Premier Golf League Sends Explosive Letter To PGA Tour Players

The LIV Golf Invitational Series may be generating the most controversial headlines recently. However, not to be outdone, the group behind the Premier Golf League (PGL) has written an explosive letter to PGA Tour members, describing the response from Rory McIlroy to a leaked email it sent him as “bulls***.”

McIlroy, who is the chairman of the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council (PAC), received an email from the World Golf Group in February laying out its proposals. According to the letter, McIlroy messaged the group in response to the email, that was subsequently leaked, saying: “We had Allen and company present to the board in Orlando about the PGL proposal. They don’t think $10bn by 2030 is feasible at all. They said you’d need to create 20 Ryder Cups a year from now until then to get to that number.”

In the letter, World Golf Group responded to that scepticism by saying: “This is technically known as ‘bullshit.’” It then states that Allen & Co, and investment bank, has never spoken to the group, nor had access to the information it would need to produce an accurate valuation. To counter the claims, the group suggests hiring independent experts to produce an independent valuation, and asks members to contact the PAC to force it to do so.  

In the letter, World Golf Group claims its rival, the LIV Golf Invitational Series, can generate over $10bn of equity value – something it says the PGL is equally capable of achieving. It sets out a choice to PGA Tour members  -  claim $2m upfront and make a further $20m by owning a 50 per cent stake in the league, or do nothing and watch the LIV Golf Invitational Series generate that value while the PGA Tour and DP World Tour falter.

It concludes with a swipe at PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, saying: “You should not fear the wrath of Jay Monahan. He is not on the Policy Board and works for you.” Monahan had previously warned that anyone wishing to join the Saudi Golf League could "walk out that door," so it seems unlikely he would be receptive to the PGL's proposals.

The PGL, which aims to launch early next year, proposes individual and team golf running alongside one another with 18 events each calendar year. The format will consist of 12 four-man teams in 54-hole, no cut, stroke play tournaments. There is also a proposal to reserve a 13th team which is picked solely by fans. You can see the letter below.