Breaking: Tiger Woods Calls PGA Tour/LIV Golf Bahamas Meeting ‘Positive’ But……

Tiger Woods, in his first remarks about last month’s meeting with the head of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, described it as “positive” but stopped short of indicating any significant progress towards a deal.

 

Woods, now serving as a player director on the PGA Tour Policy Board, convened a gathering on March 18 in the Bahamas attended by fellow board members, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the PIF, which also supports LIV Golf.

During his pre-tournament media briefing at Augusta National, Woods didn’t touch on the subject, and media access following the second and third rounds was brief.

 

In a brief interview on Sunday after completing his final round with a 77, Woods was asked about his impressions of Al-Rumayyan and whether he sensed any progress towards a deal. Woods responded, “I don’t know if we’re closer, but certainly we’re headed in the right direction. That was a very positive meeting, and I think both sides came away from the meeting feeling positive.”

Woods and Al-Rumayyan also played golf together at the Albany course near Nassau, where Woods hosts the annual Hero World Challenge.

The meeting, attended by all six player directors including Woods, Webb Simpson, Peter Malnati, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, and Patrick Cantlay, along with newly-appointed board liaison Joe Ogilvie, was joined by Monahan and representatives of the Strategic Sports Group.

While specifics about the meeting remain scarce, it appears that there hasn’t been significant progress towards an agreement compared to ten months ago when the “framework agreement” was announced.

Monahan circulated a memo to PGA Tour players post-meeting, aiming to introduce Al-Rumayyan to players for the first time and elucidate his views on potential PIF investment in PGA Tour Enterprises, the newly established for-profit entity with SSG’s investment, potentially up to $3 billion.

 

Webb Simpson shared his intentions for attending the meeting, expressing a desire to learn more about Al-Rumayyan’s perspectives and LIV Golf. According to Simpson, the meeting wasn’t focused on negotiation but rather understanding the broader intentions of PIF.

 

The sovereign wealth fund, with investments in various industries worldwide exceeding $700 billion, has a significant presence in sports, including the Premier League, tennis, Formula One racing, and golf.

 

The recent Masters marked the first time since last year’s British Open at Royal Liverpool that players from the LIV Golf League participated alongside PGA Tour players. However, such occurrences won’t repeat until the next week’s PGA Championship.

 

Jon Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion who joined LIV Golf in December, emphasized the need for a fair system for players to compete across tours, though he admitted the complexity of finding such a solution.

 

In conclusion, while the meeting between Woods, PGA officials, and representatives from PIF yielded positivity, substantial progress towards a deal remains elusive, highlighting the complexities involved in navigating the evolving landscape of professional golf.