PGA Tour News: Investment Interests Signaling Possible New Day for PGA?

Written by: Tony Schwartz

Last Updated: October 28, 2023

Golf Entertainment: Endeavor Enters & Exits

A recent report from Sportico regarding discussions between Endeavor, owners of UFC, WWE, and professional bull riding, and the PGA Tour, suggests that no deal will be struck between the two parties. Although there is a shared respect between the groups, the deal appears to be off the table as more reports trickle in. Although it did not come to fruition, we're interested in talking more about the symbolic meaning of a WWE-adjacent PGA Tour. Can you imagine?!

We don't want to get too ahead of ourselves on the future of golf, but we are paying attention to the influx of interested investors in the sport. And also, the interest in golf has grown (at least seemingly to us) since the IDF got involved. This is of course an observational report, but from my perspective and maybe from the perspective of golf fans around the world, we're asking ourselves, "What does it all mean?"

Changes to PGA Tour

At the very least, all of this new investor money and interest means that the PGA Tour is due for some changes, whether it be new rules, tournaments, or the crowd experience, it feels like change is ahead for the sport. And like we've seen with the MLB making adjustments or even within the NBA, American sports are reaching an inflection point with the input from its most important ambassadors - their fans.

In the stock world, to use one comparison, retail investors are having a similar effect on the market. The similarity is that the old adage "We've always done it that way" is running out of steam in favor of the collective voices asking for change, demanding it even. While change is hard to manage, it does seem to be inevitable in this case.

The deal between LIV and the PGA Tour is still to be negotiated ahead of the deadline in December of this year, so there is a lot to figure out and report on. But early indications point to changes in purse, earnings structure, exemption statuses, and other ideas are on the table. That to say, fans will expect to hear about the changes to the PGA Tour that are ahead, and with more investors jumping in to express their interest in the injection of capital making its way to the sport of golf, we're interested in what could be happening here.

What Should Stay & Go for Golf's Evolution

I think about the game of golf that I grew up with, the gentleman's game. Tiger's game. A sport where athleticism and execution played the biggest role in why I watched. It was always exciting to see Tiger Woods pump his fist with every sunk putt in ever clutch moment. I was glued! So even without an investor like Endeavor putting their name in the hat and securing a partnership with the PGA Tour, the game is still entertaining. For those of us who play, skill recognizes skill. These guys are unbelievably talented and it's a huge gift to watch PGA Tour players playing their best golf. If you have the chance, seeing professional golf live and in person is such a special experience and needs to be on your bucket list.

But what I'm really hoping to convey is that the PGA Tour doesn't need or require outside investment to solidify its place as a form of sports entertainment (and without the script). I think that's especially true for if the deal between the PGA Tour and IDF comes to fruition. Using LIV golf events as examples, there is an inherent and fundamental push from LIV to nail down the entertainment component of a golf tournament. So you have to imagine that golf will be more entertaining than ever as a fan if the deal goes through.

What does this new investment signal for the future of golf? How does all of this matter to the fans and spectators? 

We think it's only going to benefit fans of the game of golf. Music blaring, grandstands screaming, large hi-resolution digital screens dispersed around the course, and golfers competing for the most money they've ever seen in a purse is what's ahead. We've learned from this process that money is absolutely a motivator for these players, and so when you have an exorbitant amount of money on the table as PGA prize winnings and available purses throughout the year, here's hoping we see elevated competition, heightened emotions, and a game's legacy that continues as it evolves.

As for what should go, well, that's subjective. I don't want to focus too much on what should leave and what we don't want because it feels more important to talk about what we do want for golf. Everyone has their own hopes and dreams for the sport of golf, and our hope is that the game becomes more approachable, that it broadens its cultural relevance, that it continues to be 'cool' to play golf with ambassadors from other sports like Michael Jordan, Steph Curry, and others helping pave the way. We hope that golf's most important tournaments, its major tournaments, continue to play a central role in how we think about the best players that this game has ever seen. We hope that the door swings open wider and that anyone who walks through it to become an ambassador of golf also has room to honor its rich history.

In Conclusion: The Future of Golf

All in all, we think that the sport of golf is due for change and we expect that change to benefit fans, players, and the collective partnership guiding the international sport of golf in the future. There are certainly questions that need to be answered and considered as it relates to partnerships of the PGA Tour, humanitarian records of all investors and partners, and that we are never ceding our morals in pursuit of a sport's glory. We must always be able to look ourselves in the mirror and feel comfortable and proud of what we are supporting. So if there is one thing we don't want in all of this, it's for the sport to be tarnished and forever changed beyond repair. These changes need to be calculated and measured, just as every shot is on the golf course.