
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), will meet with prominent PGA Tour executives, including commissioner Jay Monahan, as well as renowned golfers Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, at the White House on Thursday afternoon. This meeting aims to advance discussions focused on reuniting men’s professional golf.
The involvement of the White House is linked to an ongoing review by the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the potential partnership between the PGA Tour and the PIF, which supports LIV Golf. This investigation has significantly delayed the finalization of a proposed $1.5 billion investment from the PIF into the PGA Tour. According to Woods and Monahan, successfully concluding this deal would not only provide substantial financial backing for the tour but also assist in the potential merger of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The two tours have been at odds since LIV Golf’s inception in 2022.
The initial meeting with Trump took place in the Oval Office on February 4, with Al-Rumayyan attending by phone, as reported by The New York Times. Following the meeting, Monahan, Scott, and Woods issued a statement requesting Trump’s involvement “for the benefit of the game, the nation, and all participating countries.” Both Woods and Scott are engaged in these negotiations as player directors for the PGA Tour.
Woods discussed the recent meeting during CBS’s coverage of the Genesis Invitational on Sunday, noting that he was unable to attend the first Oval Office meeting due to his mother’s passing earlier that day.
“I believe we are in a very good place right now. I foresee a quick healing process. We are dedicated to moving the game in a positive direction, which has been lacking for several years. Fans want to see all the top players competing together, and we intend to make that a reality,” Woods stated.
Monahan echoed these thoughts, stating that the overarching aim of their discussions with the president is to unify the game of golf under one tour featuring all leading players.
In October, various legal experts shared insights with The Athletic, suggesting that the Trump administration might facilitate the approval of the deal through the DOJ due to its connections with both the golf industry and the Saudi PIF. Notably, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has reportedly secured a $2 billion investment from the PIF for his private equity firm. Additionally, LIV Golf has hosted six events in its short history at Trump-owned golf venues, with plans for a seventh event at Trump National Doral Miami scheduled for April.
What a potential reunification could mean for the golfers who transitioned to LIV, such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Phil Mickelson, remains uncertain, along with the future of LIV Golf itself. Recently, LIV Golf announced a multi-year contract to return to Adelaide, Australia, through 2031, with the event proving to be their most successful to date, attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees locally.
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