The bid to end the PGA Tour’s bitter war of attrition with dispute with LIV Golf have been boosted with a key update.
New Yorks Mets owner and PGA Tour investor Steve Cohen provided some welcome news. Cohen revealed progress is being made in the dispute that has raged since LIV’s formation in the summer of 2022. The Mets owner said: “It’s a lot of moving parts and I think we’ll get there.”
The split has led to some of the best players in the world competing apart for over two years, with their only chance to face off coming four times a season at the major championships. Cohen however believes bringing the best in the world back together is a key priority, revealed The Mirror.
“The goal is to reunite all the players – it’s fragmented right now,” he added. “Getting [players from both tours] to play in one tournament, one venue, whatever it is, is exciting.” Cohen has become heavily involved in the off-course politics after investing in the Tour’s new for-profit entity, PGA Tour Enterprises earlier this year.
In January – with talks still ongoing with the Saudi fund – a consortium including Fenway Sports Group and Cohen – named Strategic Sports Group (SSG) struck a deal with the PGA Tour, that will see them invest a whopping £2.4 billion ($3 billion) into golf’s leading circuit.
Commissioner Jay Monahan is now also hoping investment can be brought in from PIF, with talks ongoing. In November, The Sun reported that a deal between the two had finally been arranged, said to be worth in the region of £1 billion. No concrete deal is yet to materialise though, with Rory McIlroy – who is involved in the talks – playing down such an agreement.
“It’s the first that I’ve heard of it,” McIlroy said of the report. “I know Jay [Monahan] was in Saudi Arabia last week at the FII and was having some meetings. I think I would’ve heard if there was. He’s briefing the transaction committee tonight, so maybe some news comes out of that. But as far as I’m aware, I haven’t heard a thing.”