Tiger Woods is expected to play a round of golf with LIV Golf chief Yasir Al-Rumayyan in the Bahamas on Monday, with discussions centring around a deal with the PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF).
A report from Golfweek last Friday claimed that the Tour’s Player Directors were set to hold a secret meeting with PIF following the end of the Players Championship. This was then confirmed by one of the policy board’s members in Patrick Cantlay, with the meeting expected to take place in Florida on Monday.
It has since been revealed by Sports Illustrated that the peace talks are now taking place at Albany Resort in the Bahamas, the home of the Hero World Challenge, a PGA Tour event hosted by Woods.
READ MORE: Tiger Woods influence clear to see as PGA Tour make major change to LIV Golf meeting
It remained unknown as to whether the 82-time PGA Tour winner would be in attendance, but it has since been confirmed that Woods will in fact be joined by PIF chairman, Al-Rumayyan out on the golf course where the pair will discuss the future of professional golf.
Cantlay opened up on the dealings when speaking after his final round at the Players, but remained tight-lipped over the topic of discussion. “I imagine I’ll do a lot more listening than talking. I’m excited to hear what I will learn and I’ll have a lot more information after,” he commented.
“I’ve got to 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… More information is always better. I doubt we’ll get into anything substantive in the first meeting, just more of a meet and greet. My role is always to represent the entire membership to the best of my ability.
Tiger Woods is expected to play a round of golf with LIV Golf chief Yasir Al-Rumayyan in the Bahamas on Monday, with discussions centring around a deal with the PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF).
A report from Golfweek last Friday claimed that the Tour’s Player Directors were set to hold a secret meeting with PIF following the end of the Players Championship. This was then confirmed by one of the policy board’s members in Patrick Cantlay, with the meeting expected to take place in Florida on Monday.
It has since been revealed by Sports Illustrated that the peace talks are now taking place at Albany Resort in the Bahamas, the home of the Hero World Challenge, a PGA Tour event hosted by Woods.
READ MORE: Tiger Woods influence clear to see as PGA Tour make major change to LIV Golf meeting
It remained unknown as to whether the 82-time PGA Tour winner would be in attendance, but it has since been confirmed that Woods will in fact be joined by PIF chairman, Al-Rumayyan out on the golf course where the pair will discuss the future of professional golf.
Cantlay opened up on the dealings when speaking after his final round at the Players, but remained tight-lipped over the topic of discussion. “I imagine I’ll do a lot more listening than talking. I’m excited to hear what I will learn and I’ll have a lot more information after,” he commented.
“I’ve got to 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… More information is always better. I doubt we’ll get into anything substantive in the first meeting, just more of a meet and greet. My role is always to represent the entire membership to the best of my ability.
“If there’s a deal that could be struck that’s in the best interest of the entire membership, I’m all for it. And, if there’s not, there’s not.”
One man who will not be present in the Bahamas is Rory McIlroy, having resigned from his role as a PGA Tour player director last November. McIlroy has been one of the Tour’s most vocal stars throughout the saga with LIV Golf, initially prevailing as one of the Saudi-backed league’s biggest critics. On the back of the American-based circuit’s shock plan to work with their Saudi rivals last June, McIlroy has slowly taken a step back from the politics, leading to his resignation last winter.
Despite now being out of the meeting room, the four-time major winner had his say on the player peace talks, which he believes should have happened some time ago. “I think it should have happened months ago, so I am glad that it’s happening. Hopefully that progresses conversations and gets us closer to a solution,” he said at Sawgrass.
“I have spent time with Yasir. The people that have represented him in LIV I think have done him a disservice, (LIV boss Greg) Norman and those guys. fundamentally he wants to do the right thing. Look, they’re a sovereign wealth fund.
“They want to park money for decades and not worry about it. They want to invest in smart and secure businesses, and the PGA Tour is definitely one of those, especially if they’re looking to invest in sport in some way.”
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