A tip of the golf cap to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, who has perfected the non-news press conference, like the one last week at the Genesis Invitational, to “update” media on how talks are proceeding between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
When pressed about specifics, the commissioner played verbal dodgeball. Credit the PGA Tour for pushing the public relations campaign even when the update is only a smattering of vague information nuggets that keep alive the belief that “active” negotiations are taking place.
Monahan’s ability to avoid saying anything of consequence is not as perfected as that of Tiger Woods, who is the consummate master in that area. Still, kudos to the commissioner for showcasing top-tier skills on that front.
Keep in mind that Monahan initially was adamantly opposed to any connection between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. If any player opted to join the Saudi-financed effort, he thundered, they would be promptly terminated.
Then, on June 6, 2023, the golf world was turned upside down when the commissioner announced on CNBC a framework of agreement for a merger with LIV Golf. Monahan was all smiles with his one-time rival Yasir Al Rumayyan, governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), the backer of LIV Golf.
Seismic shock waves rocked the golf world. Monahan’s continued position as commissioner was called into question—even by golfers on the PGA Tour. He admitted that being called a hypocrite was a fair criticism given his uncompromising and strident earlier stance.
Both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf stated that an agreement would be announced by the end of 2023. That deadline came and went. The flipside of Monahan’s non-press conference has only been bettered by his negotiating rival—Al Rumayyan, who seems to prefer invisibility.
After the deadline expired, the PGA Tour signed with Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of North American sports owners led by Fenway Sports Group, for a $1.5 billion investment in PGA Tour Enterprises, with the potential for that to double. PGA Tour Enterprises is separate from the tax-exempt PGA Tour, which deals with competition.
Interestingly, the aforementioned investment has not been spent thus far, prompting Rory McIlroy to question Monahan on what plans are in the works to invest that capital.
Truthfully, any serious negotiations need urgency. There’s also no way to know how fast or slow such proceedings are going, although matters have clearly been moving at a snail’s pace. Yet, the existing landscape of professional golf is at a critical juncture where a swift and conclusive settlement is needed.
Television ratings have been falling, and even though LIV Golf was able to negotiate a deal with FOX Sports, the reality is that episodes of “Judge Judy” draw better numbers than the fledging tour.
For the recent night-time LIV tournament recently held in Saudi Arabia the viewership was only a fraction of the total number of viewers watching the Genesis event on the PGA Tour. In short, LIV Golf is not expanding its overall visibility even after the switch from The CW Network to Fox.
Yet the deep pockets of the Saudi government via the Public Investment Fund (PIF) have not been held back by traditional budgets in funding the entire LIV Golf operations.
Will the Saudis continue to spend even when the economics of such an effort seem to have little basis in reality? Thus far, there are no signs anything will happen that either abates or slows down the contributions.
Since Tiger Woods’s best competitive days are now in the past, it is apparent that the splintering of professional golf needs to be rectified quickly. Having all the key players under one roof makes the most sense because the continued split only drags down interest in the sport.
But even if there were to be an immediate resolution, serious questions remain and could well linger.
First, how would players who bolted for LIV Golf be treated upon returning? Would fines or suspensions be imposed before they could tee up again?
Clearly, the players who left would not be inclined to pay a fine or face suspension. And if no action were taken, how would those remaining loyal to the PGA Tour react?
Second, is team golf really going to be included in a final agreement? Team golf is a fine concept but the program, as carried out by LIV Golf, has not exactly been drawing a lot of interest.
Just think of the brainpower it took to come up with ill-conceived team names like “Crushers,” “RangeGoats,” “Ripper,” and “Smash.” Team golf has only worked in a limited manner. Longstanding traditional events such as the Ryder Cup succeed because the event, held every two years, generates meaningful authenticity and meaning for golf fans globally.
Third, McIlroy, who had been a consistent defender of the PGA Tour and critic of LIV, has changed his tune and now says past transgressions should be put in the rearview mirror. The four-time major winner credited LIV Golf with bringing long-overdue change to the PGA Tour operation.
McIlroy, however, did not go as far as to say that those from Europe who left for LIV Golf should be eligible to be captains of Team Europe in future Ryder Cup matches.
Fourth, the specter of a Justice Department review of any final agreement hangs in the balance. For the Saudis to secure some undetermined equity stake would certainly raise serious questions about how a foreign government is increasingly involved in a USA-sports-operated business.
There’s also pushback from those critical of the Saudi government via “sports washing.” The kingdom has come under heavy criticism over human rights. By using a sports connection, the Saudis have been accused of trying to use the appeal of sports as an effective way to “wash” away that criticism.
The wild card comes with President Donald Trump. At one time, the PGA Tour and Trump looked like a marriage of convenience with long-term possibilities for mutual benefit.
In June 2016, the PGA Tour ended its long-time involvement with Trump National Doral in Miami, after the location had been a staple on the PGA Tour since the 1960s. The event was moved to Mexico, reportedly for reasons ranging from sponsorship issues to a controversial proposal about an immigration ban.
Interestingly, the Miami-based club will host its fourth consecutive LIV golf tournament in April and is one of three Trump-owned properties that have hosted a LIV Golf event.
But the straw that broke Trump’s back and laid the groundwork for a clear divorce came with the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The PGA of America’s brain trust decided to scrap Trump Bedminster from staging the 2022 PGA Championship in New Jersey.
Pushing back, Trump stated that star golfers who remained with the PGA Tour instead of going to LIV Golf were missing out on a major infusion of dollars.
More recently, Trump flipped his script and now says he’s not a fan of the format of play LIV Golf uses.
Adding to the verbal zig-zagging, on Feb. 4, Trump met with Monahan and golfer Adam Scott at the White House. The commissioner asked the president for his involvement in achieving a final resolution between the two sides. On the eve of the election, Trump stated on the “Let’s Go!” podcast that “it would take me the better part of 15 minutes to get that deal done.”
Despite the president’s self-professed confidence, the complications and residual sorting out remain vexing for all involved. Even if a deal were consummated in the next few weeks, the scheduling of events in 2026 will be a major concern—particularly for a number of longstanding PGA Tour events that have been steadfast in their loyalty to the tour, the charities they assist, and the fans who have been regular attendees.
A last-second hitch could also develop. There’s been speculation that LIV Golf will work out a better arrangement with the DP World Tour. Such a partnership would be most helpful in giving players world-ranking points for their performance—something that does not exist now for LIV Golf.
Nonetheless, the Saudis remain front and center. Unquestionably, the sand under the feet of the key principals is shifting constantly. The final arrangement needs to go beyond the business side and factor in the sensibilities of other stakeholders that fall just beyond the main concerns of the two golf groups.
Going to the altar in a business marriage has a range of permutations that a simple “I do” cannot seal with total certainty.
Unlike a traditional marriage, love is hardly the bond here. To borrow from the unparalleled wisdom and mental acuity of baseball great Yogi Berra—“It ain’t over till it’s over.”
Bottom line?
Stay tuned for more sand shifting.
The turbulence in golf remains active and concerning.
