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Premier Golf League reportedly still exists, Saudis '100% stole our idea'

Andrew Redington/WME IMG / WME IMG / Getty

The Premier Golf League, which emerged in early 2020 as a potential threat to the PGA TOUR, still exists despite the latest revelation of Super League Golf, according to The Fire Pit Collective's Alan Shipnuck.

Originally, a group of investors that consisted of the U.S.-based Raine Group, European money, and investors from Saudi Arabia came together to form the Premier Golf League (PGL).

But that is no longer the case.

"They’re not our partners, they're now our competitors," one PGL investor, who hails from Europe, told Shipnuck about the Saudi investors. "They 100% stole our idea."

The PGL is backed by three dozen investors described as people who "own existing sports franchises, high net worth individuals who love golf, and multinational corporations" and is a mix of mostly American and European interests, according to Shipnuck.

The main difference between the PGL and Super League Golf (SLG) is the location of the events. The Saudi-backed SLG would be made up of 10-12 tournaments a year based in the Middle East and in particular Saudi Arabia, per Shipnuck.

On the other hand, the PGL is aiming to play tournaments all over the world. Its 18-event schedule would start in Florida, then move to Australia, Asia, and Europe while returning to the United States to give its players time to prepare for both the Masters and U.S. Open.

Each PGL tournament would consist of 48 players competing in a no-cut event with a $20-million dollar purse, according to Shipnuck. The winner would take home close to $4 million with last place collecting $250,000. The PGL has never wavered on including a team component, either.

However, the feasibility of an upstart tour all comes down to one thing.

"You have to get all of the top guys or it doesn’t work," the PGL investor told Shipnuck.

Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Phil Mickelson have been linked to both the PGL and SLG since the reported formation of each rival tour.

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