What could Donald Trump untie in the first weeks of his second term? The political and legal knots in the arduous negotiations between the PGA and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), which has been trying to invest in the American circuit for more than a year. At least that’s what star golfer Rory McIlroy, who is participating in these negotiations, believes.
On the day of the US election, McIlroy dove into the subject in a live press briefing from the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, during the penultimate tournament of the DP World Tour (European Tour) season. ).
«[Son élection] would be an important moment in the war raging in the world of men’s professional Golf, said the Northern Irishman. It could facilitate access to an agreement for peace.”
On this path strewn with pitfalls since the announcement to unify the PGA Tour and LIV Golf in June 2023, is the American Department of Justice (DOJ), which is investigating this Saudi financing of more than $1B in American sports.
The DOJ…and the players
Moreover, last September, McIlroy pointed out this investigation as slowing down the process despite the numerous meetings between the two clans.
But he also pointed out his peers on the PGA Tour and also those at LIV who were resistant to an agreement due to “various interests”.
“It’s not just the Department of Justice. I would say that there are about half of the LIV and PGA players who want an agreement to be concluded, he mentioned. As in everything, everyone seeks to serve their own interests. A successful agreement would bring benefits for some, while for others, a failure would help them.
Last weekend, the British tabloid The Sun had published an article announcing an agreement between the two circuits. Tiger Woods and McIlroy were then identified as the two golfers leading to the deal being announced. It has since been deleted.
“I am not aware of any such agreement,” McIlroy said, before setting off for the Middle East.
It is important to remember that he is, among the handful of golfers sitting at the negotiating table, as one of the representatives of the PGA Players Committee.
Seen on several occasions for months with influential people seated around this table, the 35-year-old golfer nevertheless says he is hopeful that the two belligerents in professional golf will be able to reach an agreement in the coming months.
The arrival of Trump in the Oval Office, a fan of the little white ball and allied to the LIV circuit by hosting tournaments at its courses, could “influence the priorities of the Department of Justice and help bring negotiations over arrived to make a deal, McIlroy said.
“With an external look at this issue, it is perhaps less complicated than it actually is,” he added. Trump has a good relationship with Saudi Arabia and the golf world. He loves this sport. So maybe he could help with a deal. Who knows?”
