Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods were once the first-row entities to vocalize against LIV Golf but with the passage of time, their natives softened against the Saudi-backed league. This change in heart became more evident as the PGA Tour got involved in talks with PIF about a potential future collaboration.
Moreover, both players have encouraged the breakaway series golfers to participate in the majors and McIlroy even stated that they should be allowed to return to the PGA Tour without any penalty. Added to these, recently Joaquin Niemann, the LIV golfer, was invited to the 2024 Masters which indicated a bridge building up between the tours. Amid all this, what’s the status of the PGA-PIF deal, and how far have Woods and McIlroy changed their thoughts about the disruptive league?
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s current thoughts on PGA-PIF status
Tiger Woods recently talked in an interview about how a merger between the PGA Tour and PIF might be expected, but financially, the US-based Tour is not dependent since it has already received financial backing from SSG of around $3 billion.
The player director said, “Ultimately, we would like to have PIF be a part of our tour and our product. Financially, we don’t right now, and the money that they have come to the table with and what we initially had agreed to in the framework agreement, those are all the same numbers. Anything beyond this is going to be obviously over and above.”
Adding to the similar tone, Rory McIlroy also shared that he has been too judgmental about LIV Golf.
“I think at this point, I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV Golf at the start, and I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realize that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods’ position.”
The Northern Irishman continued, “We all turn professionals to make a living playing the sports that we do, and I think that’s what I realized over the last two years. I can’t judge people for making that decision, so if I regret anything, it was probably being too judgmental at the start.”
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have been strictly against LIV Golf for the last two years and both felt betrayed when the news of the merger transpired in 2023. However, the players have accustomed themselves to the Saudi-backed league’s existence and see the circuit as a part of the golf world.
The PGA-PIF negotiations are still under development and a decision is expected to be taken by April 2024. Thus, it is to see how things escalate in the upcoming few weeks and what the status of their bond will be in the coming two months.
