Representatives from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, including Tiger Woods, are scheduled to meet in-person in New York on Friday, June 7 to negotiate a resolution to the ongoing power struggle in the sport.
This Friday’s meeting comes exactly one year after the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf announced their intention to merge, a development that sent shockwaves through the golfing world. Progress has been slow, but according to The New York Times, key figures from both sides will gather in New York, with both sides cautioning that a breakthrough is not yet imminent. Woods will be accompanied by John Henry, owner of Liverpool FC and the Boston Red Sox, who is part of the PGA Tour’s transaction committee.
Rory McIlroy, a vocal critic of LIV before the merger announcement, will join the call remotely as he is participating in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield, where his second round begins at 9:55am local time. Woods, a member of the PGA Tour policy board, recently hosted a meeting with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of PIF, the fund behind LIV, in the Bahamas.
Adam Scott, another director on the PGA Tour board, stated earlier this week that discussions between the PGA and LIV are expected to progress soon. “I think the PGA Tour has a vision for its future, but it also needs the other party to buy into that vision,” he told Golfweek. “I believe we’re getting there, but someone needs to lay out exactly what the plan is, and that should happen soon. Things are moving as quickly as they can.”
Last month, McIlroy expressed concerns that the merger talks might collapse. Initially a strong advocate for Saudi investment as a way to resolve the conflict with LIV, McIlroy’s optimism waned following the resignation of Jimmy Dunne from the Tour’s policy board. Dunne, who orchestrated the initial framework agreement, stepped down due to the lack of meaningful progress and his belief that too much power was concentrated among a few player directors, including Woods, Jordan Spieth, and Patrick Cantlay.
Ahead of the US PGA Championship, McIlroy remarked, “It’s a huge loss for the PGA Tour with Jimmy leaving the process. He was the main conduit between the Tour and PIF. His absence has stalled the negotiations. My confidence in reaching a deal was already low, and now it’s even lower with Jimmy’s resignation. It’s disappointing and concerning.”
