The Asian Tour, which had maintained close ties with LIV Golf backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund (PIF), has joined hands again with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.
In a joint statement released on the 21st, the Asian Tour announced it would form a strategic partnership with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour through 2029. Through the agreement, the parties will expand playing opportunities for Asian players on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour and strengthen their pathways to those circuits.
As a result, the likelihood has increased that tournaments co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and these tours will be newly established starting next season. Specific schedules and operating methods are expected to be disclosed along with the next season's schedule that the DP World Tour will announce later this year.
The partnership effectively restores the cooperative relationship that the Asian Tour and the DP World Tour maintained from 2016 to 2021. The two tours previously co-sanctioned 108 tournaments, of which 21 were held under a three-tour co-sanctioning arrangement that also included South Africa's Sunshine Tour or the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Above all, the partnership carries significance in that it formalizes the split between the Asian Tour and LIV Golf. LIV Golf, backed by PIF funding, had co-hosted the International Series with the Asian Tour and provided $300 million (about 450 billion won) in support.
However, when LIV Golf halted funding for the Saudi Arabian golf tournament early this year, operating the International Series became difficult. The Asian Tour, having found it hard to secure stable financing, ultimately restored its cooperative relationship with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, which is seen as a new breakthrough.
