ian Poulter believes changes need to be made at the top of golf’s established tours for the proposed peace deal between the game’s rival factions to work.

World number two Jon Rahm admitted players felt a “bit of betrayal” following the shock announcement that the PGA Tour and DP World Tour plan to merge their commercial operations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls the breakaway LIV Golf League.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan conceded he would be labelled a hypocrite for negotiating the framework agreement and was accused of becoming a “Saudi shill” by a group representing families of those killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Monahan faced calls to resign at a heated players meeting immediately after the deal was announced and is currently recuperating from a “medical situation” which means he will not testify before a Senate committee looking into the deal next week.

DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley is also facing questions after it was revealed in court documents filed in Florida that the PGA Tour regarded the European Tour Group as a “borderline distressed asset” during analysis intended to aid a merger between the parties last year.

The tours have pledged to establish a “fair and objective process” for LIV players to re-apply for membership, although resentment over fines and suspensions for playing LIV events without permission remain a bone of contention.

Speaking ahead of this week’s LIV event in Hemel Hempstead, Poulter was therefore asked if it would be easier to start afresh if changes were made.

“It would definitely help,” the former Ryder Cup star said.

“I’m not going to say what those changes have to be, but shall we say there needs to be changes? People need to