Report: PGA Tour-PIF/LIV Golf negotiations going poorly

According to a report, negotiations between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf's backers are going poorly with some expressing concern the deal will go through.

Ben Smith

24 Aug 2023

Report: PGA Tour-PIF/LIV Golf negotiations going poorly

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan expressed confidence before the Tour Championship the 'framework agreement' with LIV Golf's Saudi backers would be agreed before the 31 December deadline.

But according to a report by FrontOfficeSports, negotiations behind the scenes are going extremely slowly with some expressing concern the deal will never get over the line.

Monahan was not only confident the unexpected deal would be signed, sealed and delivered but he was sure he would still be in the job in five yeas' time when he addressed the media in Atlanta on 23 August.

"There's an intensity and urgency [to complete the deal], Monahan told reporters. "There's a lot of good work being done."

He added:

"If you saw the amount of conversation and time that the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF are spending working forward from a framework to a definitive [agreement[, I think would you see the sincerity of the efforts there."

Monahan said the tour was committed to moving on from the 'divisive nature of the relationship'.

But per FrontOfficeSports, at least two sources with knowledge of the negotiations aren't as confident as Monahan.

One ominously warned: "There's a lot of work to do."

Per the report, it is said that there has been a pushback by members of the PGA Tour's policy board.

Tiger Woods has now joined that board to assist with a pathway forward.

"He stepped up," Rory McIlroy previously said. The Northern Irishman was also in a confident mood about the proposed agreement before teeing it up in PGA Tour's season finale in Atlanta.

As far as McIlroy is concerned, Woods' involvement is already being felt.

McIlroy said of Woods:

"I think Tiger being on the board, you know, he's, I think it's meaningful that he's on it, that he's engaged. He's certainly been spending more time on it than I have. He's been talking to some people.

"He's been talking to a lot of people. He's really engaged in just trying to get the best outcome for the players on the PGA Tour. So I think his difference has been felt already. I think it will only continue to, his presence on there will only continue to grow as we head towards that December 31st deadline."

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Rory McIlroy does not believe LIV Golf players will make any difference at the Ryder Cup
https://t.co/0MCil4Oee4 pic.twitter.com/6PpkUMKF3s
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) August 23, 2023

Woods was recently spotted on the golf course swinging a golf club for the first time since his latest ankle surgery.

The 15-time major champ is yet to publicly comment on what is transpiring in the world of men's professional golf, only signing off on scripted remarks when he joined the policy board.

Woods stated the game was at a 'critical point'.

Whether the deal happens remains to be seen. One criticism levelled at Monahan was that the overarching goal was to simply end the expensive litigation.

The PGA Tour has spent tens of millions of dollars on lawyers since last August, fighting LIV's antitrust claims and launching a counterclaim themselves.

"I would say that we operate in good faith, and I see that on both sides," Monahan said. "If we were going to end the litigation, we would have just announced that we were ending the litigation."

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