PGA Tour provide LIV Golf merger update after Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy meet Saudi chiefs

The PGA Tour has announced that negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) are progressing swiftly, following a meeting between the two parties in New York City on Friday. This meeting is part of ongoing efforts to finalize a peace agreement first introduced last June to resolve the PGA Tour’s dispute with LIV Golf.

On Saturday, the PGA Tour issued a press release updating the status of these talks. “Our negotiations with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) have accelerated in recent months,” the statement read. Representatives from both sides have been meeting multiple times a week to discuss potential deal terms and to forge a shared vision for the future of professional golf. Friday’s in-person meeting in New York included the entire Transaction Subcommittee from the PGA Tour and PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and his team. The meeting reportedly led to significant progress.

The statement emphasized the importance of these discussions, noting that they involve complex considerations aimed at positioning golf for global growth. The PGA Tour is taking a deliberate approach to ensure the best outcomes for players, fans, partners, and the sport’s future.

Tiger Woods, an 82-time PGA Tour winner and current player director, participated in the meeting, underscoring the gravity of these negotiations. Rory McIlroy, a prominent PGA Tour player and former critic of LIV Golf, also contributed to the meeting via video call from the Memorial Tournament in Ohio. Despite his past opposition, McIlroy has recently suggested that collaboration between the rival tours is possible, citing LIV Golf’s ongoing expansion efforts.

These developments reflect a significant shift in the landscape of professional golf, as the PGA Tour and PIF work towards a comprehensive agreement that could reshape the sport.