It appears the merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour is supposedly getting delayed! Why? Well, the Player Directors of the Policy Board led by Tiger Woods recently met up with the Chairman of the Public Investment Fund, Yasir Al-Rumayyan in the Bahamas. Interestingly, Peter Malnati, who was part of the meeting and was reportedly all praise for the Saudi businessman, hinted at the upsetting news.
“I do think it’s a while until we get there,” said Malnati, about the meeting before divulging, “I didn’t walk away with a much clearer understanding of what the future holds.” However, he was quick to add, “But I definitely walked away thinking I’m glad we did that. Glad we met him. Glad we had a very friendly meeting,” all the while alluding to the gathering in the Bahamas led by Mr. T.
Although the professional, in an interview ahead of the Valspar Championship, expressed his desire to see “all the best players together, not just in the major championships,” he was swift in painting a clear picture of the current situation as well. Elaborating on the same, he said, “There’s a lot of work to do to … seeing the same vision for the future of professional golf. There is space between his[Al-Rumayyan’s] and ours.”
Meanwhile, the golfer, aside from dishing out compliments, also couldn’t help but be surprised at the PIF Governor’s nature, who himself is a lover of the sport of golf. Commenting on the same, he said, “Obviously he is not a regular guy. He chairs 140-something boards.” But even so, he seemed like any other person to the 36-year-old as he “enjoyed and appreciated” the encounter. “To talk to him, it was like talking to another human being… We were definitely talking to a golf nut.”
What’s more, the 1-time PGA Tour champion also commented on the growing relationship with the PIF Governor, as he said, “I still certainly think a path forward for professional golf makes more sense with him on our side than him as an antagonist.” But even so, regardless of the newfound sense of camaraderie, it cannot be denied that the final picture of a united front in golf is still a while away. Even Webb Simpson had indicated the same.
As per Simpson, contrary to popular belief, the meeting with Al-Rumayyan did not involve complex negotiations but more on the side of prodding for the intentions of the Saudi-backed fund. Divulging details on the gathering, he admitted, “It definitely seems like he envisions a place in the game of golf.” Adding on, he said, “We didn’t get as far as what he wants and what does LIV want,” as he revealed the results of the meeting.
“He certainly seems engaged enough in the game already that he has desires to see the game grow globally,” continued the 38-year-old as he recalled how the businessman also mentioned doing the same in Saudi. Anyhow, it appears, from the two golfers’s comments, that the merger needs miles to go before it is made to come to fruition. Regardless, it remains to be seen what this recent meeting holds for the golf world.
