Tiger Woods and PGA Tour Policy Board Meet with PIF in Bahamas To Strike Merger Deal: Report

Tiger Woods and other members of the PGA Tour Policy Board are set to meet with the Saudi PIF and its Governor, Yasir Al-Ramayyan, today in the Bahamas to potentially strike a merger deal.

The PGA Tour and the Saudi PIF have been working on striking up a potential merger that would likely end the division and tension in professional golf for nearly one year. A deadline for Masters weekend is looming, and the two sides are meeting today to end negotiations and get a deal done.

Patrick Cantlay, a member of the board and one of the most involved in negotiations, confirmed on Sunday that the meeting between the PGA Tour Policy Board and the PIF would take place on Monday at the Albany Resort in Nassau, Bahamas.

It is the same resort where Woods often parks his yacht and where the Hero World Challenge, a tournament hosted by the 15-time Major Winner, takes place.

PGA Tour airplane #N795HG outbound to Nassau! Which is where Tiger and someone from PIF/Saudi already are. Will continue monitoring. pic.twitter.com/AwqMnNCaGH

— radaratlas2 (@radaratlas2) March 18, 2024

Players, including Rory McIlroy requested Woods’s presence at the meeting. McIlroy said that Woods “absolutely needs to be involved” in the Tour’s negotiations with the PIF, although the Northern Irishman feels the meeting should have taken place months ago.

Rory McIlroy says the meeting between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund should have taken place months ago and admits he’s glad conversations are happening. 💬⛳ pic.twitter.com/LnB6cE7ujW

— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) March 18, 2024

The meetings were described as a “meet and greet” by Cantlay, but with the deadline now less than a month away, it feels like it could be a little late for just an introduction between the two sides.

Cantlay said (via Sports Illustrated):

“Well, I’ve gotta hear out what they have to say, and I will always do my best to represent the entire membership whenever I am in a meeting in that capacity. I think more information is always better.”

Other players want to get a deal done as they feel it would be in the best interest of the Tour to end any potential weaknesses it might have. 

Webb Simpson, for example, said that the deal that is made needs to be for the long-term health of the game, and that includes having the best players square off on a weekly basis:

“I think we’re in a position where we want to do the right deal. We don’t want to just do a deal because we’re afraid that the LIV tour might recruit more players. That’s certainly a fear. But I think it’s obvious. The writing is on the wall. We’re not in a position where we need to do a deal for money. We need to do a deal for the good of the game. I don’t know what they (LIV and the PIF) want. I don’t know what the players playing for LIV want. I think they’re very happy where they are. I think they’re very happy with the decisions they’ve made. But I’ve heard from enough people who have grown a little distasteful with the current state of golf. Not pointing blame at LIV or PGA Tour or anyone.”

Initially, it felt as if the PGA Tour had a sense of seniority over LIV Golf and the PIF. The Tour’s perspective on the entire situation felt as if the players and organization, as a whole, had the upper hand. However, players have continued to leave for LIV, and after Jon Rahm defected to the league, the entire attitude of the Tour and its players seemed to change.

It would be in the best interest of the PGA Tour to start making some sort of sacrifices in order to get a deal done. Rumors of more players potentially leaving the Tour have continued to be heard around the world of golf, and it would be potentially deal-breaking if LIV were to attract three or more of the Tour’s biggest stars.

Cover Image via EssentiallySports