Whispers are growing that the PGA Tour and PIF are on the brink of striking a deal that would finally merge the greatest powers in men’s golf, nearly two years after a Framework Agreement was announced.
Watch every round of the PGA Tour LIVE & Exclusive on Fox Sports, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
Key powerbrokers from both sides of the negotiation have been meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday (AEDT) — the second time such a meeting has occurred this month.
The Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard reports that a “deal in principle”, that would bring the PGA Tour and PIF-funded LIV Golf under the same umbrella, could be agreed upon by the meeting’s conclusion.
Asked on Thursday local time if a deal could be in place by the day’s end, Hoggard said: “Certainly there could be a deal in principle.”
He added: “As far as a final deal, there would have to be a lot of work still to be done, I’d guess, and lawyers on both sides would want to take a hard look at the details.
Fleetwood aces first TGL hole-in-one | 00:38
“There’s other voices involved, the DP World Tour would also have a say and, ultimately, the Policy Board on the PGA Tour … and they’re not scheduled to meet again until Bay Hill (March 6-9).”
That Bay Hill meeting comes one week before golf’s unofficial ‘fifth major’, The Players Championship.
The timing is notable as The Players Championship is the biggest event run by the PGA Tour, and takes place at TPC Sawgrass, on the doorstep of its Ponte Vedra Headquarters.
Hoggard said that a LIV Golf player told him that the PGA Tour is open to allowing players from the Saudi-backed tour to feature in this year’s edition, starting March 13.
Whether or not LIV Golf involvement at the Players would come due to an official deal, or simply as a show of good faith by the PGA Tour in the negotiations, is unclear.
Regardless, it points to a significant thawing of tensions, and clear progress in moving towards the ultimate goal of reunification.
All eyes on Friday remain on the White House, where Trump was meeting with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, as well as Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, who are part of a PGA Tour subcommittee responsible for negotiating the deal.
The previous meeting with Trump did not involve Woods, who was mourning the death of his mother, or Al-Rumayyan.
As such, Hoggard described the meeting as “clearly an escalation in trying to reunify the game and bring the professional game under one umbrella.”
“It’s a critical next step in advancing the negotiations,” he said.
The meeting also timed with Trump honouring National Black History Month alongside Woods.
While speaking for reporters, Trump mentioned “interesting discussions” were held, while also calling out Scott who was to the side of the stage.
“We have Adam Scott here also. Winner of the Masters. One of the greatest golfers in the world,” Trump said.
“I’ve always tried to swing just like Adam. It never worked out that way.”
Discussion about this post