Exclusive: PGA Tour player offers dim response to latest LIV Golf news

A PGA Tour player has told GolfMagic he finds it 'highly unlikely' that LIV Golf players will be back on the North American circuit next month. 

Last week, the PGA Tour held 'constructive talks' with Donald Trump and key figures from LIV Golf at the White House. 

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, Tiger Woods and Adam Scott met with LIV's chairman - and PIF governor - Yasir Al-Rumayyan. 

The PGA Tour and DP World Tour announced a 'framework agreement' with Saudi Arabia's PIF in June 2023 yet no deal has come to pass. 

But it appears that we are edging closer to a seismic announcement after Woods claimed during the Genesis Invitational the split in men's professional golf will 'heal quickly'. 

Golf Channel's Rex Hoggard even claimed the PGA Tour would be open to the idea of letting LIV Golf players compete in next month's Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. 

The PGA Tour's flagship event is known as the unofficial fifth major championship. 

Cameron Smith won the tournament in 2022 before he bolted to LIV for a reported $120m.

It would surely make for compelling viewing if Smith was teeing it up at The Players alongside other LIV recruits such as Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson. 

However, such a prospect appears impossible given the 2025 Players falls on the same week as LIV Golf Singapore. 

Breakaway tour players are contractually obligated to play in their events. 

An unnamed PGA Tour player told GolfMagic via text: "All I'd say is, I don't think that's a likely scenario."

The player told us they would wait for a concrete announcement before commenting further. 

What did the PGA Tour say about the White House meeting?

After last Thursday's meeting, the Tour released a statement saying that a 'constructive meeting' was held with Al-Rumayyan. 

They also praised Donald Trump for 'his leadership'. 

"We are committed to moving as quickly as possible and will share additional details as appropriate," a statement from Monahan, Woods and Scott read. 

"We share a passion for the game and the importance of reunification. 

"Most importantly, we all want the best players in the world playing together more often and are committed to doing all we can to deliver that outcome for our fans."

What did Tiger Woods say?

Woods said the split in the men's game would 'heal quickly' after the men's game had spent the last few years 'heading in the wrong direction'. 

"The fans want all the top players playing together and we're going to make that happen," Woods told legendary commentator Jim Nantz. 

Woods also replied 'yes and yes' when asked if that could happen 'very soon' or 'this year'. 

Why has this taken so long?

Regulatory approval is seen as the biggest hurdle because the U.S. Department of Justice has been investigating potential antitrust issues related to the proposed merger. 

Trump's involvement is expected to expedite this process. 

Elsewhere, there are issues about how to reintegrate LIV Golf players. 

Discussions have included potential financial penalties or other conditions. 

The PGA Tour has also formed its for-profit arm called PGA Tour Enterprises. 

In January 2024, the Tour entered into an agreement with Strategic Sports Group (SSG). 

SSG provided private equity in the amount of $1.5bn.

That investment put PIF talks on hold. At that point, some players - such as Jordan Spieth - suggested the PGA Tour no longer needed to strike an alliance with the PIF. 

For the majority of the past year, there have been no meaningful updates. 

But recent White House meetings appear to have given the PGA Tour more confidence that a deal will be agreed soon. 

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