Tiger Woods says PGA Tour-LIV Golf negotiations in a ‘very positive place’

SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods said on Feb 16 that talks towards a deal that would resolve the fissure in golf between the United States-based PGA Tour and Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf are moving in the right direction.

The former world No. 1 added that PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and player-director Adam Scott had a productive meeting with US President Donald Trump in February, when they asked him to get involved in talks with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

“I think we’re in a very positive place right now,” Woods said during the CBS Sports broadcast of the Genesis Invitational in San Diego.

“We had a meeting with the President. Unfortunately I had some other circumstances that came up but Jay and Adam, they did great during the meeting and we have a subsequent meeting coming up,” he said.

“I think things are going to heal quickly. We’re going to get this game going in the right direction. It has been headed in the wrong direction for a number of years.

“The fans want all the top players playing together and we’re going to make that happen.”

LIV Golf, which features no-cut, 54-hole events, held its inaugural event in June 2022, and through mega-money contracts and lucrative purses has since lured a number of golf's biggest names, including Major champions Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.

After a year of acrimony, the PGA Tour, PIF and Europe-based DP World Tour announced a framework agreement in June 2023 to house their commercial operations in a new entity and set Dec 31 of that year as a deadline to reach a definitive agreement.

That announcement brought an end to legal battles between the parties but raised concerns in Washington from lawmakers who are mistrustful of Saudi Arabia and critical of its human rights record.

The sides extended the deadline and as talks with the PIF dragged on, outside investor interest in the PGA Tour heated up by way of Strategic Sports Group, an investment group headlined by Fenway Sports Group.

LIV Golf has organised events at courses owned by Mr Trump since its inception and will do so again in 2025, with its April 4-6 event scheduled to be held at Trump National Doral in Miami.

Last week, Monahan said reunification talks with Saudi backers of LIV Golf are progressing and he is comfortable, despite delays, that a good deal will be forthcoming.

“I don’t think you’re ever close until you’re finalised,” he said. “I would say this: Everything is moving forward with pace. When you look at all the parties involved, there’s a general enthusiasm for getting this done.”

The original framework for a PGA-PIF deal was unveiled in June 2023 and the first deadline for completing a deal was 14 months ago, but that has not dimmed Monahan’s confidence.

“What’s important as it relates to time is getting things right,” he added. “Something could have happened earlier but it might not have been right. I feel a lot stronger and a lot more confident that ultimately we’re getting this right.” REUTERS, AFP