As LIV Golf defectors began making their way back to the DP World Tour amid the breakaway league’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy woes, European circuit CEO Guy Kinnings accused LIV of trying to “destroy” them. His remarks appear to have struck a nerve, with a source close to the struggling league launching a scathing attack on Kinnings.
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“His nickname in agent and player circles is ‘The Lying King’ for a reason,” 54 Golf cited a LIV Golf source saying on X.
The source’s identity remains unknown. While the source accused Kinnings of dishonesty, there are no verifiable or documented instances of him being accused of lying to players or tour officials. That said, the source had plenty more to say, laying out further arguments to justify its criticism of the DP World Tour CEO.
“Since the beginning [Malta meetings], LIV has tried to partner with the European Tour. When [Keith] Pelley was there, it was real dialogue. As he was a real CEO,” the source added. “Since then, there have been verbal agreements, even deals going to term sheet. But The Lying King always found a way to welch.”
The source appears to be referring to the meeting at Malta’s Hotel Corinthia in July 2021, involving then-European Tour CEO Keith Pelley, his deputy Guy Kinnings, other tour officials, and representatives of Golf Saudi and Super League Golf (SLG), the precursor to LIV Golf. During the gathering, SLG and Golf Saudi presented an initial marketing and strategic concept for a potential global golf series.
Pelley and the European Tour board ultimately rejected the concept, having already entered a strategic alliance with the PGA Tour in 2020. But LIV Golf’s launch in 2022, backed by Saudi Arabia’s PIF, prompted the two established circuits to strengthen their partnership. The agreement evolved into a 13-year operational joint venture and global alliance running through 2035.
As part of the arrangement, the PGA Tour increased its ownership stake in European Tour Productions from 15% to 40%, providing additional capital and financial support to the European circuit. The partnership also includes substantial annual subsidies, running into tens of millions of dollars, to support the DP World Tour’s growth and prize funds. It established a clearer pathway to the American circuit.
The top 10 non-exempt finishers in the DP World Tour Rankings earn PGA Tour cards each season from 2023 onward. Meanwhile, LIV Golf’s downfall has left Kinnings dealing with an influx of former LIV players seeking to return to the DP World Tour, a development that has not gone down well with some existing members. They believe the defectors should not simply be welcomed back without facing consequences for their decision to leave.
In an interview with The Scotsman, Kinnings said LIV had, so he was told, spent more than $7 billion, with one of its objectives being to “destroy” the European circuit. He argued that the DP World Tour had a responsibility to protect its members. That stance is reflected in the tour’s decision to deny membership to players who sign up for LIV 2.0 from 2027 onward, despite allowing LIV players to continue competing in 2026.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, who has long opposed LIV Golf, quickly backed those claims.
“I agree with everything that Guy said,” McIlroy said. “They took players, they took sponsors, they turned professional golf into an arms race. They were going around Augusta [National] saying they wanted to destroy the European tour.”
It appears that LIV Golf is not willing to sit quietly as the DP World Tour tosses accusations against it. But only time will tell whether LIV can survive to make Kinnings regret his claims.