Saudi PIF boss to soon meet privately with PGA Tour players: Report  

Jordan Spieth confirmed a report that claims the PGA Tour’s coverage board is being inspired to meet with the pinnacle of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, however Spieth wouldn’t say when that assembly can be. 

The story, nonetheless, written by Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch (which you’ll be able to read in full here) stories that the assembly might occur as soon as Monday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, town the place this week’s Players Championship is being performed. The story stated the assembly would come with Saudi PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and the coverage board’s six participant administrators — Spieth, Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson and Peter Malnati — although when Spieth was requested on Friday after his Players Championship second spherical to affirm the report, the query simply famous him and “other policy board members.” 

“We are being encouraged to potentially meet with him at some point, yeah,” Spieth stated, referring to Al-Rumayyan.

The potential assembly can be the newest step in a now-ninth-month negotiation on a funding deal between the Tour and the PIF. When it was revealed final June 6, it had shocked gamers and observers due to each its as-to-then secrecy and the truth that the PIF was additionally the backer of LIV Golf, which has competed with the Tour for gamers and status since its first occasion, in June of 2022. 

The Tour has stated it has continued talks, although in January, it additionally struck a billion-plus-dollar deal with the Strategic Sports Group, a group of sports-teams homeowners. Notably, Tour commissioner Jay Monahan stated Wednesday, in his annual pre-Players Championship press convention, that he and members of the Sports Group traveled in January to Saudi Arabia to meet with Al-Rumayyan and the PIF.

Monahan, additionally at his press convention, stated he believed negotiations between the Tour and the PIF have been “accelerating,” although he was principally mum to reporters’ questions on particulars. He did be aware that the SSG deal bolstered the possibilities of “a successful conclusion” with PIF, whereas additionally saying that balancing the pursuits of the Tour’s gamers was “complicated.”

“I recognize that this is frustrating for all of you,” Monahan stated, “however it’s really not in the most effective curiosity of the PGA Tour and our membership and for PIF and for me to be speaking about the place we’re with particular parts of our discussions.

“I, again, I would just stress the fact that we’re engaged, we’re making progress, but I’m really not at liberty to share any of the details on that front.”   

The indisputable fact that talks proceed, although, has raised curiosity — and Monahan was twice requested on Wednesday what would occur if no deal was struck with the PIF. Early final month, Spieth had stated a deal with PIF was not wanted following the SSG settlement. 

“So, I’m always aware of — you always have to be open to not doing something while you’re trying to do something,” Monahan stated. “In this case it’s making an attempt to negotiate a deal. And so if we don’t negotiate a deal, then I feel in the end we’re again in the identical posture that we’re in, and we haven’t unified our recreation and brought benefit of this distinctive cut-off date.

“But I don’t have anything further to add about what happens if we don’t. I’m focused on trying to see if we can.”

Now, Tour gamers will apparently soon meet with Al-Rumayyan, although Spieth wouldn’t immediately reply a query asking whether or not the gathering can be in “the near future.”

“I’m not sure that I can say much more other than we’re being encouraged to potentially meet with him,” Spieth stated Friday, “however on the identical time, we in all probability really feel like our membership ought to know timing and what might occur and simply generally possibly it’s simply to meet — I feel there’s not a complete lot extra I can say about that. 

“But we are being encouraged obviously, which I think is probably a good thing that the entire board should if there’s going to be any potential for a negotiation.” 

Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his position, he’s liable for enhancing, writing and growing tales throughout the golf house. And when he’s not writing about methods to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native might be taking part in the sport, hitting the ball left, proper and quick, and ingesting a chilly beer to wash away his rating. You can attain out to him about any of those subjects — his tales, his recreation or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.