Tiger Woods and officials from the PGA Tour are engaging in high-stakes discussions with representatives from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in New York this week, as part of ongoing efforts to unify the fractured world of professional golf. According to ESPN, these meetings, which began on Tuesday, are scheduled to last several days and aim to bring both sides closer to a deal that could reshape the future of the sport.
The PIF, which serves as the financial backing for LIV Golf, has emerged as a major player in professional golf over the past three years. With LIV Golf wrapping up its third season, featuring tournaments in Chicago and Dallas, the PIF is reportedly willing to invest a staggering $1 billion into PGA Tour Enterprises, a new for-profit entity created after the PGA Tour received a substantial multi-billion-dollar investment from Strategic Sports Group.
Woods, a key figure in the negotiations, is part of a PGA Tour Policy Board “transaction subcommittee” specifically assigned to explore and negotiate a potential deal with the PIF. Joining Woods on this influential subcommittee is Rory McIlroy, one of the most vocal players on the PGA Tour, along with Strategic Sports Group’s John Henry and Valero Energy’s Joe Gorder, who also serves on the PGA Tour’s Policy Board. Together, this group represents the PGA Tour’s effort to navigate a complicated and potentially game-changing partnership with LIV Golf’s financial backers.
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PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is also heavily involved in these discussions. Last month, ahead of the season-ending Tour Championship, Monahan addressed the ongoing negotiations during a press conference. He emphasized the importance of unity within the sport, stating that both sides were “at the table” but warned that reaching a final agreement would take time. He also noted that while there’s no firm deadline for a deal, bringing the best players from both sides of the split back together remains a top priority.
“What we hear from fans and what we’re hearing from players is that ultimately, we’re both in a position to bring the best players in the world back together. I think that’s a good and aspirational goal,” Monahan said in Atlanta.
The talks have their roots in a “framework agreement” signed on June 6, 2023, between the PGA Tour, PIF, and the DP World Tour. This agreement was meant to unify the tours and settle tensions following the emergence of LIV Golf, but the December 31, 2023, deadline for finalizing the deal came and went without a resolution. Since then, negotiations have continued, with the recent meetings in New York representing a renewed push to finalize the terms.
Adding further intrigue to the negotiations, a made-for-TV match featuring stars from both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is scheduled for December. The match will pit Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler against Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau in Las Vegas. McIlroy recently confirmed the details of the event to Golfweek, sparking speculation that the match was organized independently by the players rather than the leagues. The event signals that despite the ongoing divide between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, top players from both sides are still eager to compete against each other.
As talks continue in New York, the golf world watches closely to see if Woods, McIlroy, and other key figures can broker a deal that brings unity and clarity to the sport’s future.
If successful, these negotiations could lead to unprecedented collaboration between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, fundamentally reshaping professional golf’s landscape for years to come.
