GOLF.com: Asian Tour Breaks from LIV, Joins Forces with PGA Tour and DP World Tour

Asian Tour Cuts Ties with LIV Golf

The Asian Tour announced on July 21, 2026, that it is ending its relationship with LIV Golf and forming a new three-way alliance with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour (DPWT). The move marks a significant shift in the global golf landscape.

Why Now?

The Asian Tour had been a foundational partner for LIV since before the circuit's 2022 launch, benefiting from Saudi PIF funding that supported both LIV and the Asian Tour's "International Series" events. With PIF backing now gone and LIV's future uncertain, Asian Tour CEO Cho Minn Thant stated the organization needed to explore alternatives.

What the New Alliance Includes

- Co-sanctioned events between the Asian Tour and DPWT for the 2027, 2028, and 2029 seasons - Player pathways: Asian Tour Order of Merit leaders can earn cards on the DPWT or its feeder circuit, the HotelPlanner Tour, which itself feeds into the PGA Tour - Specific co-sanctioned events will be announced this fall when the DPWT releases its 2027 schedule

Fallout for LIV

The departure creates two significant problems for LIV. Commissioner Scott O'Neil's "LIV 2.0" vision had depended on controlling a network of national opens through the Asian Tour. Additionally, LIV now lacks the promotion-and-relegation partner it needed to earn Official World Golf Ranking points.

Strokeslab's Take

This alliance effectively formalizes a global tour hierarchy—Asian Tour → DP World Tour → PGA Tour—creating a clear competitive ladder that LIV, by design, sits outside of. For players with ambitions beyond LIV's guaranteed money, the upward path just became significantly clearer.