LIV Golf has struck a deal to help fund Golf Australia’s junior program, in the first formal relationship between the steward of the game in Australia and the Saudi Arabia-backed entity.
The arrangement – which involves LIV and its Ripper GC franchise of Australian players led by Cameron Smith – has been in negotiations for weeks.
A formal announcement is expected in the coming days to coincide with the LIV tournament in Adelaide, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.
The deal sees LIV and Ripper GC make it cheaper for some children to access My Golf, the junior program run by GA.
GA also has staff working on a My Golf activation in Adelaide this week alongside the LIV tournament promotions.
In 2022-23, 33,000 children participated in My Golf, according to GA’s annual report, a figure that grew 22% on the previous year.
The cost of My Golf varies depending on the location and type of program. A single after school session can cost less than $50, but a regular hit over a school term is priced in the hundreds of dollars.
GA’s decision to accept the subsidies from LIV is the first major step by Australia’s golf establishment towards the upstart tour.
The PGA of Australia (PGAA), the body representing tournament and club professionals and organiser of the Australasian Tour, is still aligned with LIV rival the DP World Tour.
As manager of the game in Australia GA’s remit is on building participation and the body receives funding from the federal government.
However, GA and the PGAA have largely combined operations, adding a layer of complexity to the deal.
GA’s chief executive, James Sutherland, said last month Australia looked at LIV differently from other parts of the world.
“There’s clearly an ‘anti’ or a conservative sentiment about the Saudis in the US, and the further east you go on a world map from America, the more moderate the views are,” he said.
LIV commissioner Greg Norman said on Wednesday he was “very proud” of investments his organisation was making into golf generally.
“If it wasn’t for LIV, these additional investment dollars going into the sport would never have happened,” he said.
In excess of 80,000 people are expected to attend the LIV Adelaide tournament this weekend.
Norman has described the Adelaide event as the “benchmark” for LIV worldwide. LIV golf is funded by Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund.