Explosion in golf's prize money not sustainable, warns British Open chief

British Open organisers the R&A warned on Wednesday that golf cannot jeopardise its financial future by ever increasing prize money for players after the influx of cash to the sport from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). Backed by the PIF, the breakaway LIV Golf series lured star names such as Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith to join the rebel tour with signing bonuses worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

British Open organisers the R&A warned on Wednesday that golf cannot jeopardise its financial future by ever increasing prize money for players after the influx of cash to the sport from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Backed by the PIF, the breakaway LIV Golf series lured star names such as Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith to join the rebel tour with signing bonuses worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The PGA Tour reacted with increased prize funds to try and retain its top talent.

But the PGA and DP World Tours have now turned to a proposed merger with the PIF's commercial golf businesses, including LIV, to secure their financial future.

Details of how the framework agreement will work in practice remain unknown, with leading players from both the PGA Tour and LIV voicing their frustration this week at being left in the dark.

The R&A are not part of that deal, but chief executive Martin Slumbers welcomed a deal to bring golf's civil war to an end.

"To be clear, we're not party to the agreement, and while we absolutely welcome an end to the disruption in the men's professional game, there is a lot still to be understood," said Slumbers at a pre-tournament press conference ahead of the start of the British Open on Thursday..