Report: Tiger Woods now acting as PGA Tour's "de facto commissioner"
Tiger Woods is reportedly meeting with several elite PGA Tour players to discuss how to fend off the threat of the controversial LIV Golf Tour.
Tiger Woods is now acting as a "de facto commissioner" of the PGA Tour as its war with the LIV Golf Invitational Series escalates, according to reports.
Tiger got tongues wagging late last night when it was revealed he was reportedly meeting with a select group of elite PGA Tour players to conjure up a united response to the threat of LIV Golf.
That threat is very, very real for the established American circuit if reports are true that Cameron Smith, the winner of the 150th Open, is due to finalise a deal with Greg Norman and LIV for $140million after the conclusion of the FedExCup Playoffs.
Speaking before the BMW Championship, the second event of the PGA Tour's postseason, former World No.1 Jon Rahm claimed previous news reports about this alleged meeting may not be true.
He told the media he knew of a scheduled meeting of the Player Advisory Council – which has just added new members to their ranks after several LIV defections – but not of one involving Woods.
Alan Shipnuck, the author who broke Phil Mickelson's explosive remarks which led to his self-imposed exile before confirming his $200million deal with LIV, claims Tiger, 46, is now acting as a "de facto commissioner" of the PGA Tour.
He posted this:
More context on today's PGA Tour meeting: it's not for the whole membership, just select top players. Tiger helped organize it; he held a similar skull session at Adare Manor. He's now acting as a de facto commissioner. It is unknown if he's getting guidance from the real Commish
— Alan Shipnuck (@AlanShipnuck) August 16, 2022
#VIDEO: Tiger Woods & Rickie Fowler step off the jet in Philly. Tiger is driving to the meeting at the BMW pic.twitter.com/wXjAJi6fFo
— TWLEGION (@TWlegion) August 16, 2022
Shipnuck previously reported that this alleged meeting with the top brass would discuss the potential of players boycotting majors if LIV players are allowed to tee it up or if they are successful in their antitrust lawsuit.
Davis Love III, the United States Presidents Cup captain, has also echoed these sentiments.
Woods has previously made no secret of his distaste for LIV. He reportedly rejected a figure of $800million to sign with LIV.
Before the 150th Open Championship, where he was reduced to tears over the Swilcan Bridge at St Andrews, Woods spoke of the lack of incentive for the players joining the LIV series.
Woods said: "The players who have chosen to go to LIV and to play on -- to play there, I disagree with it. I think that what they've done is they've turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position.
"Some players have never got a chance to even experience it. They've gone right from the amateur ranks right into that organisation and never really got a chance to play out here and what it feels like to play a TOUR schedule or to play in some big events."
According to ESPN, this meeting will take place after the scheduled PAC meeting with some of the players who feature in the top-20 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
"It's a meeting to get the top 20 players in the world on the same page on how we can continue to make the PGA Tour the best product in professional golf," a player who was invited to the meeting told ESPN.
Woods has been accused by LIV in court documents of doing the PGA Tour's bidding by trying to dissuade players from joining.
Last week a federal judge denied three LIV players, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones the chance to play in the PGA Tour's postseason.
