Jordan Spieth confirms player involvement in next step of PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger
A deal is yet to be signed off between the PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia - and players from the American-based circuit are now set to get involved
Jordan Spieth has revealed that he and his fellow PGA Tour Player Directors have been told to meet with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) over a pending deal with the LIV Golf backers. The PGA Tour have been in negotiations with their Saudi rivals to reunite the world of professional golf since announcing a shock framework agreement last June.
Nine months on, though, the American-based circuit are yet to finalize a deal with PIF, having missed their initial December 31 deadline. Now it appears playing members of the PGA Tour are set to play a roll in helping get a deal over the line, with Spieth opening up on the progress of negotiations at this week’s Players Championship.
Initially, Golfweek reported that the Tour’s Player Directors were nearing a secret meeting with PIF boss Yasir Al-Rumayaan, and this was confirmed by Spieth on Friday. “We are being encouraged to potentially meet with them at some point, yeah,” he said after missing the cut at TPC Sawgrass.
Keeping his cards close to his chest over the ins-and-outs of the proposed meeting, Spieth went on: “I’m not sure that I can say much more other than we’re being encouraged to potentially meet with them. But at the same time we probably feel like our membership should know timing and what could happen…
“We are being encouraged, obviously, which I think is probably a good thing that the entire board should if there’s going to be any potential for a negotiation.”
One man who is set to be involved with the proposed meeting is Adam Scott, and the Australian appears keen to get the ball rolling with their potential Saudi partners.
Having already played a role in the PGA Tour’s decision to partner with the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) earlier this year, Scott believes more of the same is key as part of any deal with PIF. He told AP: “Ultimately the players are some of the vote going into whether a deal will happen or not, just like it was with SSG.
“With the seriousness of what we’re voting on, I think it is important that we’ve all met no matter what anyone’s feelings are. If PIF thinks it’s beneficial that we meet… as far as getting on with business, yeah, let’s get on with it. I would like to resolve this no matter what the outcome is. And we can all move on.”
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan – who has felt the pressure of his players on the back of the shock framework agreement announcement – confirmed earlier this week he himself had met with Al-Rumayaan, and revealed negotiations between the two sides are ‘accelerating’.
“I recently met with the governor of the PIF, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, and our negotiations are accelerating as we spend time together,” he said. “While we have several key issues that we still need to work through, we have a shared vision to quiet the noise and unlock golf’s worldwide potential. It’s going to take time, but I reiterate what I said at the Tour Championship in August. I see a positive outcome for the PGA Tour and the sport as a whole.”
