Monahan says bringing LIV players back into the fold is a top priority for golf

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said his meeting with President Donald Trump moved the tour “one step closer” to a deal with the Saudi-backers of rival LIV Golf. He said Wednesday reunification is the top priority.

Monahan and former Masters champion Adam Scott, who serves on the PGA Tour board, met with Trump last Tuesday at the White House at the tour’s request. The tour has been negotiating with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia becoming a minority investor.

But the ultimate goal is reuniting the best players in the world, several of whom took Saudi riches to join the breakaway league over the last few years.

“The only thing that matters to fans and the game is reunification,” Monahan said.

Rory McIlroy, once the most outspoken critic of LIV among the players, was on board with patching together a golf landscape that was been torn apart. He said players who turned down big money to stay loyal to the tour should welcome a reunified sport.

“I think everyone has just got to get over it and we all have to say, ‘OK, this is the starting point and we move forward.’ We don’t look behind us, we don’t look to the past,” McIlroy said. “Whatever has happened has happened, and it’s been unfortunate. But reunification, how we all come back together and move forward, that’s the best thing for everyone.

“If people are butt-hurt, or have their feelings hurt because guys went or whatever, like who cares? Let’s move forward together and let’s just try to get this thing going again and do what’s best for the game.”

McIlroy said LIV, while disruptive when PIF provided close to $2 billion to launch the league, ultimately has benefited everyone. He cited the Genesis Invitational this week at Torrey Pines as an example. The purse is $20 million, with $4 million going to the winner.

It’s one of eight such signature events on the PGA Tour schedule. The FedEx Cup champion now gets a $25 million bonus.

“That would have never happened if LIV hadn’t have come around,” McIlroy said.

Trump was behind LIV when it began, chiding PGA Tour players who stayed loyal that they would regret their decision. His courses have hosted LIV events.

Monahan played golf with Trump 10 days after he was elected. Tiger Woods, who had to miss the White House meeting when his mother died, played golf with the president on Sunday. McIlroy said he played golf with Trump about a month ago.

“I thought we had a good discussion,” McIlroy said. “I learned that he’s not a fan of the LIV format. I was like, ‘But you’ve hosted their events.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, but it doesn’t mean that I like it.’ So I think he’s on the tour’s side.”

Monahan said he believes he and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of PIF, “see things the same way.” Still to be determined is when a deal gets finalized — the original framework agreement between the PGA Tour, European tour and PIF was announced June 6, 2023 — and the process of this much-sought reunification.

“I don’t think you’re ever close until you’re finalized,” Monahan said. “Everything is moving forward with pace. … There’s a general enthusiasm for getting this done.”

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At the moment, U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm only compete with the likes of McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele at the four majors.

McIlroy, who left the tour board in November 2023 and now serves on a transaction subcommittee involved in negotiations, was hopeful to see some movement as early as next year. He said getting everyone back together also was a goal of Strategic Sports Group, the investors who already poured $1.5 billion into the commercial PGA Tour Enterprises.

“I absolutely think in ’26 you could get to a point where we play together more often,” McIlroy said, adding that the European tour should be a bigger partner in running a global schedule. “I think there’s an opportunity here where in ’26 — I don’t think it will get all the way there — but I think you’ll start to hopefully see a move towards where it could go.”

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf