Is a LIV Golf-DP World Tour Deal in the Works? The Proof Is in the Schedule

At the end of last week, Bloomberg reported that LIV Golf is weighing a potential deal with the DP World Tour. While details remain scant, Bloomberg noted that “the talks with DP World Tour are separate from the ongoing investment discussions between the PGA Tour and the Saudi wealth fund.” Prior to entering a strategic alliance with the PGA Tour in November of 2020 —which boosted its financial standing and subsidized its purses—the DP World Tour had reportedly engaged with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to explore the potential of a deal. Ultimately, those talks were shelved in favor of a deal with the PGA Tour.

A partnership between the DP World Tour and LIV Golf would provide clear benefits to both parties. The DP World Tour could shore up its financial status and improve the strength and visibility of its tournaments by adding LIV’s highest-profile names to its fields. For LIV golfers, such a deal would presumably mean increased access to OWGR-accredited events, higher chances of competing in the Ryder Cup, and a resolution to the cycle of fines and appeals that players like Jon Rahm have been navigating for violating the DP World Tour’s conflicting events policy.

For now, these are just reports that a deal is being considered – not that a deal is imminent. However, if you were looking for evidence beyond a Bloomberg report that both of these parties are motivated to coordinate with one another, I’d point you in the direction of their respective schedules for 2025 (DP World Tour, LIV Golf).

Taking a look at each schedule side by side, of LIV’s first five tournaments in 2025, only one conflicts with a titled event on the DP World Tour (LIV Hong Kong versus the Joburg Open). As a reference, LIV’s first four events in 2024 all ran up against DP World Tour events. In 2025, it wouldn’t be too difficult for an athlete to play a significant number of tournaments on both LIV and the DP World Tour. For instance, the DP World Tour’s Porsche Singapore Classic begins March 20th, just four days after LIV Singapore wraps up on March 16th. Back-to-back weeks in Singapore, what a coincidence!

Also, check out what’s scheduled on LIV concurrently with an untitled DP World Tour Middle East Event in February.

I will also note that LIV has scheduled many of its events directly against some of the PGA Tour’s biggest tournaments, including the Players Championship. Reclaiming some of the PGA Tour’s dominance over the world of pro golf is no small task, and it may not even be the DP World Tour or LIV’s intent. However, if the DP World Tour and the PIF were to harbor such ambitions, a deal like this could represent a step in that direction.

This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.