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After more than 14 months of negotiations, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said Wednesday there is no deadline to finalize the merger with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), owner of breakaway league LIV Golf.
Speaking Wednesday ahead of this week’s Tour Championship, the final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs, Monahan said discussions would take even longer.
In June 2023, PGA Tour and PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan announced a plan to unify the PGA and LIV, re-establishing a single tour for golf’s top talent.
But judging by Monahan’s comments, such a deal remains a long way off.
“We have the right people at the table, with the right mindset,” Monahan said. “I see it in all of these conversations, on both sides. It creates optimism about the future and our ability to come together.”
“But at the same time, these conversations are complex. They’re going to take time. They have taken time and they will continue to take time,” he added.
Asked whether there was a deadline for the negotiations, he said: “We have not agreed on a deadline. I don’t think we want to limit ourselves in this way. We want to achieve the best possible outcome at the right time.”
Over the past two years, many high-profile players have left the PGA Tour to join the LIV in exchange for huge financial guarantees. Spanish star Jon Rahm made the move last December.
The two circuits will continue to exist as separate entities until the 2025 season, with a number of issues that have divided the sport still unresolved.
LIV players do not receive Official World Golf Ranking points from their 54-hole tournaments, significantly reducing their chances of qualifying for major tournaments and the Ryder Cup.
But the announcement of a “framework agreement” between the two circuits has at least put an end to the disputes and legal wrangling between the parties.
Monahan said he believed the discussions created a constructive atmosphere and better relations between the two organizations.
“It’s improved. It’s stronger. That’s a direct result of the dialogue and the conversation and really starting to talk about the future, the vision of the future product and where we can take our sport,” he said.
“I think when you have productive conversations, it increases the likelihood of positive outcomes and it strengthens the spirit of those conversations. I think that’s where it’s at,” he added.
Since the start of negotiations, the PGA Tour has received a significant investment from the Strategic Sports Group, made up of several major American sports business owners.
That led some on the PGA Tour to question whether a merger was necessary, but Monahan rejected that position.
“Ultimately, we are both able to bring together the best players in the world. I think that is a worthy and ambitious goal,” he said.
“But at the end of the day, the PGA Tour is the greatest tour in the world, and we’re going to continue to focus on the things we control. I’m really proud of the accomplishments that our players and the entire team have accomplished together,” he said.
Monahan said the new Signature Events, with limited but elite fields and higher prize money, as well as various broadcast initiatives, showed the circuit was continuing to progress.
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