Talks between the PGA Tour and the Saudi backed LIV Golf series over a potential merger deal are still ongoing, according to the latest statements from both parties.
The PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), who bankroll LIV Golf, have said discussions between their representatives "are continuing to progress" in working out the details of a partnership.
A transaction subcommittee consisting of top PGA Tour members Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Adam Scott have been meeting with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, chairman Joe Gorder, John Henry, Joe Ogilvie and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan to negotiate the terms of the deal.
While the frameworks of an agreement were announced over a year ago, both sides say talks are still working towards finalizing a deal and coming to an agreement on the future direction of professional golf.
The joint statement read: "Representatives from the PGA TOUR Enterprises Transaction Subcommittee and the PIF have been meeting multiple times weekly to work through potential deal terms and come to a shared vision on the future of professional golf. On Friday evening, an in-person session in New York City included the entire Transaction Subcommittee and PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and his team, where more progress was made."
The lack of a concluded deal has led to some frustration, but McIlroy recently acknowledged he is taking more of a backseat role in the "big boy stuff" negotiations. The Northern Irishman also revealed his stance towards LIV Golf has softened as he now sees benefits to a partnership.
(Image: Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
"There’s going to be people in that room on the PGA Tour side who are going to take the lead. And it’s not going to be Adam, Tiger or I. That’s going to be Jay, Joe Gorder, Joe Ogilvie, John Henry. It’s going to be the business guys. We’re there to maybe give a perspective from a player’s point of view.
"This is a negotiation about an investment in the PGA Tour Enterprises, this is big boy stuff. And I’ll certainly be doing more listening than I will be doing talking."
He added: "Whether you like it or not, the PIF are going to keep spending money in golf... at least the PGA Tour now controls how that money is spent.
"One of the biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world, would you rather have them as a partner or an enemy? At the end of the day, money talks and you'd rather have them as a partner."
"My stance on some of the LIV stuff has softened. They’re contracted to play 14 events, but the other 38 weeks of the year you’re free to do what you want.
"The only thing is there are so many tours and so many golf tournaments. There are only a certain amount of weeks in the year. That’s the complicated part. Trying to figure out which tournaments go where, when do we play them, how many players, what players."
Bryson Dechambeau, who controversially joined LIV Golf last year, has voiced his hope that a merger would allow him to play some PGA Tour events again like The Memorial and Arnold Palmer Invitational that hold special significance to him.
"I’d love to play those events. They’ve been great to me. Shoot, even Riviera [Genesis Invitational]. I’d love to play Tiger’s event; put on a fantastic event in a good community and around some great people. That’s what I look forward to hopefully being able to do down the road."
Dechambeau said: "Do I want to play a full schedule? You know what, I don’t know. We’ll see how things shake out. I don’t know what the future is going to look like, and I’m not here to decide that. But would I like to play a few? Sure, ones that I truly enjoyed and had a lot of friends with and helped impact the community in a positive way, absolutely."
LIV recruit Sergio Garcia is also optimistic that a deal could pave the way for a "bright future" for the professional game by bringing more unity.
He said: "I think the game is in a perfect spot. The professional game, maybe it's a little more separated, mostly because of the media, not so much because of the players. But I think the game itself is in a great spot. I think that we have the most amount of people playing the game, which is great, and people have to realize one thing, that the future of the game isn't us.
"We're not the future of the game. Neither me or Rory [McIlroy], no. We're not the future. We're the present of the game... I mean, obviously the more togetherness that you get, the better it is for everyone. There's no doubt about that. But there's room for everyone. I don't think that's a problem at all.
"The same way that I love watching Real Madrid and La Liga, you like to watch the premiership and whoever your team is. Everybody can support whoever they have, and there's plenty of people to support it."
However, Jordan Spieth remains cautious about weighing in, admitting commentary could land him in "trouble" as a member of the PGA Tour's policy board. He wants to see any agreement done properl
However, Jordan Spieth remains cautious about weighing in, admitting commentary could land him in "trouble" as a member of the PGA Tour's policy board. He wants to see any agreement done properly with consideration for all.
Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth at the 2023 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Spieth said: "That's an extremely loaded question that I could get in a lot of trouble answering. I'll just say things of that nature take a little bit of time, but they're very active. That's about as far as I can go for you."
Talks between the two warring entities therefore continue behind closed doors as the game's biggest names both actively and passively monitor negotiations with hopes of resolving golf's divisive political landscape. A conclusion still remains some way off but progress is being reported on both sides.
Read more: LIV Golfer Receives Penalty for Rare Rule Violation at Asian Tour Event
What are the potential benefits of the PGA and LIV merger
A merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf has the potential to really unify the pro golf world under one umbrella organization. Right now things are pretty fractured between the two tours, causing no shortage of conflict and controversy. Bringing them together under one governing body could go a long way in resolving many of these issues.
With the combined player pools and schedules, fans would get to see the top talents facing off against each other way more regularly. Tournaments would be a lot more compelling to watch knowing you've got all the best players in the field, really upping the level of competition across the board.
LIV is basically printing money with the backing they're getting from Saudi Arabia's enormous sovereign wealth fund. Can you imagine how much of that cash could get pumped into things like prize money, contracts, all sorts of tour operations if a deal went through? We're talking hundreds of millions, maybe even billions here.
A united front could also help further LIV's goal of growing the game globally on a much bigger scale. Instead of two separate entities working towards that alone, imagine what could be accomplished with a truly coordinated international effort and resources.
Players wouldn't have to swear allegiance to only one tour or the other anymore. They'd have freedom to play wherever they want and still make a good living, ensuring security and stability.
Joining forces would let the athletes have stronger input into decisions too, like through some kind of advisory board. It'd be a way for their voices to really be heard.
With the right approach, a merger could do wonders for attracting more people to the sport overall. From juniors just starting out all the way up through the pros. That kind of growth would be huge for golf's future.
And finally, ending the never-ending legal fights between the two sides would save a lot of time, money and headaches - resources better spent on actual golf.
References: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/golf/pga-liv-merger-deal-updates-33182716
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