Spieth Issues Positive Update On PGA Tour Talks With Saudi PIF

Despite the continued delay in talks, Jordan Spieth issued another upbeat bulletin on negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF saying men’s pro golf could end up “the best that it’s ever been”. At the PGA Championship, Spieth hit out at the “false narratives” being spread around about players having too much power in the ongoing talks.

Negotiations took a hit when Jimmy Dunne resigned from the PGA Tour’s policy board earlier this month. Dunne was one of the senior PGA Tour figures behind the framework agreement announced on June 6 of last year, but he cited the lack of “meaningful progress” towards a unification deal.

Although the atmosphere is doom and gloom, Spieth insists that talks are not in a bad place, and says positive progress is being made on both sides. “I said it last week, I think the narrative that things are in a bad place and are moving slowly and, you know, some of the things that are asked to me or said are untrue, I know that it’s false, actually,” said Spieth.

And, in fact, Spieth believes that the talks could yield a new future in men’s pro golf – whereby the game is in better shape than ever. “Things are actually moving positively from both sides,” he added. “I think ultimately we’ll end up in a place where professional golf is maybe the best that it’s ever been.

“I think both sides believe that. I think although there’s always frustrations I think in deal making – and I’m not a part of the deal making. From what I do know, it’s cordial, there’s open dialog, and it’s moving along at the pace that it’s moving along.” The PGA Tour players and officials believe their $3billion deal with Strategic Sports Group lessens the need for a quick deal with the PIF.

And while there are a thousand and one things that need sorting out before a deal can be signed, Spieth says any talk of negotiations hitting a dead end are just false. “And anything else that’s said about it is just, I just know to be false,” Spieth added. “So I’m very optimistic I think is what I would say out of all of it. “I think that’s starting to resonate amongst players as they’re able to get more and more information on the matter and it will continue to get more and more information over the coming months.”

Spieth has been one of the more vocal players involved with the ongoing talks, and he’s certainly seeing the positives of the situation.And according to a report by the New York Times, negotiations over the potential merger in men’s professional golf are “still very much alive”.

The Times’ DealBook reporter, Lauren Hirsch, has stated that not only are those conversations still ongoing, but – according to two people familiar with the talks – term sheets have been exchanged “in recent days” in relation to a deal that would see the PIF deposit $1.5 billion into PGA Tour Enterprises – the US circuit’s for-profit arm.