Rory McIlroy Welcomes PGA Tour, DP World Tour Partnership with Asian Tour

Rory McIlroy has welcomed the announcement that the Asian Tour has turned its back on LIV Golf to form a partnership with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

The Asian Tour has been a crucial partner for LIV, serving as a feeder tour that helped the breakaway league secure Official World Golf Ranking accreditation. However, the partnership was expected to play a pivotal role in LIV's survival, particularly with regards to securing funding.

LIV Golf's chances of survival are hanging in the balance after Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund announced it will withdraw funding at the end of the season, which concludes in late August. The league needs around $300 million in investment to stay afloat.

What happened?

The Asian Tour has struck a deal with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, creating pathways for Asian Tour players to reach the DP World Tour and PGA Tour. Some Asian Tour events will be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour starting next year, rekindling a relationship between the Asian and European circuit that was in place from 2016-21.

Why it matters for Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy, a longtime critic of LIV Golf, has welcomed the partnership between the Asian Tour and the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. He posted on social media: "Positive news, and great to see the respective tours working together for the good of international golf."

What comes next?

The partnership between the Asian Tour and the PGA Tour and DP World Tour is expected to create new opportunities for players, enhance key national opens around the world, and continue to evolve and strengthen pathways to identify and develop the next generation of elite talent.

The league has declined to comment on the announcement, but the partnership between the Asian Tour and the PGA Tour and DP World Tour is a significant blow to LIV Golf's chances of survival. The league needs around $300 million in investment to stay afloat, and its relationship with the Asian Tour was a big part of its pitches to investors.

Asian Tour commissioner and CEO Cho Minn Thant told Golf Digest that it made sense to cease its relationship with LIV Golf mid the uncertainty that hangs over the league's future. "I think the timing is just right now, it's all about timing," he said. "We'd kept in touch [with the DP World Tour] over all these years. Six years ago, it was right for us to do a partnership with LIV Golf, but given the circumstances now, we've had to look at other options."

Christian Hardy, Senior Vice President of International at the PGA Tour, added in a press release: "This agreement is another example of what can be accomplished when organizations come together with a shared vision for the future of professional golf. Through our Strategic Alliance with the DP World Tour, we have worked to build a more connected global golf ecosystem, and we are excited to welcome the Asian Tour into that effort."

The partnership between the Asian Tour and the PGA Tour and DP World Tour is a significant development in the world of golf, and it remains to be seen how it will impact LIV Golf's chances of survival.

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