After over 18 months of back-and-forth negotiations between the PIF and PGA Tour, there could well be light at the end of the tunnel.
In November, reports suggested the PIF was nearing a $1bn investment in the PGA Tour, which would have seen the Saudis acquire an 11% stake. However, the trail went cold during December and January.
Thankfully, positive news has emerged after player director Adam Scott and commissioner Jay Monahan travelled to the White House to meet President Donald Trump. The meeting was scheduled to help the Tour reach a final agreement with the PIF and eventually reunify the sport.
Rory McIlroy believes Trump’s involvement can only be good with the President a well-known lover of the game and owner of some of the world’s best courses.
Scott, who met Trump at the White House, also feels that his involvement could help push any agreement through the Department of Justice.
Adam Scott and Jay Monahan’s meeting with Donald Trump
Speaking to the Golf Channel at this week’s Genesis Invitational, Scott was optimistic about how the talks with Trump had played out.
“I think it was all really positive,” the Aussie said.
“I am certainly not going to talk out of turn because I am sure Tiger would like to comment. That’s how the meeting came about. I think it’s just a positive thing that the President of the United States, you know, is such a lover of the game of golf and understands some of the challenges facing the professional game at the moment.
“He’s a lover of the game and hopefully very helpful in getting a resolution for the professional game and helping everyone move forward.”
What Donald Trump thinks about Tiger Woods
Scott also revealed that Trump, like most of the golfing world, is a huge fan of Tiger Woods. The 15-time major winner has also been involved in negotiations. Last week, Woods played a round with Trump in Florida.
“It’s pretty easy to tie him to the game of golf. He owns several golf properties, fabulous destinations around the world,” Scott added.
“He has a relationship with Saudi Arabia and the PIF. He’s a fan of the PGA Tour and certainly a fan of Tiger Woods like we all are. Given that this is being tied up in government, believes he can be very helpful.”
Adam Scott details potential roadblocks in PIF and PGA Tour talks
Despite the recent optimism, the 2013 Masters champ reiterated that there are still plenty of obstacles that must be overcome before any deal can be formally announced.
“I think the difficult thing for administrations to understand is why professional golf coming back together and working harmoniously is not a breach of anti-trust or anti-competitive issues, and that’s really what was being looked at.
“Hopefully, these can be helped by the President, and things can be moved forward at a faster pace now.”
Golf fans know better than to get overly excited by updates on the PIF and PGA Tour’s negotiations. Over the past 18 months, numerous false dawns have emerged. Until it’s signed and formally announced, the golfing world is right to remain sceptical.
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