PGA Tour-LIV deal ‘one step closer’ after help from ‘passionate’ Donald Trump in secret White House meeting
The PGA Tour and LIV have moved a step closer to ending golf’s bitter civil war – and it’s all down to new president Donald Trump, according to Jay Monahan.
The PGA Tour chief spent time with Trump in a secret White House meeting last week, in which the president mediated a meeting between golf’s two superpowers.
Talks between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, who bankroll the LIV circuit, have dragged on for 20 months, with the biggest hurdle presented by the US department of Justice over concerns that a collaboration would be in breach competition laws.
With Trump now in office, he is seemingly keen to get a deal done sooner rather than later, and Monahan has now revealed more details about last week’s crunch talks.
‘It was a very productive visit,’ Monahan said in advance of the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines. ‘I think you all have been around him enough to know how passionate he is about the game of golf.
‘For him to respond to our request to sit down and talk about how we achieve what he stated publicly as a goal, which is the game of golf operating under one tour with all the top players playing on that one tour, was a great opportunity. We had a really productive conversation.
Jay Monahan has revealed details from last week’s meeting with Trump at the White House
Donald Trump’s involvement appears to be edging the PGA Tour and LIV towards an agreement
The likes of Brooks Koepka (left) were lured by the riches of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf
‘I think the meeting ultimately gets us one step closer to a deal being done, but there’s a lot more work to do. Hopefully you sense my enthusiasm as I talk about it today.’
Monahan was joined by player director Adam Scott for the visit to DC, and the pair later released a co-signed statement alongside Tiger Woods.
In it, the trio said they were ‘grateful that [Trump’s] leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men’s professional golf.’
LIV launched in 2022 and has since prized many of golf’s top stars away from the PGA Tour, offering huge sums of money.
The likes of Jon Rahm, Bryson Dechambeau, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson all defected to the Saudi breakaway, but a deal to bring all the players back together on one tour now seems closer than ever.
Trump has attended multiple LIV events over the past two years, even hosting some at his own golf courses.
