Washington (AFP) – US PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Adam Scott have implored President Donald Trump to help complete a Saudi Arabian investment deal and reunite golf’s top players in one series. A PGA Tour statement on Thursday attributed to Monahan and player directors Scott and Tiger Woods confirmed Australian Scott and Monahan went to the White House on Tuesday seeking the assistance of Trump, an avid golfer.
Talks have dragged on 14 months past an original deadline between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s backers, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, to reunite the sport’s best players, many of whom bolted from the PGA to the upstart series and are banned from PGA events. Both LIV and the PGA Tour have 2025 seasons planned as details remain incomplete on a PIF investment deal, US Department of Justice legal concerns about Saudi financing of a US business among the issues involved.
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“We know golf fans are eagerly anticipating a resolution to negotiations with the Public Investment Fund and want to thank President Trump for his interest and long-time support of the game of golf,” the statement from Monahan and the players said. “We asked the President to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country and for all the countries involved. We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men’s professional golf.”
No details of the conversation with Trump were revealed and there was no indication when any deal might actually be completed. Trump’s Doral course is set to host a LIV Golf event on April 4-6, the week before the Masters. At this stage, major tournaments such as the annual showdown at Augusta National are the only places where the world’s top players from LIV and the PGA can compete against each other.
© 2024 AFP
