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‘I’m glad I wasn’t Jay’: What we know about the ‘heated’ PGA Tour players’ meeting

Things got "heated" at the Canadian Open Tuesday.

Getty Images

PGA Tour players wanted answers Tuesday.

Most, if not all, were blindsided by the shocking announcement that the PGA Tour and DP World Tour would be merging with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund , the primary backer of rival LIV Golf, to create a new commercial entity.

At the RBC Canadian Open, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan held a players-only meeting for those looking for answers. And, by many accounts, the players left with even more questions.

“We didn’t learn that much other than there’s going to be an alliance and the business structure is going to change, and I don’t know if it’s all going to be happy families,” 2006 U.S. Open winner Geoff Olgivy told multiple outlets in Toronto. “I’m glad I wasn’t Jay today. There’s some grumpy players in there. I feel a little bit sort of, not lied to, but just that the Tour has sort of changed its position quickly and dropped it on us really fast. So maybe there’s a feeling of a lack of trust a little bit in the leadership.

“It just feels like nobody really knows what’s happening and the players are out of the loop. But no one really ever likes being out of a loop. You know, everyone likes a bit of information, and especially when it’s your livelihood and your job and the sport that you love.”

According to Golf Channel, the 75-minute meeting at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club, site of this week’s RBC Canadian Open, was attended by about 100 Tour pros who were in the field this week as well as several others who listened in either by phone or Zoom.

Monahan described the meeting as “intense, certainly heated.”

‘The hell is going on?’ Players, fans and others react to PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger

“Obviously, it’s been a very dynamic and complex couple of years, and for players, I’m not surprised that — this is an awful lot to ask them to digest, and this is a significant change for us in the direction that we were going down,” Monahan told reporters immediately following the meeting.

Likely contributing to the “heated” nature of the meeting was a now-widely reported incident between World No. 3 Rory McIlroy and Grayson Murray. McIlroy has been somewhat of a spokesperson for the PGA Tour in its battle against LIV Golf over the past two years. He helped call the players’ meeting back in August 2022 at the BMW Championship between the Tour’s top remaining players that helped lead to the creation of the designated events.

McIlroy had taken a notable step back in recent weeks, saying at the Players Championship in March that he’d “ love to get back to being a golfer ” and just last month at the PGA Championship declining to answer any questions about LIV Golf.

According to the UK Telegraph , McIlroy was quiet until Murray, the World No. 227 who has won on the Korn Ferry Tour this season, started shouting for Monahan to resign as commissioner in the wake of the merger agreement.

Both the Telegraph and Golf Channel reported McIlroy yelled back, “Just play better, Grayson,” which got a “bad response” from the room of players.

Murray reportedly told the four-time major winner to, “F— off.”

Wesley Bryan later disputed the reports of the exchange, tweeting they were “not even close to how it went down,” but that McIlroy did tell Murray to “play better.” He also said that McIlroy and Murray were “cordial and pleasant post-meeting” and the two had no issues with each other.

Confirmed. They were cordial and pleasant post meeting. We chatted as a group of players and we were laughing about the comment. No beef or hard feelings either way — Wesley Bryan (@wesleybryangolf) June 6, 2023

McIlroy gave his account of the meeting, which was attended by players mostly outside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, at his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday. Players, McIlroy included, did not find out about the merger until Tuesday morning, many only seeing the news on Twitter.

“Look, it was heated. People were surprised. People felt like they were in the dark about all this,” McIlroy said. “Look, most of the gripes come from the guys that are, you know, trying to hold onto their cards. And they feel like things have already been taken away from them this year with the designated events and smaller fields and no cuts and weighted FedExCup points for the larger events with the stronger fields. So they were already feeling somewhat vulnerable.

“Then, whenever this news is brought about, there’s only going to be one reaction to that. And I understand that. And, honestly, it’s hard for me to relate to those guys, because I’ve never been in that position. I try to empathize with it, but it’s hard for me to — it’s hard for me to relate to them fully, but I certainly empathize with their point of view.”

A dummy’s guide to the LIV/PGA Tour merger: Answering 21 burning questions

Other than the exchange with Murray, McIlroy reportedly didn’t say much else during the meeting, while approximately 30 of his colleagues took the floor, some even receiving standing ovations for calling for new Tour leadership. According to Golf Channel, Doc Redman received praise for calling out Monahan for announcing the merger with PIF not long after saying the Tour was in a great spot.

Murray wasn’t the only player to call Monahan a “hypocrite” at the meeting, either, according to the Telegraph . Monahan addressed the accusation during his call with reporters.

“I recognize that people are going to call me a hypocrite,” he said. “But anytime I said anything, I said it with the information that I had at that moment, and I said it based on someone that’s trying to compete for the PGA Tour and our players.

“I accept those criticisms. But circumstances do change.”

Johnson Wagner listened in on the meeting over the phone and went on Golf Channel, which he now contributes to, and said he thought the negative/positive split in the room was about “90/10.” However, Bryan, who was present at the meeting, also disputed this on Twitter, saying the estimate was “way off.”

90/10……way off 😂 — Wesley Bryan (@wesleybryangolf) June 6, 2023

Perhaps the most appreciated voice in the room was that of Maverick McNealy. Both Bryan and Cameron Percy publicly expressed support for his comments during the meeting and by Wednesday morning, McNealy posted a letter on his Instagram page explaining his thoughts.

“I asked some very poignant questions during the player meeting yesterday about the structure of the deal, organizational restructuring of professional golf, and the incentives and loyalty of the new governing entity of professional golf,” he wrote. “And it is also true, the membership and I did not get thorough or convincing answers.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maverick McNealy (@mavmcnealy)

However, in his letter, he also explained that he felt the people making the decisions knew far more than he does and all Tour members, including him, do not yet have the full picture regarding how the merger will play out.

After some time to think about it after Tuesday’s meeting, Mackenzie Hughes took a more open-minded stance as well during his pre-tournament press conference, noting that many players reacted with shock initially and a part of the meeting was spent on gathering information.

Then there was some progress made.

“There was a lot of good discussion in there yesterday and a lot of things on both sides that were said that I think will lead to good decisions going forward,” Hughes said. “Golf has just never been disrupted like this before. We’re dealing with a lot of stuff right now. So I think once we get kind of past the initial phase of this or the initial part of this.

“Like I said, it could be a great thing for golf. We just — we don’t know.”

MORE PGA TOUR-LIV MERGER COVERAGE:  Player reaction  |  21 burning questions & answers  |  10 shocking revelations  |  How the merger came to be  |  Brandel Chamblee sounds off  |  Rory, Tiger left in the dark  |  PGA Tour-LIV Golf timeline  |  Can this happen? A legal expert weighs in  |  Jay Monahan defends decision | McIlroy stresses details of merger

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Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at [email protected] .

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LIV-PGA Tour merger: Players meeting with commissioner yields 'intense, heated' discussion

In a surprise announcement Tuesday morning that came after a year of bitter fracturing in men's professional golf, the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour announced an agreement to merge their business operations.

The ramifications of the development are still unraveling, as a 4 p.m. ET meeting was scheduled for PGA Tour players, many of whom reported being entirely unaware of the agreement.

Both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf , along with the DP World Tour, announced the move in a joint statement published Tuesday . The merger aims to create "a new, collectively owned, for-profit entity to ensure that all stakeholders benefit from a model that delivers maximum excitement and competition among the game’s best players."

The terms of the agreement are not fully finalized and are scheduled to be completed in the coming months.

"After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said Tuesday in a statement.

"Going forward, fans can be confident that we will, collectively, deliver on the promise we’ve always made — to promote competition of the best in professional golf and that we are committed to securing and driving the game’s future."

Here's everything you need to know about the merger agreement.

Bryson DeChambeau: 'I do feel bad for the PGA Tour players'

Bryson DeChambeau, who is among the most notable names who bolted from the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf last year, appeared on "CNN Primetime" for an interview with anchor Kaitlan Collins to discuss Tuesday's stunning news of a merger between the Tour and LIV .

"There’s a lot more behind closed doors that’s been going on. What I can tell you is that H-E, Yasir, has always been a staunch supporter of golf globally and wanting to grow the game," DeChambeau said, referring to Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who is the governor of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. "That’s been his vision from the start, when we first started talking a few years ago. As it’s come to fruition now I think this is the best thing that could ever happen for the game of golf. And I'm extremely proud to be part of that because of the fact that the fans are going to get what they want, the players are going to experience something a little different, a little new on the PGA Tour side, but I truly believe, in the end, the game of golf wins in this scenario."

Collins then asked DeChambeau if he thought that Jay Monahan was a hypocrite after the PGA Tour commissioner had been critical of the Saudi-back golf league and the players who bolted the Tour for LIV.

"I do feel bad for the PGA Tour players because they were told one thing and something else happened, and our side, we were told one thing and it’s come to fruition. In the end, for me, I want the players, the fans and the game of golf to win," DeChambeau said. "It does stink a little bit from my perspective that the PGA Tour players are not necessarily winning. I hope they can find a way to make sure they are valued in the same way that we are over at LIV. I think that’ll happen, it’s just going to take some time with players pushing back a little bit and trying to figure out what gives them the best opportunity to be successful on their own end. Eventually, we all come back together now and play as one group, and I think that's the best thing."

PGA Tour commissioner: 'People are going to call me a hypocrite'

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said Tuesday he's well aware "people are going to call me a hypocrite" after he made a stunning reversal and merged with LIV Golf having previously denounced the Saudi-backed league over its ties to the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

But on Tuesday evening, Monahan described Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) as "a great and world-class investor."

“I recognize that people are going to call me a hypocrite. Anytime I said anything, I said it with the information that I had at that moment, and I said it based on someone that’s trying to compete for the PGA Tour and our players. I accept those criticisms," Monahan said in a conference call on Tuesday, according to Golf Week. "But circumstances do change. I think that in looking at the big picture and looking at it this way, that’s what got us to this point.”

Monahan said the deal has been in the works for seven weeks: "We just realized that we were better off together than we were fighting or apart, and by thinking about the game at large and eliminating a lot of the friction that’s been out there and doing this in a way where we can move forward."

PGA Tour commissioner held 'intense' player meeting after merger

Jay Monahan held a players-only meeting at the Canadian Open Tuesday afternoon following the surprise announcement merger of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf that blindsided many players. Many top players were not present at the meeting, which Monahan described as "intense, certainly heated," according to the Associated Press.

“I’m not surprised,” Monahan said. “This is an awful lot to ask them to digest. This is a significant change for us. As I’m trying to explain as we go forward, this ultimately was a decision in the best interests of all at the PGA Tour.”

Monahan said that although he expects "a lot of questions and criticism" right now, "players who stayed with the PGA Tour will see they benefited in many ways" in the long run.

Michael Kim attended the meeting and said he was "disappointed as all of you." He tweeted, "Well… the meeting happened… Came in very excited… but not a whole lot happened, too many details still up in the air."

Golf Channel's Brandel Chamblee 'disappointed' in PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger

Former men's pro golfer and current Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee has been one of the most outspoken critics of LIV Golf and its disruption to the sport. After news of the merger broke, Chamblee spoke about the matter and expressed his displeasure with the PGA Tour.

"After the shock sort of ebbed away, I was hugely disappointed," Chamblee said Tuesday during an appearance on the Golf Channel . "I think this is one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf. I do believe the governing bodies, the entities, have sacrificed their principles for profit."

Chamblee said he suspected there were three key reasons behind the decision to merge: legal issues over previously-pending antitrust litigation; "entanglements" some PGA Tour sponsors have with PIF capital; and the sheer amount of Saudi money that became available to the PGA Tour with the merger.

What do we know about the terms of the merger agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf?

There are still several key details that are unknown about the merger. For starters, the new entity does not have a name yet.

A key element in the merger is financial. The Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth investment fund of the Saudi government, "will make a capital investment into the new entity to facilitate its growth and success," according to the news release. The PIF had been the sole entity to entirely fund the LIV Golf operation.

Additionally, the merger stipulates that the PIF "will initially be the exclusive investor in the new entity" and "will have the exclusive right to further invest in the new entity, including a right of first refusal on any capital."

A newly established board of directors will direct and oversee the new entity's operations, schedule, investments. PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan will be part of the new entity's board of directors and will be on its executive committee. The announcement of the full board will come at a later date.

Additionally, the merger will lead to "a mutually agreed end to all pending litigation between the participating parties." In August 2022, a number of golfers who joined the LIV tour filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour , challenging their suspensions.

The merger stipulates that after the conclusion of the 2023 season, the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and the DP World Tour "will work cooperatively and in good faith to establish a fair and objective process" to allow players who left the PGA Tour and DP tour to re-apply for membership.

LIV Golf only part of Saudi 'sportswashing'

It's not just golf that is being upended by Saudi money.

In addition to financing Tuesday's merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced this week that it has effectively seized controlling stakes in four of the largest teams in the country's pro soccer league, in an effort to lure top European talent there.

Freelance reporter Fabrizio Romano reported for The Guardian on Tuesday that the one of those teams, Al-Ittihad, is signing Real Madrid star Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante of Chelsea , each for exorbitant sums. Benzema is due to make roughly $213 million per year over two seasons, according to Romano, while Kante's contract is reported to be in excess of $106 million per year.

Cristiano Ronaldo is making more than $200 million per year with another Saudi team, Al-Nassr, and Romano reports that Lionel Messi has been offered more than $370 million to play for Al-Hilal. The PIF also owns Newcastle United, a prominent English team.

Activists and academics have pointed to the PIF's investment in soccer and golf as part of a broader campaign of Saudi "sportswashing," or using sports to polish a country's otherwise problematic reputation. Saudi Arabia has a track record of human rights abuses, including politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners. — Tom Schad

U.S. Senators call out PGA Tour for 'hypocrisy' over merger with LIV Golf

Two United States senators took to social media on Tuesday to address the monster news that the PGA Tour was merging with LIV Golf .

Oregon’s Ron Wyden, who serves as the chairman of the Committee on Finance, blasted the deal, vowing to explore its economic impact. The merger means that the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia will be backing professional golf stateside and abroad.

"Hypocrisy doesn’t begin to describe this brazen, shameless cash grab," he said on Twitter . "I’m going to dive into every piece of Saudi Arabia’s deal with the PGA. U.S. officials need to consider whether a deal will give the Saudi regime inappropriate control or access to U.S. real estate."

Connecticut’s Chris Murphy expressed surprise at the deal. He said representatives from the PGA recently visited his office and were upset at the track record of social justice violations by the Middle Eastern country.

"So weird. PGA officials were in my office just months ago talking about how the Saudis' human rights record should disqualify them from having a stake in a major American sport," he said while retweeting a news post of the unification .

"I guess maybe their concerns weren't really about human rights?" — Victoria Hernandez

What was Phil Mickelson's LIV Golf deal worth?

Although Phil Mickelson has not revealed the exact amount of his signing bonus to join the LIV tour, it was widely expected that his deal exceeded the $125 million figure that fellow golfer Dustin Johnson took. Reports later emerged that Mickelson's contract was worth $200 million , which was the largest contract issued by the Saudi-backed tour.

LIV Golf, PGA Tour merger shines spotlight on 'sportswashing'

Over the past six years, the term has been used to describe everything from the 2018 World Cup in Russia to a 2019 heavyweight boxing match in Saudi Arabia to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

And at a news conference ahead of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf league's first event last summer, it came up twice.

"Isn't there a danger," one reporter  asked  Phil Mickelson, "that you're also being seen as a tool of sportswashing?"

That term — "sportswashing" — is still relatively new . But the strategy it represents has been employed by governments around the world, in some form or fashion, for a century or more.

For world leaders, it is a way to improve their nation's reputation by hosting a prestigious sporting event, or financing a popular team. — Tom Schad

What is going on with the antitrust lawsuit filed against the PGA Tour?

In August 2022, 11 players who left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf filed an antitrust lawsuit to challenge their suspensions from the PGA Tour.

This followed a report from the month before that the United States Department of Justice was investigating the PGA Tour for possible anticompetitive behavior. Augusta National Golf Club, which operates the Masters Tournament, the United States Golf Association and the PGA of America  were later revealed to also be part of the investigation .

Since then, lawyers on both sides have battled in various court proceedings to gain leverage. With the merger, however, both sides are mutually agreeing to end all pending litigation against the other.

Who is on the PGA Tour board of directors?

Jay Monahan is currently serving as the PGA Tour commissioner and will retain a large presence after the merger. Ed Herlihy is serving as the 2023 PGA Tour policy board chairman and the co-chair of the board of directors . Jimmy Dunne is acting as the vice chair and senior managing principal on this year's board of directors. Under the merger, however, the board of the new entity will look a little different.

According to the news release, PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan will serve as chairman. Al-Rumayyan will also join the PGA Tour's policy board and will be part of the board of directors' executive committee. Monahan will serve as the CEO of the board of directors.

Al-Rumayyan, Monahan, Herlihy and Dunne will all serve on the executive committee of the board.

9/11 families group slams PGA Tour over LIV Golf merger: 'Paid Saudi shills'

An organization representing families of 9/11 victims ripped the PGA Tour's decision Tuesday to merge with Saudi-funded LIV Golf , describing the PGA and its commissioner, Jay Monahan, as hypocrites who have become "paid Saudi shills."

In  a statement released Tuesday afternoon , 9/11 Families United said it was "shocked and deeply offended" by the news of the merger, which will see the PGA, LIV Golf and the DP World Tour all operating under a single business umbrella, funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The chair of 9/11 Families United, Terry Strada, said she and the other family members who make up the group felt "betrayed" by the PGA Tour and Monahan individually.

"Mr. Monahan talked last summer about knowing people who lost loved ones on 9/11, then wondered aloud on national television whether LIV Golfers ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour. They do now — as does he," said Strada, whose husband, Tom, died at the World Trade Center.

"PGA Tour leaders should be ashamed of their hypocrisy and greed. Our entire 9/11 community has been betrayed by Commissioner Monahan and the PGA as it appears their concern for our loved ones was merely window-dressing in their quest for money — it was never to honor the great game of golf." — Tom Schad

The White House is staying out of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf partnership

As news of the PGA Tour's merger with LIV Golf spread, the White House is opting not to weigh in , when reporters at a briefing asked about the agreement in light of Saudi Arabia's human rights record.

"I have no comment on that," White House spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday during a briefing. — Joey Garrison

As PGA Tour and LIV announce merger, the current standings and top players on each tour

LIV golfers Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson have been hard to miss near the top of major tournament leaderboards this year – especially with  Koepka collecting his fifth major at the PGA Championship .

But what about all the other players who left the PGA for the  Saudi-backed LIV Golf tou r in past months?

With the surprise announcement Tuesday morning of the merger of the two tours' business operations, here's a look at the top 52 players of each tour in 2023 . — Jim Sergent

Tune in for 'Full Swing' Season 2

A producer on the Netflix docuseries "Full Swing," which follows the lives of several men's pro golfers, said that the cameras were rolling when the news of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf agreement came through.

"You better believe we were filming when this broke," producer Chad Mumm wrote Tuesday in a tweet .

Season 2 drops in 2024.

PGA Tour golfers frustrated they didn't know about deal with LIV Golf beforehand

The golf world was stunned by the PGA Tour-LIV Golf deal, and apparently, so were the ones on the tours .

The  announcement Tuesday  morning was a shocker since the PGA Tour and its players have been critical of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, primarily because it is funded entirely by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth investment fund of the Saudi government, which has been accused of wide-ranging human rights abuses, including politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners.

When the announcement was made,  PGA Tour   golfers voiced their displeasure on Twitter  with how they found out about the deal, with many saying that they found out through social media. — Jordan Mendoza

Jack Nicklaus says PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger 'good for the game of golf'

Jack Nicklaus  is thankful the infighting is coming to a close.

Nicklaus, who said he was offered but turned down $100 million to be the CEO of the LIV Golf series and said LIV Golf "wasn't for me," reacted to the stunning news that the  PGA Tour and LIV Golf  will merge.

“The last three years have been difficult for the game and the players," said Nicklaus, who lives in North Palm Beach. "I spoke with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan this morning. He seemed pleased with the arrangement that will once again bring together the best players in the world. I agree that this is good for the game of golf."

This came just one week after Nicklaus spoke ahead of the Memorial Tournament about the LIV players who had decided to split off from the PGA Tour.

“I don’t even consider those guys part of the game anymore," he said then . "I don’t mean that in a nasty way. This is a PGA Tour event, and we have the best field we can possibly have for a PGA Tour event for those who are eligible to be here. The other guys made a choice of what they did and where they’ve gone and we don’t even talk about it." — Tom D'Angelo , Palm Beach Post

Augusta National, Royal and Ancient weigh in on merger

Fred Ridley, the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, which is the home of the Masters, said the club is "encouraged" by the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger, and said it "represents a positive development in bringing harmony to men’s professional golf."

Ridley added that August and the Masters are "devoted to developing the game and celebrating its many virtues."

Meanwhile, Martin Slumbers, the CEO of R&A, said the club was "pleased that an agreement has been reached which will help men’s professional golf move forward in a collaborative, constructive and innovative fashion. ...

"We care deeply about golf’s future and are committed to ensuring that the sport continues to thrive for many years to come," Slumbers continued. "This agreement represents a hugs step toward achieving that goal for golf and we look forward to working with the new entity for the benefit of the sport globally." — Casey Moore

OPINION: PGA Tour sold out to LIV Golf and the Saudis. Pro golf will never be the same.

Frauds, all of them. But frauds now united in the only thing that actually matters to the world of professional golf: Making money. 

In the end, it didn’t actually matter to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan that the money came from a country, Saudi Arabia, that treats human rights like an inconvenience. The tradition and history of the PGA Tour, in fact, didn’t matter all that much to those who argued that LIV Golf was an unworthy, unserious rival whose guaranteed money and 54-hole events were mocking competition.

And as for the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Greg Norman, they did not, in fact, care all that much about growing the game.  They wanted to own it.  Now they do: The PGA Tour, brought to you by Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

They sold out. Professional golf will never be the same. 

Read the rest of Dan Wolken's column here .

Jay Monahan, Yasir Al-Rumayyan discuss PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger on CNBC

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan sat down for a joint interview on CNBC on Tuesday morning to discuss the merger news that rocked the golf world.

Monahan called it a historic day.

"There’s been a lot of tension in our sport over the last couple of years," Monahan said, "but what we’re talking about today is coming together to unify the game of golf and to do so under one umbrella."

Conversations began in London over golf and lunch, said Al-Rumayyan, who noted that had the two tours met two or three years ago for those same discussions, the impact on the game would not have been as significant.

"Because it would be something small," he continued. "But the way we’re doing our partnership, it’s going to be really big, in many senses."

Al-Rumayyan said the PIF is committed to investing "whatever it takes" to ensure success, later noting that they wouldn’t be doing this if they didn’t think it would be profitable.

"If you look at the size of golf, monetary-wise, it’s about $100 billion today," said Al-Rumayyan. "And I think the growth, it’s there. I think working together we can have a faster growth rate than it was for the past 10 or 20 years." — Casey Moore

PGA Tour will retain oversight over tour

As part of the agreement, PGA Tour Inc. will remain in place as a 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organization, which means it will continue to have oversight over its tour. During an interview with CNBC, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan offered more insight into the breakdown and Public Investment Fund Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan confirmed that PIF is prepared to invest billions.

"The c6 still stays in place and out of the c6 we’ll continue to operate our tours," Monahan said. "We’ll put our player retirement plans and assets there. So that stays in place. One of the things that’s important to both of us is every single week we’re playing tournaments, we’re making a huge impact on the communities where we’re invited guests. That continues.

"At the c6 level — you take the assets of the PGA Tour, the PIF assets, and LIV and the Asian Tour and the DP World Tour, take all of those commercial assets and drop them down into that for-profit LLC … we’re going to go through an evaluation of all of the businesses and the PIF will invest … there will be additional investment and growth initiatives. That’s what’s really exciting here." — Casey Moore

What has former U.S. President Donald Trump said about LIV Golf?

During a pro-am event at his Trump National Golf Club May 25, Trump praised LIV Golf and defended his business relationship with the controversial Saudi-funded tour.

"They've been great for golf. The Saudis have been fantastic for golf,” Trump said then. “And they're going to make it a big part of, inside their country, they're going to do some great courses."

LIV Golf also has upcoming stops scheduled at Trump courses in Bedminster, New Jersey, and Miami, Florida, later this year.

After the news Tuesday, Trump celebrated the merger on his Truth Social platform, according to CNBC. “Great news from LIV Golf. A big, beautiful, and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf. Congrats to all!!!”

Is the PGA Tour a nonprofit?

While the merger announced the creation of "a new, collectively owned, for-profit entity," the PGA Tour is retaining its position as "a 501(c)(6) tax exempt organization."

The difference with the merger, however, is that — in the threat of continued disruption in men's professional golf — the PGA Tour reversed course and is aligning with the massive influx of Saudi capital.

In an interview on CBS in June 2022, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan ripped the LIV tour over links between the Saudi government and the terrorist attacks on 9/11. In the interview, Monahan spoke about players who joined LIV Golf needing to apologize to the families of those who lost loved ones on 9/11 and asked: "Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?"

What is LIV Golf?

The LIV Golf Invitational Series made its debut in June 2022 after the tour lured some notable players from the PGA Tour such as Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson. Others like Brooks Koepka, the winner of the most recent PGA Championship , Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith have since joined. The LIV tour presented a disruption in the dynamics of the sport.

The format of play of the tour also presented a shakeup to the PGA Tour.

Events were designed as 54-hole, three-round, no-cut competitions. LIV Golf incorporated shotgun starts to expedite play. Players were split into four-person teams. Purses were divided between individual placement and team placement, offering players more financial incentives to participate.

What has Phil Mickelson said about the PGA Tour merger with LIV Golf?

Though he has not made public comments yet, Mickelson, one of the most high-profile players on the LIV tour, posted a message on Twitter to celebrate the news of the merger.

"Awesome day today 😊," he wrote.

Why is LIV Golf so controversial?

The LIV tour drew criticism because it is funded entirely by the PIF, the sovereign wealth investment fund of the Saudi government.

Saudi Arabia has been accused of wide-ranging human rights abuses, including politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners. And members of the royal family and Saudi government were accused of involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist.

What has been Tiger Woods' stance on LIV Golf?

In May 2022, Tiger Woods  reaffirmed  his commitment to the PGA Tour.

"Phil has said some things that I think a lot of us who are committed to the Tour and committed to the legacy of the Tour have pushed back against, and he's taken some personal time, and we all understand that," Woods said ahead of the 2022 PGA Championship. "Some of his views on how the Tour could be run, should be run, been a lot of disagreement there. Obviously we're going to have difference of opinions, how he sees the Tour, and we'll go from there."

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman confirmed in August 2022 that the league offered Woods in the neighborhood of $700 million to $800 million to join the Saudi-backed tour.

What have other notable PGA Tour golfers said about LIV Golf?

A number of players who declined to join LIV Golf, such as Rory McIlroy , had been publicly outspoken in their criticism of the Saudi-backed tour.

“There’s no room in the golf world for LIV Golf,” McIlroy said in July 2022. “I don’t agree with what LIV is doing. If LIV went away tomorrow, I’d be super happy.” 

What is the timeline of how LIV Golf got started?

LIV Golf first teed off last June after rattling the golf world with the news that it would offer players larger purses backed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. The inaugural tournament was held in London and then the tour traveled to its first stateside event in Portland.

Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Sergio García were among the leading PGA Tour players to leave for LIV. The PGA suspended the players for participating in the new series.

LIV Golf was met with much criticism from Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and others for accepting support from a country with a history of human rights violations and for breaking tradition.

At the end of the first LIV Golf season, Johnson was crowned the champion, earning a prize of $18 million.

In January, LIV Golf signed a broadcast deal with CW Network to air 14 events of the 2023 season.

A month later, the PGA invited LIV golfers to participate in the Masters. Mickelson and Brooks Koepka tied for second place. — Victoria Hernandez

Commissioner provides Policy Board meeting update to players

Policy Board approves Independent Director, provides update on Definitive Agreement, player compensation plan

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Following a PGA TOUR Policy Board meeting Monday, Commissioner Jay Monahan sent a memo to players outlining several important updates regarding the state of the TOUR.

Commissioner Monahan called the Policy Board meeting “productive” and said he’s “pleased with the progress achieved and the direction provided.”

Gorder, the Executive Chairman of Valero Energy Corporation, will fill the fifth Independent Director seat. The Ad Hoc Independent Director Selection Committee – which included Patrick Cantlay, Webb Simpson, Mark Flaherty and Mary Meeker – vetted over 90 candidates before selecting Gorder.

Under Gorder’s leadership, Valero has steadfastly supported the PGA TOUR since 2002 as the title sponsor of the Valero Texas Open, with the partnership secure through 2028. Valero has generated more than $228 million in charitable giving in that time. Gorder replaces Randall Stephenson, who resigned in July.

“As our governance continues to evolve, it has been a positive step and a great experience to be part of the search committee for the new Independent Director,” Player Director Patrick Cantlay said in a release announcing Gorder’s selection. “Webb and I are confident that Joe Gorder’s career accomplishments, leadership credentials and longstanding support of the PGA TOUR make him the ideal candidate. Joe also stood out to us throughout the search with his understanding of the TOUR’s strengths, as well the challenges and opportunities ahead. We’re excited to welcome him to the Board.”

Officers and Directors for 2024 were also approved. Cantlay was reappointed as the fifth Player Director (2024-26). Ed Herlihy will continue as Policy Board Chairman, and Flaherty will serve a second four-year term (2024-27).

Commissioner Monahan also wrote in Tuesday’s memo that the PGA TOUR remains focused on negotiations toward a Definitive Agreement with the PIF and the DP World Tour after a Framework Agreement between the parties was reached June 6. Commissioner Monahan said the TOUR remains focused on the negotiations but characterized the progress as “deliberate,” citing the complex nature of the negotiations.

The Framework Agreement also generated what Commissioner Monahan described as “unsolicited, but unsurprising” interest from outside investors, and several of those proposals were reviewed Monday by the Independent Directors and Player Directors, with input from Allen & Co., the TOUR’s investment bank, and The Raine Group. The potential final minority investor or investors will be selected “in a timely manner,” Commissioner Monahan wrote.

Maintaining and growing comprehensive player earnings is one of several criteria the TOUR is using in evaluating investors’ proposals. TOUR management also has designed a potential program that would award players equity in the newly formed PGA TOUR Enterprises.

“This would be a unique offering in professional sports, as no other league grants its players/members direct equity ownership in the league’s business,” Commissioner Monahan wrote. “We recognize – as do all of the prospective minority investors who are in dialogue with us – that the PGA TOUR will be stronger with our players more closely aligned with the commercial success of the business.”

In that vein, the Board’s ad hoc committee focused on TOUR governance will move forward at “an accelerated pace.” The Commissioner pointed to Monday’s Board Meeting as another illustration of the vital role the players play in the TOUR’s continued success.

“(The Player Directors’) dedication to every aspect of a very complicated process,” Commissioner Monahan wrote, “will allow us to eventually deliver the most value back to you and drive this organization to new heights.”

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PGA Tour Players and Saudi Arabia PIF Boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan to Meet in the Bahamas, Tiger Woods Likely Attending

• Author: Bob Harig

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — As a player director and member of the PGA Tour Policy Board, Tiger Woods “absolutely needs to be involved” in a meeting scheduled for Monday with the head of the Private Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, Rory McIlroy said.

It appears that is going to be the case.

If not, Yasir Al-Ramayyan, the governor of the PIF, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, who is also the CEO of new PGA Tour Enterprises, and several other player directors are going to a lot of trouble to be in the Bahamas.

A source told Sports Illustrated that the meeting which board member Patrick Cantlay confirmed Sunday would be taking place is going to happen in Nassau, Bahamas. Or, more specifically, the Albany Resort where Woods often parks his yacht and hosts his annual fundraising golf tournament.

PGA Tour Policy Board member Tiger Woods appears to be meeting Monday with his fellow board members and Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

Jason Parkhurst/USA TODAY Sports

Golfweek reported on Friday that a meeting would take place soon between the backer of LIV Golf and that the six player directors on the PGA Tour board were “strongly encouraged” to attend.

McIlroy said Sunday that such a meeting should have taken place “months ago.”

Some members of the Strategic Sports Group, which recently committed some $1.5 billion to PGA Tour Enterprises in the form of private equity, are also expected to end.

Cantlay, who withdrew from this week’s Valspar Championship , described the meeting as more of a meet and greet. Webb Simpson has said previously that he felt it was time to meet the people behind LIV Golf and get an idea of what they are looking to do.

“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,” Cantlay said after his final round at the Players Championship. “I think more information is always better.”

Cantlay indicated he was in more of a listen mode. Simpson, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational recently, said he felt at this point it was “very dangerous” to not make a deal with the PIF.

“I think we’re in a position where we want to do the right deal,” he said. “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. And for the health of the PGA Tour long term. That’s my hope.”

Simpson added: “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.

“When you come to big tournaments like the Arnold Palmer Invitational, you want to know the guy who won beat most or all of the best players. Right now the PGA Tour still has more great players, but LIV has great players as well. I just think for the health of the game and longevity and for what fans are used to seeing ...”

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Masters brings together players divided by PGA Tour and LIV circuit

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Patience over power, dechambeau's green jacket plan.

Bryson DeChambeau's game plan to win a Masters was to bludgeon Augusta National into submission but on Thursday he went with patience and respect and came away with his career low round at the iconic course and the first-round clubhouse lead.

The Carolina Hurricanes look to keep the good times rolling when they visit the St. Louis Blues on Friday.

The Milwaukee Bucks had a rough stretch in the wake of their dominating win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 24.

The Denver Nuggets will look to move closer to securing the top seed in the West when they travel to San Antonio to battle the short-handed Spurs on Friday in the penultimate game of the regular season for both teams.

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Scottie scheffler only star shining in either pga tour or liv golf heading into masters.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — If you’re expecting star power prevailing in this week’s Masters, which begins Thursday at Augusta National, don’t look at the list of winners so far on the PGA Tour.

With all due respect to each of their accomplishments and talent, the list is a who’s-who of … well … who are these guys?

Among the tournament winners include Nick Dunlap, who was the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson did it in 1991.

Then there was Matthieu Pavon, the first Frenchman to win on the PGA Tour.

There, too, was rookie Jake Knapp winning in Mexico, and Austin Eckroat, another rookie, capturing his first victory, then Pete Malnati winning for the first time in nine years and German Stephan Jaeger winning for the first time.

The world’s top players, other than No. 1 ranked Scottie Scheffler and reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, have been absent from the top of leaderboards.

Rory McIlroy, ranked No. 2, hasn’t won a tournament leading into the Masters .

Jon Rahm, the defending Masters champion, won three times before his win at Augusta last year but has not won once this year, even after he joined LIV Golf .

Xander Schauffele, ranked No. 5; Patrick Cantlay, ranked No. 7; Viktor Hovland, ranked No. 6; Brian Harman, the reigning British Open champion who’s ranked No. 8?

None has a win this year.

Even Ludvig Aberg, who’s ranked No. 9 and is considered one of the best young talents out there, hasn’t won.

This Masters, in fact, is his first career major — even though he excelled on the European Ryder Cup team in the fall.

The rub here when it comes to the top players versus the lesser knowns is that the cream usually rises to the top at the Masters.

There are exceptions, but over the years the stars usually shine brightest at Augusta.

The best part of this week is the fact that all the world’s best players are together in the same tournament for the first time since the British Open in July.

With the division between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, with the PGA Tour banning LIV players who compete in its events, only the four major championships bring all of those players together on the same course in the same tournament.

“I believe everyone agrees there’s excitement in the air this week,” Masters chairman Fred Ridley said Wednesday. “The best players in the world are together once again.”

The question is how long that’ll even be the case in the majors since the world ranking system that’s in place doesn’t recognize LIV or award points to its members.

And the world rankings are the essential pathway for players to qualify for the majors.

The Masters, for instance, had 18 LIV players in the field last year and has just 13 this week.

Seven of those are past Masters champions and are invited into the tournament automatically.

Unless something changes with the deeply flawed ranking system, the only LIV players allowed in the Masters field will be past champions.

Just nine LIV players are assured of being back to Augusta National next year, depending on how they fare in the majors this year.

The top 50 in the world rankings at the end of the year and a week before the Masters get invitations to Augusta.

Ridley on Wednesday called Official World Golf Ranking a “legitimate determiner” of the best in golf, which is a questionable assessment at best.

Bryson DeChambeau, one of the LIV players in the field this week but not a former Masters champion, suggested this week that the major championships like the Masters invite a number of the top players from the Saudi tour into its field based on how they’re performing.

Ridley didn’t sound keen on that.

“If we felt that there were a player or players, whether they played on the LIV Tour or any other tour, who were deserving of an invitation to the Masters, we would exercise that discretion with regard to special invitations,” Ridley said.

One special invite was given to a LIV player who wasn’t already qualified via ranking or past-champion status — Joaquin Niemann.

Interestingly, when Ridley ran down the reasons why Niemann was invited, he cited a number of Niemann’s accomplishments — none of which were LIV related — despite the fact that the Chilean has won two LIV tournaments this year.

So, the continental divide remains. At least golf has this week.

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Joaquin Niemann and LIV Golf are facing an OWGR reckoning

After hitting into the water on his first shot, Bryson DeChambeau slam-dunks it from the same spot on his second attempt. (0:25)

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Inside one of the most crowded hallways at Augusta National Golf Club, there is a picture of a 19-year-old Joaquin Niemann -- his fist punching the air -- for all the patrons walking through the merchandise building to see.

Back in 2018, the young Chilean was the No. 1 amateur in the world and had just won the Latin American Amateur Championship to earn one of the most coveted gifts in the sport: an invitation to the Masters.

Fast-forward six years later: Niemann has now played in four Masters, won 12 tournaments as a professional and been ranked as high as 15th in the world. And yet, as the calendar turned to 2024, Niemann, who plays for the LIV Golf League, found himself in a similar position to the one he faced when he was still a teenager. He didn't have a spot in this year's Masters.

Because the Official World Golf Ranking still does not award points for LIV's 54-hole events, Niemann's ranking had been plummeting well outside the top-50 requirement that the Masters holds as nonexempt criteria for its tournament. Without any exemptions earned by winning or finishing high in other majors, Niemann had no choice. If he wanted to play at Augusta this year, he would have to try to qualify by playing events outside of LIV.

To see whether he could rise up the rankings, Niemann traveled to Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Australia, winning the Australian Open and finishing in fourth place at both the Australian PGA Championship and the Dubai Desert Classic. Niemann's work paid off -- he didn't land inside the top 50, but his efforts were recognized. In early March, he received a special invite to the Masters.

"It was super hard not being in the majors," Niemann told ESPN at LIV Miami last week. "But it's pretty special to see that the Masters saw what I was trying to accomplish."

Niemann's journey is unique but not singular. At 25 years old, he has his entire career still ahead of him. Most players who opted for LIV are veterans with plenty of majors experience and exemptions to the sport's most prestigious tournaments. Even defending champion Jon Rahm , who is 27, said this week that being able to play in all majors for the next five years as a result of winning the Masters solidified his decision to leave the PGA Tour.

But what nearly kept Niemann out of Augusta has affected others who were in the Masters just a year ago. LIV players such as Abraham Ancer , Talor Gooch , Harold Varner III , Mito Pereira and Jason Kokrak , among others, are nowhere near Magnolia Lane this year due to their decline in the world rankings.

"There's gotta be a fair way for everybody on whatever tour to play and compete," Rahm said this week. "There's got to be a way for some players to earn their way in."

Of the 13 LIV golfers in the field this year, seven are here on past champion lifetime exemptions. The rest got in through either a special invite (Niemann) or thanks to their performance at other majors or PGA Tour events before their departure. If the system remains as it is, that number will likely diminish.

"We believe that [OWGR] is a legitimate determiner of who the best players in the game are," Masters chairman Fred Ridley said Wednesday.

As the sport's future ecosystem remains unclear with no deal imminent between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, the chances for LIV's rank and file to find their way to a major are slim to none unless they attempt to go the Niemann route -- and even that isn't a guarantee.

For those who have qualified, the risk they took by going to LIV has now transformed into an added pressure to perform when they tee off at a major. More than ever, major performance is determining major attendance. And the clock is ticking.

WITH THE POST-ECLIPSE sun beginning to dim Monday afternoon and the sun-kissed Augusta crowd starting to thin out, Bryson DeChambeau was still out there, grinding over lag putts on the tricky ninth green.

Soon after wrapping up his practice for the day, DeChambeau stepped up to a microphone and answered six questions -- none of them about Augusta or the state of his game. Instead, they were all a continuation of a conversation DeChambeau has not shied away from of late.

"Everybody has their own prerogatives and wishes and wants," DeChambeau said. "And the only thing I wish is that we can all see eye to eye on some things and that we can come back to some level playing field where we can all have some fun together."

DeChambeau's comments Monday echoed his sentiment from the LIV event in Miami the weekend prior, where he originally called for the sport to be reunited "fast."

"It's not a two-year thing," DeChambeau said. "Like, it needs to happen quicker rather than later just for the good of the sport. Too many people are losing interest."

The irony, of course, is that DeChambeau -- as well as many of the players who left for LIV -- were actors in the sport's split. Nobody is exactly blameless in this ordeal, but DeChambeau is also incentivized, now more than ever, to call for unity. He might be one of only seven LIV players exempt for all four majors this year, but his time at Augusta is running out too -- in two years, coincidentally or not.

It's not just DeChambeau, and it's not just the Masters that hang in the balance for LIV players.

Dustin Johnson will be able to play in the PGA Championship only through 2025, barring him meeting a different set of criteria. The two-time major winner has a U.S. Open exemption as well as an Open Championship exemption, but only through 2026 and 2025, respectively.

Although Brooks Koepka can play the PGA for life after winning it three times, his current exemption at Augusta and in the U.S. Open run only through 2028, and it's 2027 for the Open Championship. Although Phil Mickelson can play in the PGA and Masters forever, his U.S. Open exemption runs out next year.

For players such as Sergio Garcia , the drop-off has been more immediate. The 2017 Masters winner can play in this year's Masters only and will have to try to get in through local qualifying for the U.S. Open and the Open. Garcia notably failed to do the latter last year. The same can be said for 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed , 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and 2-time champion Bubba Watson -- all of whom have no eligibility outside of Augusta.

Two-time major winner Martin Kaymer does not have any eligibility at Augusta. As the U.S. Open returns to Pinehurst this year -- the site of his 2014 victory -- it also marks when his 10-year U.S. Open champion exemption runs out.

And then there are the young players who bolted for LIV even before they had any success in OWGR-sanctioned events. Players such as 20-year-old Caleb Surratt and 24-year-old Eugenio Chacarra don't currently have any way to get into the majors unless they follow the path now laid out by Niemann. David Puig , 22, did that by traveling all the way to Malaysia, where he won the IRS Prima Malaysian Open to get himself into this year's Open Championship.

"They definitely said that we were going to get [OWGR points]," 32-year-old LIV player Carlos Ortiz said on the Subpar podcast recently of LIV's recruiting pitch. "I just feel that, people have to recognize that there are good players here, and if you want to have a ranking that includes all the golf players, you have to have some [LIV] people included in that ranking."

While that notion has been repeated often by several LIV players, there seems to be no desire by LIV to change its format to comply with the OWGR criteria. Ridley said Wednesday that the OWGR board made some suggestions to LIV "regarding pathways and access to players and concern about some of the aspects of team golf." But instead of budging, LIV CEO Greg Norman withdrew the tour's application for points in March.

Players have had no choice but to either accept their fate or find an alternative route.

WHEN THE SPECIAL invite arrived and the call came through asking whether Niemann would accept it, the Chilean had to resort to comedy.

"Let me think about it," Niemann recalled joking. The moment was not unprecedented, as the Masters has given out special invitations before, but it was certainly notable given Niemann's league affiliation.

Niemann felt vindicated. Unlike some of his fellow LIV competitors who opted to not play in local qualifying for the two open majors, he had put in the work.

In the process, Niemann didn't shy away from taking shots at the current OWGR structure, like when he was told he was one of the favorites for the upcoming majors after winning the LIV event in Jeddah.

"How is that possible if I'm like 100 in the world?" he asked with a grin.

While there is a disconnect between what the world rankings indicate and certain players' performances (for example, Koepka is ranked outside the top 30), the reality of the sport's impasse is that players have nothing but their words to use when criticizing the current system -- even if they don't exactly have a solution or a clear stance on whether they would want to be reinstated onto the PGA Tour.

"Do I want to play a full schedule? You know what, I don't know," DeChambeau said. "We'll see how things shake out. I don't know what the future is going to look like, and I'm not here to decide that."

This week, several players have been asked a similar question: What happens if a LIV player wins the Masters? What will change?

The answer has been a resounding shrug.

"I think the negotiations are going on with or without a [LIV] win," DeChambeau said. "From a negotiation standpoint, I don't think it'll change much, to be honest with you."

"I don't think it would really affect it," Niemann said. "I think there [are] already too many good players on every tour. I believe that if it -- I don't think [a] LIV player has to win the Masters to change things. I think things are changing already, and they are going to come up with a solution, with an agreement or whatever they are trying to do, for the best."

A deal between the PGA Tour and PIF would be only the beginning. Plenty of questions would remain about how exactly to reincorporate LIV players back into the world rankings and provide them eligibility for ongoing majors.

"There's a lot of people a lot smarter than me that could figure this out in a much more efficient way," Rahm said. "They'll need to figure out a way to evaluate how the LIV players are doing and how they can earn their way. That's the best way I can say it. I just don't really know what that looks like."

For now, players have to literally and figuratively hit and hope. As Ridley said in his news conference Wednesday, if the tournament ever felt a player outside Augusta National's outlined qualifications deserved to be in the field, it would simply invite the player. Just as it did with Niemann.

"Historically, and as stated in our qualification criteria, we consider international players for special invitations," Ridley said. "But we do look at those every year, and I will say that if we felt that there were a player or players -- whether they played on the LIV Tour or any other tour -- who were deserving of an invitation to the Masters, that we would exercise that discretion with regard to special invitations."

For players whose decisions have put them in no man's land, they can hold on to two things: their game and their belief that they can stay in majors with the one thing they can control -- their performance. Niemann, for his part, feels ready for his close-up.

"I think my game is the best I've ever seen it," Niemann said. "That's why I was super into getting into the majors because I knew, I can win at the Masters."

As golf comes together for the Masters, a chasm still divides the sport

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Golf’s biggest buzzword on the eve of its biggest tournament has nothing to do with technique or equipment or any of the superstars converging this week on Augusta National . The topic du jour is sustainability — or, rather, the perceived unsustainability of the current landscape, which has the world’s best pros competing on separate tours, their much-anticipated alliance still up in the air , and a sport enjoying surging participation but fearing a decline in fan interest.

“Things need a correction,” Rory McIlroy, one of the faces of the PGA Tour, said last week in Texas, “and things are unsustainable.”

“And it needs to happen fast,” Bryson DeChambeau, the LIV Golf star, said in Florida. “It’s not a two-year thing. It needs to happen quicker rather than later just for the good of the sport. Too many people are losing interest.”

While there’s more money than ever flowing through the sport, the dueling pro circuits are fighting for relevance. They’re tweaking and overhauling their business models in hopes of unlocking a return on investment, trying to funnel unprecedented sums of money to their players while still building profitable businesses. Meanwhile, a growing chorus is calling for some form of reconciliation.

This week, 13 LIV players will compete at the Masters with their PGA Tour counterparts, distinguishable only by the LIV team gear they’ll be sporting on golf’s most hallowed grounds — Sergio García, the Fireball; Bubba Watson, the RangeGoat. And for four days, fans will be reminded both of what today’s game isn’t — a unified tour where the best players consistently play against one another — and what they hope it might again become.

The sustainability discussion is two-pronged: Can the sport remain relevant and engaging to fans in its fractured state? And is the sport economically viable enough to support the current pace of spending?

“I just think with the fighting and everything that’s went on over the past couple years, people are just getting really fatigued of it, and it’s turning people off men’s professional golf,” McIlroy told reporters last week. “And that’s not a good thing for anyone.”

More than 10 months have passed since the PGA Tour announced plans to partner with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund , which owns LIV Golf. The sides blew past a Dec. 31 deadline and continue to work through details, but no deal is imminent.

LIV Golf continues to pour money into personnel on and off the course, even as its product has yet to reach a critical mass, particularly in the United States. And the PGA Tour responded to LIV’s flurry of activity by going on its own spending spree — with new expenses seemingly outpacing new revenue streams.

Because the game’s top players haven’t competed against one another in an individual event since last year’s British Open, fans have endured lackluster tournament fields and forgettable Sunday finishes. While LIV’s linear TV ratings aren’t publicized, LIV officials say their numbers on the CW Network are up 40 percent from last year and they’re pleased with early streaming viewership. The PGA Tour’s TV figures, which includes a much larger audience domestically, are down more than 15 percent.

“Ratings fluctuate from year to year,” said Sean McManus, head of CBS Sports. “As we all know, to a large extent, it depends on who is on the leader board and how close the tournament is. … But the advertisers seem happy, the sponsors seem happy, so it’s a little early to predict where there is a trend out there on the ratings.”

Neither circuit has seen its biggest stars shine on a weekly basis — last weekend’s winners were 22-year-old Akshay Bhatia on the PGA Tour and South African Dean Burmester for LIV — and the headlines focus on the off-course intrigue and the sport’s uncertain future.

“We talk so much about how important it is for players to be in the right place mentally, and I just think there’s an epidemic of distraction on the PGA Tour, whether it’s greed or trying to solve problems that are almost unsolvable, however you want to put it,” said Brandel Chamblee, a Golf Channel analyst. “I just think they’re hugely distracted.”

After shifting its business away from the nonprofit model, the tour now has to pay taxes, reward players who want more money and answer to investors who seek a return — in addition to TV executives and advertisers who expect a product that will reliably attract a huge audience.

PGA Tour officials have put together a plan that is not wholly dependent on the PIF following through on its early investment plans. The tour took on a $1.5 billion investment from a collection of U.S. sports owners known as Strategic Sports Group ; the amount could double. That money helped the tour launch PGA Tour Enterprises, which will oversee all of its commercial ventures.

“Prior to creating the structure of PGA Tour Enterprises and taking on outside investment, we’ve always had in our previous structure this natural conflict between an organizational objective to maximize player earnings with growth investment,” said Jay Madara, the tour’s chief financial officer. “I liken it to meeting payroll this month [or] this quarter and not having anything left over for investment, if you will. … If there were things that made sense strategically that created long-term returns, there wasn’t patient capital for that.”

According to its most recent tax filings, the tour saw $1.9 billion in revenue in 2022, compared with $1.87 billion in expenses — and both figures have steadily risen over the years. The tour has high-dollar commitments — $4 billion due from sponsors through 2035 and $5 billion in media rights through 2030 — but also has taken on new expenses.

With an ambitious plan to offer golfers an equity stake in the tour and with tournament purses that have more than doubled over the past decade, tour officials have been trying to create new revenue streams and expand existing ones. While its broadcast rights deals run through 2030, the organization plans to open its own 70,000-square-foot production studio next year, which will enable the tour to create and distribute more of its own content.

The tour is also looking to generate more revenue from its weekly tournaments and has overhauled its event funding formula. The tour relies on local organizations to run most of its tournaments but makes money by staging six events on its own — and could take on more. The tour recently acquired a golf cart company and a logistics outfit, which will make it easier and more cost-effective to host tournaments.

One of its most audacious efforts to balance the books: The tour informed event organizers this week that they’ll soon be on the hook for a hosting fee — $250,000 for full-field events and $500,000 for the signature events next year, and twice those amounts beginning in 2026. The tour also expects organizers to kick back a percentage of hospitality sales — 1 percent next year and increasing to 2.5 percent in 2027.

Tour events traditionally have involved a philanthropic component, and while the new initiative has created fears that these fees will eat into charitable donations, tour officials said they’re confident that contributions will not suffer.

“It is something that is important to our tradition, honor and legacy. It’s something we have to balance as we move forward, as well, in terms of our new structure,” Madara said.

LIV, thanks to its deep-pocketed Saudi benefactors, does not appear to face the same economic pressures, with officials saying they’re financially ahead of schedule.

“The critical piece for us is the creation of new value through all of this,” said Jed Moore, a senior LIV consultant. “People have misunderstood the investment into players. They’ve misunderstood the investment in the Asian Tour. They’ve misunderstood why golf needed to find a way to create that new value. Sustainable economics in sports — it’s become front and center because it’s now an asset class.”

LIV officials view their product similar to Formula One — fewer events, with top-tier athletes globe-trotting between major cities. And one key cornerstone: a team-based format that LIV hopes will inspire fan loyalty and drive value.

While LIV owns a 75 percent stake in each of its 13 teams, they function as independent entities and create revenue as each sees fit. Moore said some are already profitable. None is close to reaching maturity as an asset, he said, but someday they could take on investors or be sold outright.

“Can you imagine what the Golden Bears would have been worth if Jack [Nicklaus] played in a form of LIV in his heyday? Arnie’s Army, the Big Easys, the Great White Sharks?” he said. “Imagine those teams.”

While the LIV product has been slow to catch on with golf fans in the United States, officials have been pleased with the interest they’ve seen in places such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.

LIV’s season debut in Mexico marked its highest TV numbers to date — 432,000 watched on the CW for the final round, and more than 3.5 million streamed some portion of the three-day event on YouTube or LIV’s app. While not as lucrative to advertisers, the direct-to-consumer streaming options are a valuable metric to LIV officials, who say they’re targeting a younger audience. (The final round of last year’s Masters, won by Jon Rahm, averaged more than 12 million viewers.)

And while many thought LIV’s days were numbered when the PIF agreed to partner with the PGA Tour last June, LIV has only kept building. Signing Rahm before this season was a major coup, and this week LIV is hiring four senior-level executives and working on its 2025 schedule.

Even LIV’s biggest detractors (see: McIlroy, Rory) have come to reluctantly accept its place in the golf ecosystem. LIV launched in 2022 with no corporate signage at its events, but this year it has already announced more than 20 global partnerships, including with Panini and Google Cloud. Its teams have separately inked deals with more than a dozen corporate sponsors.

LIV officials say the plan was never to replace the PGA Tour, just as Formula One isn’t trying to replace U.S.-based auto racing circuits. They think the tours can coexist — different leagues coming together for a major championship, akin to the Super Bowl or World Series.

Left unsaid: While LIV tries to expand and the PGA Tour adopts a new business plan, what becomes of a weary fan base? The sport’s participation numbers have never been higher — some 45 million Americans swung a club last year, according to the National Golf Foundation — and while professional players have never been richer, the fans have been left wanting more.

“Right now, we are in the disruption phase,” Phil Mickelson, among the first to bolt for LIV, said last week, “so we are in the middle of the process. And when it’s all said and done, it’s going to be a lot brighter. But while we go through it, it’s challenging. But we’ll get there.”

The Masters 2024

Professional golf makes its annual visit to Augusta National Golf Club at the 2024 Masters, beginning Thursday and ending Sunday. See the latest Masters updates, scores and schedule .

Tee times: First- and second-round pairings and tee times have been announced. See the full schedule .

Who’s playing: The Masters field has 89 players, including five-time winner Tiger Woods , defending champion Jon Rahm and 2022 winner Scottie Scheffler . Five amateur golfers are also in the field .

LIV and PGA: Thirteen LIV players will compete at the Masters with their PGA Tour counterparts, distinguishable only by the LIV team gear they’ll be sporting. More than 10 months have passed since the PGA Tour announced plans to partner with LIV Golf’s Saudi backers, but no deal is imminent.

Betting: From historical performance to odds, here’s a breakdown of nine players who could win the Masters .

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