PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said at TPC Sawgrass on Tuesday that President Donald Trump has been “the facilitator” between the PGA and LIV Golf in order to eventually strike a deal.
June 6 will mark two years since the bombshell announcement that the two sides were discussing some sort of agreement to come together in some capacity, but talks have long stalled — that is, until Trump took office.
Last month, the Tour credited Trump for “[getting] involved for the good of the game,” and it appears there has been movement since he got involved.
“Those talks are real. They’re substantial, and they’re being driven at the top levels of both organizations. Those talks have been significantly bolstered by President Trump’s willingness to serve as the facilitator,” Monahan said on Tuesday. “President Trump is a lifelong golf fan. He believes strongly in the game’s power and potential, and he has been exceedingly generous in his time and influence to help bring a deal together. He wants to see the game reunified. We want to see the game reunified, and his involvement has made the prospect of reunification very real.”
Monahan added, “We believe there’s room to integrate important aspects of LIV Golf into the PGA Tour platform,” and he could envision “a future” in which Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan can join the Tour’s board.
“We’re doing everything that we can to bring the two sides together. That said, we will not do so in a way that diminishes the strength of our platform or the very real momentum with our fans and our partners,” Monahan said, adding that “hurdles remain” between the two sides.
TRUMP’S SCOTTISH GOLF RESORT VANDALIZED BY PRO-PALESTINE GROUP OVER GAZA STANCE
Trump last month expressed optimism the two sides will get some type of deal done.
“They’re gonna have to get together,” he said. “They’ve had a lot of discussion back and forth. They both are meaning well, and a deal will ultimately happen. I think it will happen pretty quickly. It would be nice to see the best golfers play against each other.”
“They are all great people, and they want to work it out,” Trump added. “So, if I can help work it out… I don’t get anything out of it. I can help them work it out. I just think golf — it’s very much an individual sport, and you want to see the best players playing against each other and not playing in two different locations.”
Golf splintered in 2022 with the emergence of LIV Golf, which came with the backing of the PIF. Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm all play in the league.
Trump’s courses have hosted several LIV events since its inception, last hosting a PGA event in the mid-2010s.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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