PGA Tour Loyalists Could Be 'Rewarded' With Equity Share In New For-Profit Venture According To Board Member Peter Malnati

It's been over three weeks since plans for the merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) were shockingly announced. We still basically have no idea what this new joint force in professional golf is going to look like.

PGA Tour Player and Policy Board Member Peter Malnati says players may be 'Rewarded' with equity share for remaining loyal to the Tour.

Outside of a six-page leaked document outlining the framework of the potential merger, details are scarce. The questions far outnumber answers.

READ: LIV GOLF’S FUTURE REPORTEDLY FALLS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE PGA TOUR AS FRAMEWORK OF MERGER LEAKS

One of the biggest questions involving the merger has been whether or not the players who remained loyal to the PGA Tour would be rewarded in some way for not jumping ship to LIV Golf.

PGA Tour player Peter Malnati, who is one of the 10 Tour policy board members, recently explained to Golfweek players will be rewarded. He hinted at what that reward system may look like.

Peter Malnati suggested equity shares in the new-look, for-profit company between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf may be a reward for loyalists. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

According to the recently leaked document about the merger, a new board will be created for a new-look venture between the Tour and PIF, which is currently being called 'NewCo.'

Peter Malnati Lays Out PGA Players Thoughts

Malnati suggested that players may be offered equity shares in that new, for-profit business, which could result in tremendous gains.

"One thing that was made pretty clear yesterday was that it’s going to be done creatively. It’s not going to be done, oh, you turned down an offer, here is cash," Malnati said when asked about potential rewards for Tour loyalists. "And some people I think, do want that. But others, including some of our biggest stars and leaders, have said there are other ways that we need to do this to reward guys."

"The PIP (Player Impact Program) is not a popular program, I don’t think. There’s been talk of equity shares in the new company that’s being formed. You know, the for-profit entity, which again, all this is still hypothetical."

Offering players shares in the company would certainly be creative and could, at least in the long run, turn into a larger profit than the PIF or Tour writing players a check.

When it's all said and done, any reward system the Tour and this new venture come up with will turn messy. There isn't a scenario in which 100% of the players involved are going to be 100% happy. The golf world is still in for an ugly fight on many fronts. A reward system is just one of the many moving parts.

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