LIV Golf merger with PGA Tour mapped out as chief makes intriguing cricket comparison

DP World's Group Chief Communications Officer Daniel van Otterdijk has shared insight into the current stand-off between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia - while hinting at a potential transformation of the future of golf.

Despite the PGA Tour's attempt to bridge the gap with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf through a framework agreement announced last June, players and fans remain in limbo about where things are heading with an official merger no closer to being agreed.

Initially, talk of merger set alight the possibility of a harmonious coexistence between the two tours, allowing players to compete on both.

However, as talks advanced, it now seems more likely that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf may continue separately while offering golf's top stars more flexibility over their playing schedules.

Van Otterdijk drew comparisons to cricket to envisage golf's future trajectory, suggesting players may alternate between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf.

Speaking to , he said: "The way that it will go, as far as we can see if you look at cricket as a model. Cricketers these days can play in franchise leagues around the world - the IPL, the Big Bash - whatever it is. It's kind of like a smorgasbord of cricket they can play in.

"The top players, like Joe Root, Kane Williamson, or Virat Kohli, will say, 'Look, I'm in my 30s, I've made X amount of money, I'm now going to play the elite tournaments'... I can see an end-to-end calendar from January to December, where there's a prominent place for the PGA Tour, a prominent place for LIV Golf, and a prominent place for the DP World Tour."

Otterdijk also believes that "there will be overlaps" but is confident that there will be a "fantastic buffet of golf throughout the year in different places around the world". He also dropped a hint over the timeframe, suggesting an agreement could be struck within the next six months.

He added: "We're confident that within the next six months, they'll come up with a structure that befits world golf in a much better way than what we currently have. But of course, there are legacy issues to sort out."

Earlier this month, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and LIV Golf chief Yasir Al-Rumayyan, met publicly for the first time during the pro-am of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.