Members of America’s most famous golf tour thought they had a voice. Then came a surprise pact that could reshape the sport for years to come.
The U.S. Open winner Gary Woodland had lately sensed something different in professional golf.
Players were empowered and emboldened. Executives were listening. The PGA Tour was changing. With the circuit’s dominance challenged by LIV Golf, an upstart built with billions of dollars from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the tour felt closer to a cooperative than a dispassionate titan of professional sports.