Dear Industry Colleague,

What a fascinating period we are in. LIV continues to threaten the equilibrium of the main tours of the world. Their almost unlimited source of funds is tempting and wooing many of the world’s leading golfers; in its wake are some broken pledges, fractured agreements and ruined friendships. The full fallout will not be known for many months or even years. 

The DP World Tour, headed by Keith Pelley, has now announced £100,000 fines for those who played in the first ever LIV event at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire. They will also be banned for three of the co-sanctioned events, the most prominent of these being the Scottish Open in the week before the Open Championship. LIV may pay these fines, but with a promise of a ratcheting affect, doubling future fines, it is clear that both the European and American tours will not put up with their members playing in the breakaway tour. The PGA Tour and the DP World Tour are definitely rattled. 

The relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (owners of DP World - title sponsors of the European Tour), The United States and United Kingdom is also wrapped up in the situation. Whilst it is quite clear and indeed acknowledged by the CIA that Saudi Arabia‘s leader was the author of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, we are living in strange times. Surely if Mr Khashoggi‘s profession had been that of a professional golfer and not a journalist, no one would have wanted to play golf for Saudi money? 

However today, as the West is facing-off against Russia and trying to ensure that sanctions prevent any more vicious cruelty for the besieged Ukrainians, the USA, Europe and the UK are pleading with OPEC countries, especially Saudi Arabia to pump more oil to reduce the price of oil and help to take some of the economic problems that the world is facing down a peg or two. 

There are some interesting parallels between Kerry Packer and his reconstruction of world cricket in the 1970s and the LIV tour today. What was interesting about the ultimate shakedown from the Packer years was that the new world order changed when the governing bodies broke ranks with each other, and once the unity was shattered, Kerry Packer won the day shortly after. 

Currently the ‘Stategic Alliance’ between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour is holding, but they have different agendas and different constitutions. Also in the Packer era, professional cricketers were vastly underpaid. The scale of the money on offer today makes this an unrealistic comparison. Money is a useful product and grabbing one’s fair share is quite natural and instinctive to all human beings. The amounts on offer with the LIV Tour are quite ridiculous by modern standards. Some people think talking about money is vulgar, but the amounts on offer here go way beyond vulgarity. This story has some way to run. 

Meanwhile Matt Fitzpatrick (and his caddy Billy Foster) deserve our full congratulations for the masterful way he took his first major championship at Brookline. Fabulous golf, and a great champion. I am sure he will win many more. 

Finally, we were very sad to learn of the death of our good friend Barry Huxley. Barry and his brother Paul developed two major golf businesses within the golf industry and his untimely death is a great sadness to everyone that knew him. Barry was a great sportsman and a true gentleman, and he will be greatly missed.

Best wishes, Colin Jenkins