Are you ready to attend the PIF Classic?
Nothing can be ruled in or out, considering what happened last month with golf.
Besides, if Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund became the title sponsor of the PGA Tour event formerly known by the Honda Classic, that wouldn’t have been the most surprising development on the professional-golf front this year.
This distinction is due to the events which led to this possibility: the agreement announced three week ago between the PGA Tour DP World Tour PIF (the money behind LIV Golf).
The Athletic was the first to report Monday on the framework for the groundbreaking agreement between PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir al-Rumayyan , the governor of Kingdom’s sovereign fund.
Al-Rumayyan was already known to be joining the PGA Tour board and chairing the new joint venture created to promote and grow the game of Golf globally. The PIF has reported that it is willing to invest $2 billion for this investment.
This is a minor cost for a sovereign fund with assets estimated at $650 billion.
Adrian Meronk hits his shot at the 16th golf hole during the third day of the Honda Classic. (Photo: Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports).
This week, we learned that the PIF would be a “premier corporate sponsor” for the PGA Tour DP World Tour (and other international tours) and a title sponsorship of at least one major event. The PIF will identify an event of high profile for which it can make a financial investment.
The tournament, formerly known by the name Honda Classic, is now looking for a title sponsor. This is because American Honda terminated its 42-year relationship with the tournament after this year. The search for a new sponsor has been slow, as the Tour is more focused on the reworking of the schedule and negotiating with the PIF to reshape golf at a global scale.
Officials from the Tour are confident that a title sponsor of quality will be found before the tournament in 2024. However, the PIF still has the opportunity to expand its golf business.
Florida, a state that is a good fit for the PIF’s goal of diverting attention from Saudi Arabia’s horrendous human rights abuses, would be a great place to do so.
LIV Golf is a favorite among the MAGA crowd thanks to Donald Trump’s vocal support. Donald Trump’s properties will host three LIV events in this season, events whose futures, by the way are still unknown. LIV Golf will now be under the control of the PGA Tour. This means that the PGA Tour has the right to dissolve the league.
What could be better than a state that is turning redder by the minute?
Justin Suh hits his shot on the 17th hole during the second round at the Honda Classic Golf Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro – USA TODAY Sports
Prepare yourself for protests and negative media coverage
What would it be like to have signage promoting Saudi Arabia and the PIF plastered on a golf event in this country? The property must be ok with the idea of hosting an event which would bring so much bad publicity, and be the target for protesters.
It would also be a good way to end Honda’s disappointing streak of fields.
The PIF will sponsor any event that will bring in a larger purse, and the best players from around the world are guaranteed to attend. Honda continues to be a leader in charitable donations, attendance, and building out, but the fields are weakened over the years due to its position in the schedule.
Golfers who complain about the Champion Course’s difficulty would suddenly find it a lot more friendly if they were to receive $20 million or more in prize money.
