Golf: Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy Responsible for Merger of PGA Tour and Dissident Saudi Network

Is the US-Saudi war on the golf planet coming to an end? The American side of the PGA Tour will create a committee that will try to complete the merger with the dissident Saudi entity LIV.

And the negotiations will not be conducted by just anyone. Golf legend Tiger Woods and superstar Rory McIlroy will join the subcommittee in direct discussions with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). Former world number one and 2013 Augusta Masters winner Adam Scott is also part of the small seven-man team responsible for working out the terms for the two circuits to merge.

A framework agreement to merge the two networks was published in June 2023 but has not yet been finalized and the PGA Tour board of directors has yet to approve such a move. Negotiations lasted well beyond the original deadline set in December last year. “There’s a window of opportunity here,” Rory McIlroy said. “Every day this window is closing more and more, so time is of the essence. »

Players who are shareholders in a future joint scheme?

Tiger Woods is among those who disagree with the Northern Irishman over the future direction of the sport, but the latter denies there is any “tension” between them. According to press reports, both golfers rejected offers to join LIV amounting to several hundred million dollars.

The success of a possible PGA-LIV merger should generally allow the world’s best golfers, who are already among the world’s highest-paid athletes, to become shareholders in the future network.

“Friends may have disagreements or disagreements on certain things. I think that’s fine,” said McIlroy, who resigned from the PGA board in November. While he will not return to the PGA Tour board of directors as recently speculated, McIlroy has been brought on to the subcommittee to lend his knowledge and perspective.

McIlroy is in contact with PIF Governor Yasser Al-Rumayyan. “I feel like I have a good relationship with both sides and I hope I can bring something to the table, try to bring some information and some added value and see if we can move forward,” the 35-year-old said the president. year old golfer.