Report: Japan Golf Tour appears to snub LIV Golf with alliance announcement

The Japan Golf Tour Organization [JGTO] appears to have picked a lane amid the PGA and DP World Tour's battle with LIV Golf. 

As part of a "landmark partnership", a new "formal pathway" will see the top three players from the JGTO order of merit gain membership on the DP World Tour beginning with the 2022/2023 season.

As part of a joint press release, the European-based circuit claims the alliance has been created to enhance the "existing pathway system" as the top 10 players in the DP World Tour Race to Dubai Rankings in 2024 will earn membership on the US circuit.

The news is significant because some would have thought the JGTO might have sided with LIV Golf considering a number of Japanese players have teed it up in their inaugural $255m season. 

Related: Hideki Matsuyama snubs LIV Golf

In LIV's second $25m invitational in Portland, four Japanese players made up Torque GC. 

Torque GC is now captained by Joaquin Niemann. At the season-ending $50m team championship in Miami the team comprised of Scott Vincent, Adrian Otaegui and Jediah Morgan. 

It was also previously reported that the PGA Tour had allegedly threatened Japan Golf Tour players with bans from the ZOZO Championship and Korn Ferry Tour school if they teed it up in LIV events. 

Japanese players were curiously absent from LIV's stop in Boston. 

A statement from the JGTO later confirmed the tour felt it would be beneficial to remain neutral over LIV Golf. 

Keith Pelley, the chief executive of the DP World Tour, said:

Related: LIV lawyers now have Pelley in their cross hairs

The new pathway also includes access to the DP World Tour Q-School for leading players not exempt otherwise. The JGTO will also work with both tours on business areas including strategic development and commercial growth.

One of these areas is the commitment of the ISPS Handa Championship which will make its debut on the DP World Tour schedule in 2023 at PGM Ishioka GC in Omitama, Japan.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said:

Isao Aoki, chairman of the JGTO, said: 

Next page: Nine players who changed their mind about LIV Golf