PGA Tour-LIV deal leaves golf world facing plenty of unknowns

The announcement that the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf will merge under common ownership will go down as one of the most consequential moments in the sport's history but there is plenty of uncertainty about how it will impact the game.

After over a year of discord, the rival circuits announced a shock truce on Tuesday that will see the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund - the primary financial backer of LIV Golf - be the exclusive investor of the new entity.

The agreement came as a slap in the face to many who opted to stand by their tours, most notably four-times major champion Rory McIlroy, rather than chase the staggering signing bonuses that LIV Golf used to lure others.

Meanwhile, the likes of Hall of Fame golfer Phil Mickelson and fellow major winners Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Cam Smith, who have made boatloads of money with LIV, can reapply for membership on the PGA Tour following the 2023 season.

But while they could one day find themselves members of the PGA Tour again, those who joined LIV Golf may get a frosty welcome from those competing on the U.S.-based circuit.

"There still has to be consequences to actions. The people that left the PGA Tour irreparably harmed this Tour, started litigation against it," world number three McIlroy said on Wednesday. "Like, we can't just welcome them back in. Like, that's not going to happen."

One thing that did not go unnoticed was the absence of LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman's name from Tuesday's press release, which is perhaps a sign that the former world number one's days with the organisation are numbered.

Both McIlroy and 15-time major winner Tiger Woods, who has yet to comment on the merger, took aim at Norman last year when they said the Australian needed to step