Golf civil war isn’t over after LIV and PGA merge as Saudis take full control

So golf is back as one big happy family, then? If only it was that simple. From tearing itself apart for almost two years, the sport now has the job of stitching itself back together – and it won’t be easy.

Peace in our time does not mean the rancour that has consumed the game is not going away any time soon. Sides were taken and bridges burned in the initial cash grab. Egos were bruised and careers affected by the retaliatory strikes.

The grudges will take a long, long time to fade. The golfers who turned down the LIV millions to remain loyal to the established tours must be spitting after yesterday’s remarkable developments.

What price loyalty? They could be forgiven for feeling pretty peeved when the rebels walk back into the PGA Tour and DP World Tours next season.

It turns out that they could have had their cake and eaten it after all. For those that made their decision on the basis of morality, those uncomfortable with who was signing the cheques, they are left to reflect on the fact that it is not just individual players but an entire sport which is now in the pay of the Saudi regime.

From being outside disruptors setting fire to the establishment tent, the Saudis are now inside it calling the shots. The make-up of the new body that will shape the direction of the professional game will see a majority of seats held by the PGA Tour.

But be in no doubt the voice of Yasir Al-Rumayyan will be the loudest at the table. Money talks and the Newcastle United chairman has access to an unlimited supply of it.

PGA Tour’s LIV Golf merger explained

Saudi Arabia engineered a stunning backdoor takeover of professional golf yesterday after the announcement of a shock peace deal between LIV Golf and the established tour. The two-year civil war that shattered the sport ended with the rebels joining forces with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour to create a new body which will shape the future direction of the men’s game and will likely see the creation of a global super league.

It will be headed up by Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan – the governor of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund – who confirmed he intends to invest billions into the project. “Whatever it takes – that is how much we are committed for,” said Al-Rumayyan.

“The potential there is really big. If you look at the size of golf it’s about £80billion ($100bn). I think the growth is there but working together I think we can have a faster growth rate than what we’ve had over the past ten or 20 years.

“What we’ve done with the turnaround story in Newcastle was really a case study in itself. In less than one and a half years we turned a team that was threatened to be relegated all the way up to fourth position in the Premier League. The same thing I think we will do with our new company between the PGA Tour and ourselves.”

The deal will see the door reopen next season for re-admission to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour for the rebel players who defected to LIV. Phil Mickelson, the chief recruiting agent for the LIV tour, hailed the astonishing development as an “awesome day” for the sport.

The pending lawsuits between the reconciled rival organisations will now be dropped. Secret talks over the past seven weeks led to yesterday’s news which blindsided many of the top players – and sidelined LIV Golf boss Greg Norman.

Asked if Norman knew the details of the peace deal, in a US TV interview yesterday Al-Rumayyan replied: “I made the call. Just before this.”