This LIV Golf official isn't as confident as PGA Tour boss over PIF deal

A LIV Golf official refused to speculate on whether the framework agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF will be completed.

Ben Smith

26 Aug 2023

This LIV Golf official isn't as confident as PGA Tour boss over PIF deal

A LIV Golf official has refused to speculate on whether the proposed framework agreement between the PGA Tour and PIF will be completed.

Gary Davidson is the rival league's interim chief operating officer. He replaced Atul Khosla towards the end of 2022.

Khosla was said to have been involved in a furious exchange with LIV Golf supremo Yasir Al-Rumayyan before his abrupt exit.

The pair were previously described by Telegraph Sport as arguing during last year's $50m team championship at Trump National Doral in Miami.

At the time LIV Golf had lodged an antitrust claim against the tour and were fighting the subsequent counter claim.

Al-Rumayyan, who is said to be the mastermind behind the breakaway, was described as being upset that Khosla wasn't helping LIV meet its lofty targets.

Of course the landscape of men's professional golf is considerably different right now after it was confirmed on 6 June 2023 the organisations would work together towards an agreement.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was confident the deal would be completed when he gave his annual news conference at the Tour Championship.

And whilst Monahan expressed confidence, Davidson refused to be drawn into speculating on what might happen.

Davidson has given a wide-ranging interview with bunkered's Michael McEwan.

There were a number of interesting claims from Davidson.

They included:

LIV is not dead and it is absolutely business as usual. "We've got multi-year agreements with players, venues, partners and suppliers," he said.
The 2024 schedule is 95 per cent complete and there will be new venues
LIV will not be heading to Turnberry
There is likely to be new faces on the tour next year
LIV is continuing to co-operate with the OWGR, despite Davidson contending the system is 'not credible'
Greg Norman's job is safe as far as he is aware
He believes LIV are only 20, 30 per cent of where 'we want to get to'.
Money is starting to flow nicely back into LIV, despite arguments the tour would never break-even or get a ROI
LIV are open-minded about expanding to 15 teams as that would not jeopardise the shotgun start

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Click here to read the full interview

"You'd have to ask the people in the room for that one. That's the date on the piece of paper that we've all seen but we're fully focused on our 14 events, 12 teams and 48 players. - Gary Davidson on the chances of an agreement being reached."

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