President Donald Trump hosted key golf executives including PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan, PGA Player Director Adam Scott, and LIV Golf Chief Yasir Al-Rumayyan at the White House as talks over the “reunification” of golf continued.
A statement by Monahan, Scott, and 15-time major winner Tiger Woods who was also present, was released following the meeting claiming that “constructive” talks took place between all parties.
“We have just concluded a constructive working session at the White House with President Trump and his excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan,” the statement read.
“Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, we have initiated a discussion about the reunification of golf. We are committed to moving as quickly as possible and will share additional details as appropriate.
“We share a passion for the game and the importance of reunification. Most importantly, we all want the best players in the world playing together more often and are committed to doing all we can to deliver that outcome for our fans.”
In June 2023, the PGA TOUR and PIF announced a framework agreement over a potential merger that rocked the world of golf but there has yet to be a conclusion in talks since the initial announcement.
The meeting took place prior to a Black History Month event where Woods was present wearing the Presidential Medal of Freedom he was awarded with by Trump in 2019 during the President’s first term in office. Monahan and Scott were also present at the event.
“I’ve always tried to swing just like Adam. It never worked out that way,” Trump said in which he also added that he had “some interesting discussions” with the players.
Trump had already sat down with Monahan and Scott this year with the PGA TOUR executives claiming the President had “brought us closer to a final deal”.
Earlier this month, Rory McIlroy stated that he believed Trump was “on the PGA TOUR’s side” during negotiations while prior to last week’s Genesis Invitational, Woods stated that he expects the men’s game to “heal quickly” thanks to the involvement of Trump in the negotiations.