Tiger Woods, alongside PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and player director Adam Scott, participated in a second meeting at the White House on Thursday, signaling progress in resolving the division caused by LIV Golf, which is funded by Saudi Arabia.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and a key figure behind the competing league, was expected to be present at the meeting based on information from a source with knowledge of the situation.
The source, who requested anonymity due to the private nature of the meeting, indicated that the meeting was initiated by President Donald Trump, who was likely to be involved.
On Wednesday, Al-Rumayyan was in Miami Beach, Florida, for an investment summit featuring Trump as a speaker.
This marks the second occasion within just over two weeks that the leadership of the PGA Tour—comprising Woods and Scott, both board members—has convened at the White House. Woods had to leave the earlier meeting on February 4 due to the death of his mother in Florida.
During the CBS telecast of the Genesis Invitational, Woods mentioned, “We have another meeting coming up,” expressing optimism about the future of golf.
“I believe that matters will return to normal swiftly,” said Woods, the host of the tournament. “We’re aiming to get the sport moving in the right direction. It has been going downhill for several years, and our fans desire to see all of us competing together, with all the top players uniting.”
Since its inception in June 2022, LIV Golf has attracted several marquee players, like Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, with signing bonuses likely exceeding $100 million in several instances.
An agreement between the PGA Tour, PIF, and the European tour (known commercially as the DP World Tour) was established in June 2023, but it lapsed at the year’s end due to antitrust scrutiny from the Justice Department.
In early 2024, the PGA Tour welcomed Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of professional sports owners led by Fenway Sports, as a minority partner through a $1.5 billion investment in PGA Tour Enterprises.
The PIF is in discussions to become a minority stakeholder, yet Monahan emphasized last week that the primary focus is on ensuring that the best players frequently play together.
“Everything is progressing swiftly,” Monahan remarked. “There is a general enthusiasm among all parties involved to finalize this arrangement.”
Radar Atlas, a site that monitors private jet activity, reported on Wednesday evening that planes belonging to the PGA Tour and Scott had landed in Washington.
The specifics of any proposed arrangement remain uncertain, although Monahan indicated he envisions a clear outcome. Currently, top players from LIV can only compete against Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and most of golf’s elite during the four major tournaments, with few exceptions in certain European tour events.
Any potential agreement with PIF would need the approval of the PGA Tour Enterprises board, the commercial entity that evolved from the original agreement established in June 2023.
Tiger Woods attends another White House conference as PGA Tour advances towards Saudi agreement.
