Martin Slumbers, CEO of the R&A, weighed in Tuesday on the announcement that LIV Golf, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour plan to merge under the umbrella of one new for-profit company that is yet to be named.
The R&A governs the sport of golf in most of the world outside the United States and Mexico. The R&A (originally part of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club but now an independent governing body) is separate from the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour. The R&A conducts the Open Championship, known by many in the U.S. as the British Open. In cooperation with the USGA, the R&A determines the Rules of Golf.
It was not made clear if the R&A had been aware of the merger ahead of Tuesday’s statement. Many professional golfers have expressed surprise upon hearing the news. The USGA had not made any statements about the planned merger as of early Tuesday afternoon.
The full statement from Slumbers, who has been head of the R&A since 2015:
“We are pleased that an agreement has been reached which will help men’s professional golf move forward in a collaborative, constructive and innovative fashion. We care deeply about golf’s future and are committed to ensuring that the sport continues to thrive for many years to come. This agreement represents a huge step toward achieving that goal for golf and we look forward to working with the new entity for the benefit of the sport globally.”
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