The aftershocks of Tuesday’s seismic announcement of the PGA Tour, LIV Tour, and DP World Tour merging into a for-profit organization hoping to launch play in 2024 are beginning to subside, but countless questions remain.
Among them: What will the merger mean for sports wagering?
“It’s very early in the moment to know exactly what’s going to happen, what formats are going to be like, how it’s going to impact golf betting,” said Kevin Lawler, PointsBet’s head of trading. “There’s a lot of assumptions. We’re making guesses about how the future is going to look.”
Sportsbooks and trading desks alike have much to ponder in the coming months as the three tours hash out the finer points of the merger. Some elements are obvious, such as the tournament fields deepening as players from the LIV Tour – including major winners Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Cam Smith – return to the fold, playing against the rest of the world’s best. Some are unknown and will require perhaps more nimble adjustments from sportsbooks and sports bettors as the details are released.