Many golf fans expected the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment (PIF), LIV Golf’s beneficiary, to strike a formal agreement by now.
After all, on Jun. 6, 2023, the two adversaries settled their lawsuits and their differences, unveiled a “framework agreement,” and set the course to establish a deal by the end of 2023. But that deadline has come and gone, with no deal in place as the top of men’s professional golf remains divided between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The tour’s Commissioner, Jay Monahan, did not provide any more details about this agreement at last month’s Tour Championship, adding that no deadline is in place.
“I don’t think we want to restrict ourselves that way,” Monahan said when asked about a deadline.
“We want to achieve the best and right outcome at the right time.”
Nevertheless, before this week’s Presidents Cup, which features 24 PGA Tour members among the American and International teams, Australian Adam Scott talked about golf’s future in an interview with Adam Schupak of Golfweek.
Scott, a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board, said that golf may “realistically” reunite in 2027 and that 2026 can be seen as “optimistic.”
That prediction will disappoint fans, who long for the best players to compete side-by-side every week—not just in the four major championships.
Yet Scott believes the sport is in good hands, despite the outside noise surrounding the PGA Tour-LIV Golf rivalry distracting from the game itself.
“I see [the sport] being stronger than ever,” Scott said.
“I think whether a deal is done with PIF or not, I see it in a good spot. Ultimately, the market will decide what it wants. The PGA Tour is still, for sure, the strongest platform and has the strongest players. Even with a competitive tour out there, I still think it will be okay for pro golf players. I think it’s just a time of change, and most people don’t like that.”
Of course, in addition to negotiating with the PIF, the PGA Tour struck a deal with the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) in early 2024. SSG is a consortium of American sports owners who have invested $1.5 billion into a newly established for-profit entity overseeing tour operations.
“It’s improving the product in so many areas,” Scott says of SSG.
“Obviously, they’re going to have to generate more revenue. It’s the same as any business now because we’re an enterprise business with profit and loss, and they’re going to try and generate more revenue, and probably going to try and reduce costs as well, you know. So I’m sure they’re looking at all of that as we speak.”
Whether the PGA Tour strikes a deal with the PIF remains to be seen, but golf fans should not expect an agreement or reunification any time soon. Instead, the tour will continue to grow its product through the guidance of SSG, which PGA Tour fans should welcome, considering the impressive footprint this consortium has across American sports.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
