PGA Tour Thanks President Trump With Statement After Meeting Moves Drawn-Out Deal With Saudi PIF 'Closer'

Twenty months have passed since PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan sat next to Saudi Public Investment (PIF) on national television announcing a framework agreement between the two sides. Since that day in June 2023, very little has happened, at least publicly, outside debates and discussions about antitrust law and the occasional ‘update’ from the Tour explaining representatives from both sides have had meetings.

On Thursday, the Tour issued another statement about a meeting, but this one was different given that President Donald Trump was in attendance.

In the statement endorsed by Player Directors Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, as well as commissioner Monahan, the Tour explained that they had asked the President to get involved, and they're thankful he took them up on the invitation.

"We know golf fans are eagerly anticipating a resolution to negotiations with the Public Investment Fund and want to thank President Trump for his interest and long-time support of the game of golf," the statement read.

"We asked the President to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved. We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men’s professional golf."

In November 2024, days before he ultimately won the Presidential Election, Trump claimed that he could get a deal done between the Tour and the Saudi PIF, the sole funder of LIV Golf to which the President is closely tied to, in "the better part of 15 minutes." 

The Department of Justice and various people on Capitol Hill have been the tallest hurdles when it comes to the PGA Tour coming to terms with the Saudis. President Trump has already shaken things up in D.C. in less than three weeks since winning the election, and he'll continue to do so, and it appears bringing men's professional golf closer together is at least on the docker. 

President Trump has a strong relationship with Saudi leadership and LIV Golf representatives as the circuit has hosted five tournaments on golf courses with his name on them.

Rory McIlroy, the most influential golfer on the planet not named Tiger Woods, reacted to Trump's Presidential election win by explaining that it could be a positive in terms of re-unifying the game.

"Given today’s news with what’s happened in America, I think that clears the way a little bit," McIlroy said in November. "So, we’ll see. He’s got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him," McIlroy continued. "We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too. Yeah, I think from the outside looking in, it’s probably a little less complicated than it actually is."

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Where Things Stand Between The PGA Tour And Saudi PIF

In January 2024, the PGA Tour finalized a deal with Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of American billionaires, worth a reported $3 billion, at least, to form a new for-profit entity called PGA Tour Enterprises.

The for-profit entity will provide nearly 200 PGA Tour players with the opportunity to become equity holders in this new company.

The announcement of PGA Tour Enterprises, especially the deal with Strategic Sports Group, was a bit of a surprise given the Tour was already in active discussions with the Saudi PIF, which isn't short on money with assets estimated to be $930 billion.

With equity being a part of this equation, it appears that a potential merger between the Tour and Saudi PIF would involve the Saudis buying a share of the equity in PGA Tour Enterprises from the Strategic Sports Group. 

Again, the DOJ and antitrust laws have been the challenges that neither side seems to have been eager to attack over the last 20 months, but with Trump back in office it appears that the fight may be ready to get underway. Now we wait and see if it's a legitimate fight, or Trump makes it a quick knockout that maybe lasts two rounds.