There has been a lot of talk lately about the negotiations between the PIF and the PGA Tour, especially following the meeting held by the two parties ten days ago in New York, which was attended by Yasir Al Rumayyan, the head of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, and several representatives of the newly created PGA Tour Enterprises, led by Tiger Woods and Jay Monahan.
During the US Open, questions were publicly asked about the content of these conversations and the most that could be gleaned is that both parties are optimistic about sealing an agreement soon. In private, not much more is revealed. There is optimism and a sincere desire from both parties to find the ideal scenario for the coexistence of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
Well, according to Ten Golf, one of the scenarios being considered by the PIF is to enter the capital of PGA Tour Enterprises in exchange for sponsoring some tournaments on the American circuit. In other words, the Saudi Fund would come to reinforce the tournaments that are currently minor on the PGA Tour.
Let’s use a specific example to better understand the situation. The PIF would sponsor directly, through one of its companies, for example Aramco, or whatever is most interesting to Al Rumayyan, the John Deere Classic, a tournament that is currently minor on the PGA Tour. It would increase its prize pool and in return, places would be established for LIV Golf players.
At the same time, a reduction in the number of players participating in the tournaments is being considered. Thus, instead of having fields of 132, 144 or 156 players, this number would be reduced to about 100, roughly the number at the Augusta Masters, so that the tournaments are more exclusive, harder to access and with a higher average level of participation.
In return, what is being considered in this same scenario, which has been put on the table in one way or another, is to inject a significant amount of money into the Korn Ferry Tour, so that those players who do not make it into this more exclusive first division can fight for larger prize pools and, ultimately, have the opportunity to make a living without problems. In this way, the aim is to raise the level of the first division or PGA Tour with more elevated tournaments, reduce the number of players per tournament, establish an entry door for LIV golfers, then it would be seen how they could move on to the elevated ones, perhaps through these new PIF brand tournaments and also raise the events of the Korn Ferry Tour.
As we say, this is one of the proposals that are on the table and is being discussed. It doesn’t have to be the definitive one, but it could be the direction things are heading when they finally announce the agreement. The idea of all parties is to reach an entente cordiale that can be operational from 2025. In this scenario, LIV Golf, always from the perspective of the PIF, would remain virtually the same.
