The Asian Tour has ceased its partnership with LIV Golf and agreed a multi-year deal with the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour, landing another blow to the breakaway circuit.
A statement released announcing the restoration of the alliance read: “The Asian Tour, DP World Tour and PGA TOUR today announced a partnership through until at least 2029, marking a new chapter for global golf.
“Effective immediately, the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour – through their own existing Strategic Alliance – will partner with the Asian Tour to help provide commercial and playing opportunities, also establishing pathways for the leading Asian Tour members, with playing rights starting from the 2027 DP World Tour season.
“The DP World Tour will also return to co-sanctioning select tournaments with the Asian Tour from 2027. Full details of those events will be outlined when the DP World Tour’s schedule for next season is announced later this year.
“The DP World Tour and Asian Tour previously had a Strategic Alliance from 2016 to 2021. That formalised a relationship which originally began in February 1999 when the Malaysian Open became the first tournament to be co-sanctioned by the two tours.”
The Asian Tour had previously been partnered up with LIV Golf in 2021, before the launch of the league. During their alliance, players sitting in the top two positions of the Asian Tour’s order of merit would gain promotion to LIV Golf for the following season. Financially, LIV Golf invested $300m in the Asian Tour through the hosting of International Series events.
“We feel the time is now right to collaborate with the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR to enhance the Asian Tour for our members, fans and partners,” said Cho Minn Thant, commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour.
“Bringing the three tours together under one partnership will increase the bandwidth of the professional game in Asia.
“Not only will co-sanctioning events see our members competing regularly on the global stage, but we are excited to welcome players from the other Tours to our pinnacle events.”
DP World Tour chief tournament and operations officer, Ben Cowen, added that the deal marks “a hugely positive step for golf in Asia, but also an exciting new era of collaboration for our game globally”.
Six-time major winner Rory McIlroy reacted to the announcement, saying: “Positive news and great to see respective tours working together for the good of international golf.”
This will come as another setback for LIV Golf after the circuit suffered a major blow in April when Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) confirmed it will pull funding at the end of the 2026 season. PIF has reportedly ploughed an estimated $5bn into the league since its inception in October 2021 including $247m this year.
LIV Golf CEO, Scott O’Neil, is reportedly still seeking around $250m-350m to help the league survive into 2027 and keep some of its big name stars such as Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.