PGA Tour player director Patrick Cantlay with on-brand response to PIF question

PGA Tour player director Patrick Cantlay acknowledged it may look like things have gone 'quiet' with LIV Golf's backers. 

But the American is adamant talks with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia are 'always evolving'. 

Cantlay made the claim before the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind. 

The 32-year-old sits on the PGA Tour's policy board alongside Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Webb Simpson, Peter Malnati and Adam Scott. 

Cantlay was asked on Tuesday by reporters if there was an end in sight after months of little information. 

Part of the blackout is because the Tour and their commissioner, Jay Monahan, don't want to 'negotiate' in public after acknowledging they bungled the 6 June framework agreement announcement which angered members. 

"Well, it’s definitely quieted down [the media noise], and I agree with you, there hasn't been as much chatter the last few months, which has been nice," Cantlay said. 

"I think that's just kind of the nature of it. There's going to be ebbs and flows, depending on what kind of information comes out or what announcements.

"When you say ‘end in sight’, it's always evolving. The PGA Tour has always been changing and trying to evolve and get better. 

"Depends what you mean by – what you define as the finish line. But I know all of us are working incredibly hard all the time to get the best outcome."

More than a year has passed since the aforementioned framework agreement announcement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF. 

The deadline for the original agreement was 31 December 2023. 

There was talk the deal may have been dead in the water in January after the PGA Tour announced a $3bn investment deal with the Strategic Sports Group. 

Some players, such as Spieth, suggested that meant the Tour didn't necessarily have to strike a deal with LIV's financiers.

But LIV's chairman and powerful Saudi businessman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, met with PGA Tour representatives in New York in June. 

There were suggestions that at this stage the parties involved exchanged terms. 

Cantlay, unsurprisingly, dodged the question when asked if they were close to finalising a deal. 

"I'm not on the transaction committee," Cantlay said. 

"So I'm not totally up to date with where everything is at currently.

"But whenever we do get a meaningful update, that'll come back to the board, and then I'm sure we’ll have a discussion about it."

Cantlay was referring to a separate committee that negotiates directly with the Saudis. 

Woods, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott sit on that. 

McIlroy was part of the player director group but resigned from his position in an apparent huff. 

He was asked to return and the aforementioned Simpson was happy to give up his seat for the Northern Irishman. 

But when McIlroy's return was put to a vote, Cantlay, Woods and Spieth voted against him, according to Telegraph Sport. 

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