Commissioner Jay Monahan insisted on Tuesday that progress is being made within the PGA Tour’s communications with the upstart LIV circuit. It simply comes with “ebbs and flows,” he mentioned.
Monahan additionally was fast to reward President Trump for his involvement as a facilitator within the negotiations. Trump has hosted two White Home conferences with Monahan, PGA Tour participant director Adam Scott and Saudi businessman Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
These conferences have come almost two years after Monahan and Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund (PIF), shocked the sports activities world by saying a “framework settlement” to have the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf merge. The perimeters have been unable to progress to a ultimate settlement.
“The talks are actual, they’re substantial, they usually’re being pushed on the prime ranges of each organizations,” Monahan advised reporters on Tuesday upfront of The Gamers Championship in Ponte Vedra Seashore, Fla.
“These talks have been considerably bolstered by President Trump’s willingness to function a facilitator. President Trump is a lifelong golf fan. He believes strongly within the recreation’s energy and potential, and he has been exceedingly beneficiant along with his time and affect to assist carry a deal collectively.
“He desires to see the sport reunified. We wish to see the sport reunified. His involvement has made the prospect of reunification very actual.”
Monahan, 54, even had reward for Al-Rumayyan.
“We are able to see a future the place we welcome him onto our board and work collectively to maneuver the worldwide recreation ahead.” mentioned Monahan, who added that “we consider there’s room to combine vital points of LIV Golf into the PGA Tour platform.”
Monahan, nevertheless, deflected a number of questions on golf’s break up into two entities.
“We’re dedicated to those negotiations and to doing all the things that we are able to to drive to reunification for our followers,” he mentioned. “That mentioned, we’re not going to do something that diminishes the energy of our platform or that momentum that we have now with our followers and companions.”
One other pivotal subject on Tuesday was tempo of play, with the PGA Tour set to start publishing statistics associated to the velocity of the sport later this 12 months.
“It is easy to establish the issue,” Monahan mentioned. “It is just a little bit more durable to seek out the answer simply given the depth and breadth of all the things that goes into tempo of play, however we’re dedicated to discovering the precise options and making progress on that entrance.”
–Area Degree Media