The PGA Tour and LIV Golf do not seem to have come any closer to their deal.
Asked about negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund on Wednesday ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, which kicks off the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan didn’t have much news to share. Although the original self-imposed deadline for a deal is more than eight months past, everything is in “good shape.”
“These are very complicated discussions,” Monahan said Wednesday from TPC Southwind. “There are many elements to them. If we continue to engage at this level, continue to meet, move forward, discuss and debate, one can only be hopeful.”
“As far as the times and timeframes and our current status are concerned, all I can say is that we are on the right track with the talks. That is the most important thing.”
Nevertheless, the tour released its schedule for the 2025 season on Wednesday and did not mention LIV Golf at all – which Monahan said was a sign that the two leagues would continue to operate separately next season.
Monahan surprised the golf world last season by announcing that the Tour would enter into a partnership with LIV Golf after years of battling. The two sides agreed to a “framework agreement,” but nothing has been finalized yet. The deadline was set for December 31, 2023, but the two parties narrowly missed out without reaching an agreement.
The tour has since set up a “transactions subcommittee” to focus on day-to-day negotiations with the PIF. Monahan and several players – including Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods – are members of this committee, which reports to the Policy Board.
While the release of the tour schedule and Monahan’s comments on Wednesday do not mean that a deal will not be reached, the two sides appear to be a long way from reaching a final agreement.
“It’s definitely quieted down … there hasn’t been as much talk over the last few months, which has been nice,” Tour board member Patrick Cantlay said Tuesday in Memphis. “I think that’s just the nature of the beast. There’s going to be ups and downs depending on what information comes out or what announcements are made.”
“When you say ‘end in sight,’ what you mean is that it’s constantly evolving. The PGA Tour has always been changing and trying to evolve and get better. It depends on what you define as a finish line. But I know we’re all working incredibly hard all the time to get the best result.”
LIV Golf will host its West Virginia tournament this weekend. Two events are scheduled in September to conclude the 2024 season. The top 50 players in the Tour standings after this week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship will qualify for next week’s BMW Championship, and then the top 30 golfers will move on to the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta to end the season.
