PGA, Saudis Met Again To Discuss Merger, In Sign Of Progress

The PGA Tour announced its intention to merge with the Saudi-backed Public Investment Fund in 2023, but in the year since, there's been little progress.

But discussions continued, and multiple reports confirmed that the two sides met again in New York on Friday afternoon to discuss future arrangements. PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan were all in attendance in person. Rory McIlroy also joined remotely after playing his second round at The Memorial Tournament in Ohio.

McIlroy has previously said he believes 2026 would be a reasonable estimate for the merger to come together. 

READ: Rory McIlroy Sees 2026 As A Positive Timeline For PGA Tour - Saudi PIF Merger To Finally Take Place

Though attendees reported progress towards an agreement at yesterday's meeting. The tour itself reported that talks "continue to accelerate," and said that both sides have "been meeting multiple times weekly to work through potential deal terms and come to a shared vision on the future of professional golf."

McIlroy spoke on Thursday, saying that the meeting would be focused on making "big-boy" business arrangements.

"There’s going to be people in that room on the PGA Tour side who are going to take the lead," McIlroy said Thursday. "And it’s not going to be Adam, Tiger or I. It’s going to be the business guys. We’re there to maybe give a perspective from a player’s point of view. This is a negotiation about an investment in the PGA Tour Enterprises, this is big-boy stuff. And I’ll certainly be doing more listening than I will be doing talking."

Rory McIlroy plays a shot on the 10th hole during the final round of 2022 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Golf Can Gain Momentum If PGA Tour, PIF Come Together

The PGA Tour's transaction committee issued a statement on the negotiations, saying it wants to "get this right."

"We remain committed to these negotiations, which require working through complex considerations to best position golf for global growth. We want to get this right, and we are approaching discussions with careful consideration for our players, our fans, our partners and the game’s future."

And they should. Golf might be more popular now than it's ever been. There are interesting personalities, a dominant top player in Scottie Scheffler, and interest in the major tournaments has risen substantially. If the two sides can find a way to come together and bring top players like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka back with McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Max Homa, ratings and general fan interest are sure to rise even further.

The breakup of the sport killed much of golf's momentum; hopefully this sign of progress builds towards a deal with more urgency.