If the U.S. government is standing in the way of a potential deal between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, PGA Tour leadership is hoping that newly-elected president Donald Trump can intercede.
Trump, who prior to the November election said he could resolve any differences in “15 minutes” met with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and player director Adam Scott on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., according to a release from the PGA Tour.
“We know golf fans are eagerly anticipating a resolution to negotiations with the Public Investment Fund and want to thank President Trump for his interest and long-time support of th game of golf,’’ said a statement from Monahan, Scott and Tiger Woods, who is also a player director. “We asked the President to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country and for all the countries involved. We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men’s professional golf.”
For more than 18 months, the PGA Tour has been negotiating with the PIF, which funds LIV Golf, following the June 2023 “framework agreement” between the parties which was to see some sort of alliance.
Since then, the Tour brought in another private equity group called Strategic Sports Group, which invested some $1.5 billion in the new for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises. That seemingly put PIF negotiations on hold for a time a year ago, but the two sides have continued to work through a complex deal that was always said would face U.S. Department of Justice scrutiny.
Rory McIlroy, who is on a “transaction committee” that negotiates directly with the PIF, has said several times that the DOJ aspect of the situation is one of many complicating factors in getting a deal done.
The PIF is said to be in line to invest a considerable sum, likely in excess of $1 billion.
But it is unclear how a newly-configured men’s game will look with cooperation.
The LIV Golf League began its fourth season on Thursday in Saudi Arabia, the first of 14 events. Several prominent players, including major champions Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson compete for LIV Golf and are prohibited from playing in PGA Tour events.
Trump’s golf resorts have hosted several LIV Golf tournaments, and his resort in Doral is set to stage a LIV event in April.
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The PGA Tour put out a statement Thursday thanking President Donald Trump for intervening in the tour's effort to broker a business agreement with LIV Golf and
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