Although it seems that there was momentum all around, including at the White House, there will be no agreement between the PGA Tour and the Golf Liv de Animait.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan spoke with journalists on Tuesday at Arnold Palmer Invitational, and he did not have much update. There is no meeting on books with the public investment fund of Saudi Arabia, and Monahan said that he does not expect to announce their partnership agreement next week at the players' championship – where he traditionally gives a state of the tour.
“We don't have a next meeting set, but obviously, we are in a very busy section here,” said Monahan, Via golf week. “We have Arnold Palmer Invitational, players. They have two events here in the next two weeks. This does not mean that there will be no conversations, there is simply not a physical meeting. »»
The tour and the PIF have been negotiating the terms of their partnership for almost two years now. These discussions, which occurred after years of animated battle between the two leagues, have apparently warmed in recent months – especially when Monahan and Adam Scott met President Donald Trump On negotiations at the White House last month. Monahan said after this meeting that “everything goes forward with the rhythm”.
Tiger Woods also participated in a second meeting, and he was golf with the president before Trump flies away for New Orleans to attend the Super Bowl Lix.
While Monahan said on Tuesday that an agreement was not imminent, he insisted that things are still moving on the right track despite a lack of progress and contrary rumors. Meet Trump in the White House, he said, was a “huge step”.
“I think everything I said or we said, the three of us said in accordance with what should be said when you are in the middle of a complex discussion to try to bring the golf game together,” said Monahan. “It doesn't talk about my level of confidence, he talks about the moment. I consider this meeting as a huge step and I look at this very positively. »»
Rory McILroy, however, was much less optimistic on Wednesday.
“I don't think that (an agreement has never been so close,” he said. “We don't have the impression that it is closer.”
What about reunification?
The biggest problem here is clearly how to collect the world of golf in the right way. Some in sport, as McILroy, said people just needed “Overcome” and move forward despite the harsh feelings they could have towards the other side. Scott took a different toneHowever, and said that he would “not judge anyone” if they were not satisfied to delight the golf tour of Liv after their disorder outings.
Monahan said on Tuesday that tour surveys show that around 70% of fans are turning positively on reunification, and that the league does “everything we can bring the game”.
When this happens, however, remains to be seen.
“I would say that with our directors of players, with our board of directors, we are very aware of reunification and to focus on this as an objective,” he said. “And finally, when we arrive at this position, this is a question to which we will all answer. But I hope that when you look at what we are trying to accomplish, what it means for the PGA Tour, what it means for the long -term game, that we will resolve for this in the most effective and careful way that we can. “”
If an agreement is not done, however, McILroy does not think that it is the end of the world. If LIV golfers come to play at the four major championships, it could be quite good.
“I think the story around golf will host an agreement in terms of simple having all the best players again,” he said. “But I do not think that the PGA Tour needs an agreement. I think the momentum is strong enough. As you say, television was good, TGL was, hopefully, quite additive to the overall situation. And yes, I would say … I think it would always be the ideal scenario for the golf as a whole.
