Patrick Cantlay makes surprising admission ahead of PGA Tour / PIF showdown

Patrick Cantlay has revealed ongoing shock merger talks between the PGA Tour and Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) are still nowhere near from completion ahead of Monday's latest meeting. 

Cantlay confirmed to Sports Illustrated after the final round of The Players Championship on Sunday that a meeting between PGA Tour player directors and PIF officials would be taking place on Monday 18 March in a bid to unify the game following the introduction of LIV Golf in 2022.

A deadline had been set for 31 December 2023 but it has now been extended as talks continue to play out between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf's bankrollers, the Saudi PIF, led by governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan. 

Cantlay did not reveal who would be in the meeting or the location of the meeting other than that it was taking place less than 24 hours after Scottie Scheffler became the first player in history to defend the PGA Tour's flagship event at famed TPC Sawgrass. 

The former FedEx Cup champion is one of six player directors on the PGA Tour policy board, and he is joined by Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Webb Simpson and Peter Malnati.

Rory McIlroy stepped down from his role as a player director on the PGA Tour this season, but he explained 15-time major champion Woods needed to be in Monday's meeting if talks with PIF are ever going to progress. 

McIlroy also fired shots at LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman when saying he thought he had done Al-Rumayyan a 'disservice'. 

Scott expressed similar sentiments where Woods' attendance was concerned, with the Australian admitting he just wanted to "get on with it" now. 

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said talks were "accelerating" between themselves and PIF ahead of The Players Championship last week.

Monahan's comments fall two months after Strategic Sports Group wrapped up a $3 billion investment into PGA Tour Enterprises.

Woods was recently named as the vice chairman of PGA Tour Enterprises. 

Under the terms of the PGA Tour and PIF's ongoing framework agreement, the PIF could still become a minority invester in PGA Tour Enterprises, which had been the plan since the shock 6 June 2023 announcement. 

Speaking to Sports Illustrated ahead of Monday's latest meeting between PIF and PGA Tour player directors, Cantlay said: 

Despite PGA Tour boss Monahan telling the media last week that talks between themselves and PIF were "accelerating" all the time, Cantlay admitted the deal was still nowhere near completion like with SSG. 

Cantlay added: 

Following SSG's heavy investment into the PGA Tour, players competed for a record prize fund of $25m at The Players Championship on Sunday at Sawgrass.

World No.1 Scheffler became the first player in the 50-year history of The Players Championship to successfully defend the title as his final-round 64 saw him overturn a five-shot deficit at the start of the round into a one shot victory over three players. 

Scheffler walked away with a Players record first prize of $4.5m.

The win marked Scheffler's second in a row on the PGA Tour and the eighth of his career. 

Will a deal between the PGA Tour and PIF ever happen this season? Or will PGA Tour just stick things out with SSG and continue war with LIV Golf? Share your thoughts and comments over on the GolfMagic social media channels.

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