Trump correctly predicted the LIV-PGA Tour merger in 2022: 'If you don't take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place'

• The sports world was shocked today LIV Golf and the PGA Tour announced a merger.
• Trump correctly predicted the merger in the summer of 2022.

Nearly everyone following the year-long feud between the PGA Tour and Saudi-funded LIV Golf was stunned on Tuesday when it was announced the two rivals would merge. But it was no surprise to golf fanatic and former President Donald Trump, who last summer predicted the merger would occur and that PGA Tour players who refused to accept LIV's lucrative offers would regret it after getting nothing post-merger.

On July 18, 2022, as high-profile golfers like Phil Mickelson were defecting to LIV for paydays worth hundreds of millions, Trump took to his social media platform to warn the players remaining with the PGA Tour.

"All of those golfers that remain 'loyal' to the very disloyal PGA, in all of its different forms, will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and you get nothing but a big 'thank you' from PGA officials who are making Millions of Dollars a year," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "If you don't take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place, and only say how smart the original signees were."

Nearly 11 months later, the merger was announced, catching many PGA players — who were not consulted ahead of time as a group — off guard. "No fucking way," one PGA player told ESPN when informed of the deal.

For his part, Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the merger, writing: "GREAT NEWS FROM LIV GOLF. A BIG, BEAUTIFUL, AND GLAMOROUS DEAL FOR THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF GOLF. CONGRATS TO ALL!!!"

The former president's Bedminster golf club will host its second LIV event this August. Here are photos of Trump attending the inaugural event at his club, where he played alongside his son, Eric, and professional LIV golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson.