'I Don't Know What It Means for PIF': LIV Golfers React to PGA Tour's Deal With Strategic Sports Group
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – The last few days have been bit of a blur for Tyrrell Hatton, whose LIV Golf League deal wasn’t completed until Monday, leading to his late Tuesday night arrival in Mexico … and the first meeting with two of his teammates on a team captained by Jon Rahm.
But amid all of that, Hatton had time to speak with Rory McIlroy, whose stance on LIV Golf has evolved to the point that he is now advocating for a quick resolution of the split in the game as well as welcoming LIV players back to the PGA Tour without penalty.
That is quite different from McIrloy’s stance last summer, following the announced agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
“I’ve spoken to Rory a bit in the past week and back in December,’’ Hatton said Wednesday at the Mayakoba Resort, where the LIV Golf League begins its 2024 season on Friday. “That's kind of along the lines of what he said to me. It's not a surprise to hear him say that in the media.
“Ultimately, I would like to still be able to play events on the other two tours. But we'll see how all that works out.’’
How it all works out remains unclear after the PGA Tour’s announcement that it had reached a deal with Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of professional sports owners and businessmen who are putting up $3 billion as part of a new for-profit enterprise known as PGA Tour Enterprises.
The new company was part of the original framework agreement announcement in June and the PIF was supposed to be its biggest investor. But the Tour has been talking to outside private equity firms for months and, while the deal with SSG is not a surprise, it still leaves some lingering doubt as to where the PIF fits in – and thus LIV Golf and its players.
In the Tour’s announcement to its players it said, “The transaction announced today allows for a co-investment from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in the future, subject to all regulatory approval.’’
LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau remains hopeful that LIV and the PGA Tour can soon come together.
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And that makes the timing of a deal unclear. Bryson DeChambeau, who last week spoke confidently that the two sides would come together soon, was more reserved in his comments Wednesday.
“I don't know exactly how it's all going to shake out, when it's all said and done. I don't know what it really means for the PIF's position in it,’’ DeChambeau said. “What I can say is that any investment into the game of golf is gigantic, especially on their side.
“You're just going to see both entities continue to grow, and I hope at some point we'll come back together. It needs to happen. I hope people can just put down their weapons and come to the table and figure it out because that's what's good for the game of golf and for fans in general. But like I said, any additional capital going into the game of golf is always positive. I've always said that.
“It may not be exactly what we all think it should be, but as time goes on, I think things will settle down in a positive way for both.’’
McIlroy said Tuesday at Pebble Beach that “the sooner we have a path forward, the better.’’
He seemed frustrated at the lack of pace on the deal announced with SSG and has again said that players such as Rahm and Hatton should have a path back to the Ryder Cup.
“I had a long talk with Tyrrell on Sunday, completely understood where he was coming from,’’ McIlroy said. “I've talked to him quite a bit about it over the past month. It got to the point where he was comfortable with what he feels is right for him. So I'm not going to stand in anyone's way from making money and if what they deem life-changing money, like absolutely.
“I think (the conversations are) different than a year ago because we're potentially about to do a deal with PIF, who own the large majority of LIV, and hopefully seeing things come back together here at some point.’’
Rahm, as was the case when he joined LIV in early December, said he’s given little thought to a potential alliance. He’s been focused on putting his Legion XIII team together and said those discussion are for folks trained in making those decisions.
But he appreciated McIlroy’s comments on the Ryder Cup.
“He might have had a change in thought process, as in maybe with some of the things he said in the past,’’ Rahm said. “I think he might be seeing that the landscape of golf is changing and at some point you need to evolve. So I think he might be seeing that, and everybody is entitled to their opinion, but it's nice to have the support from a player the caliber of Rory, especially those Ryder Cup remarks he made early on. I think that's an important statement for change to be said.’’
