LIV Golf spent $7 billion trying to destroy the DP World Tour, CEO says
European tour chief Guy Kinnings claims the Saudi-backed league aimed to wipe out the circuit before entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
By Nadia Singh ·
LIV Golf spent more than $7 billion with the explicit goal of destroying the DP World Tour, according to the European tour's CEO. Guy Kinnings made the claim during an interview with The Scotsman newspaper. He stated that the Saudi-funded breakaway league targeted the established circuit for elimination before its financial collapse.
The professional golf structure shifted when PIF, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, launched LIV Golf. The new league recruited top stars from the European and PGA Tours with large financial offers. Now, the league is restructuring as LIV 2.0 without Saudi backing. It is working through Chapter 11 bankruptcy with a $300 million pledge from BC Partners Credit.
Most top players on the LIV roster are quitting the league. Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, and Sergio Garcia plan to return to the European tour. Other former LIV players will be eligible for sponsor invites. Kinnings is weighing the benefit of regaining star power against the frustration of current members who feel the returning players caused too much disruption.
Kinnings said the tour has a duty to protect its members from an entity that sought to destroy it. "But we also have to protect the tour against an entity who spent, so we are told, over $7 billion, with one of their aims being to 'destroy the DP World Tour'," Kinnings said. He noted that trusted sources in the game had told him the same thing for over 30 years.
Rory McIlroy supported Kinnings' position at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Wednesday. McIlroy said the LIV players turned professional golf into an arms race. "They were going around Augusta (National) saying they wanted to destroy the European tour," McIlroy said. He also pointed out the irony of LIV CEO Scott O'Neil's current motto, "complete, not compete," which differs from the league's initial aggressive strategy.
Kinnings acknowledged that welcoming back former LIV players is not a perfect solution. Some of these players have made critical comments about the European tour in the past. "I understand the sensitivity. It's got to be as fair as it can be and as merit based as it can be," Kinnings said. He added that players must prove themselves within the system regardless of their previous status.
The European tour plans to target some invites for returning LIV players at smaller tournaments from February to August. During that period, many top names compete on the PGA Tour.
