Fowler joins Tiger in player conference on LIV

NEW YORK • Rickie Fowler followed Tiger Woods as he headed to the BMW Championship in Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday to attend a player meeting regarding the LIV Golf Invitational Series and its threat to the PGA Tour.

As first reported by The Fire Pit Collective and ESPN on Monday, Woods was expected to "rally support around the PGA Tour" among the top players in the world who haven't already defected to LIV.

ESPN reported that many of the top 20 players in the world, including Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and other influential PGA Tour members were in attendance. The conference at an off-course hotel lasted 31/2 hours, per ESPN.

"It was about all the top players getting on the same page," an unnamed player who was in attendance told ESPN. "It was a good meeting."

The group apparently included Fowler, who was seen leaving a plane at a Philadelphia airport with Woods and getting into a car with him to make the trip to Delaware.

A long-time fan favourite and sponsor magnet, Fowler hasn't won on tour since February 2019 and has fallen to No. 173 in the world rankings. He isn't competing at the Aug 18-21 BMW Championship because he failed to qualify for the second leg of the FedExCup play-offs.

Fowler has long been linked to LIV, and he confirmed the Saudi-financed circuit made him a large offer to make the jump. But in an interview published by Golfweek on Monday, the American indicated a willingness to stay with the PGA Tour despite its shortcomings.

"The Tour has been the best place to play, currently is and I'd like to see it continue to be," Fowler said. "But you can't expect to stay the same and be the best all the time, if that makes sense."

American world No. 4 Patrick Cantlay and fifth-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain were asked about the upcoming player meeting with Woods at their pre-tournament press conferences on Tuesday.

"I've heard Tiger is the new commissioner, right? That's what everyone has been saying," Cantlay joked. "I'm going to go to the meeting. I'm going to listen to what it's all about, and I'll probably have more for you after."

Rahm added that "news can be wrong sometimes" but confirmed there was a meeting, as well as a Player Advisory Council meeting.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was scheduled to meet members yesterday.

Monahan reportedly was not invited to the player meeting on Tuesday.

Woods held similar talks with some top players last month at the JP McManus Pro-Am in Ireland, per reports, and wanted to keep the dialogue going on a wider scale as an ambassador for the tour.

For the past few months, Monahan has also been hosting meetings at tournaments.

Rahm admitted on Tuesday to paying "zero attention" to the court ruling last week where LIV members Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones had asked for a temporary restraining order to allow them to compete in the FedExCup play-offs.

Their legal approach, however, failed and Rahm did concede it would have been "awkward" if their suit had been successful.

He said: "They chose to leave the PGA Tour, they chose to go join another tour knowing the consequences; and then try to come back and get, you know, courts and justice in the way wouldn't have... sit extremely well with me."

In another move which may please the 27-year-old, Democratic state lawmakers Andrew Zwicker and Richard Codey introduced a Bill which would ban LIV events at New Jersey clubs as the breakaway competition is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

The legislation would prohibit contests by all sports organisations "operated primarily through use of monies received from sovereign wealth funds". Last month, a LIV tournament at former US president Donald Trump's Bedminster golf club drew protests from survivors and families of 9/11 victims.

The senators cited Saudi Arabia's treatment of women and dissidents, alleged ties to the slaying of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the Sept 11, 2001 terror attacks involving 15 Saudi citizens among the 19 plane hijackers. In all, 750 New Jersey residents were killed that day.

REUTERS, BLOOMBERG