The PGA Tour is reportedly meeting with players this week to unveil a series of proposed changes aimed at protecting it from the emerging threat of Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf.

golf week reports that the PGA Tour will not bask in the glow of one of the great US Opens for long, but will quickly turn its attention to the greatest existential threat it has faced.

More than 100 players will attend Tuesday’s meeting with commissioner Jay Monahan, who will outline the proposed changes in detail.

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The centerpiece of the presentation will be the addition of three big-budget global events that mimic LIV Golf’s lucrative model, according to the publication.

The purses for the three events are expected to rival those of LIV Golf, which offers nearly A$36 million in prize money per tournament.

Australia would, however, miss out on hosting any of the three events, along with Europe, Asia and favorite destinations in the Middle East.

The Middle East event is likely to be held in the United Arab Emirates – a move that is sure to spark some controversy given the country’s serious human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention and suppression of freedom of speech. expression.

It’s unclear where the European and Asian events will take place, though it’s worth noting that LIV Golf’s three events outside of the United States are in England, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.

The expansion will see Australia once again neglected, despite pleas from world number 7 Cameron Smith for the PGA Tour to plant its flag firmly in the ground.

Golf Channel analyst and former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley expressed a similar sentiment ahead of the US Open, saying: “Australia is the most beautiful country to play golf in.

“If you’ve ever been there, these courses in Melbourne and Sydney are just amazing.

“Imagine if the best players on the tour stepped up to play the Australian Open under the PGA Tour contract, wouldn’t it be just fantastic to have an event there?”

As it stands, the Australian PGA Championship is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, but not the PGA Tour, while the Australian Open is on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

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There are reports that this week’s PGA Tour meeting will also discuss greater cooperation with the DP World Tour, which could pave the way to Australia given the latter’s involvement on those shores.

The details of this potential change are unclear, but it is expected that it will not be a full-scale merger between the two governing bodies.

It would nonetheless bring the two major circuits together at an important time, with the DP World Tour still weighing its official response to LIV Golf.

The PGA Tour’s response has been to suspend LIV Golf players from its events, although, crucially, it lacks the power to bar players from participating in the four major tournaments.

Lifetime bans, which were once suggested by Monahan, are also unlikely to materialize due to legal issues.

The LIV Golf Invitational series will resume in two weeks with Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed joining its PGA Tour roster.

More players are sure to be poached in the coming days and weeks – world No. 20 Abraham Ancer is believed to be the next signing – forcing the PGA Tour to make changes to deal with the threat.