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PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan told a scrum of reporters Wednesday that his goal is to get both PGA Tour and LIV Golf players competing on one unified circuit.
The commissioner, at Torrey Pines ahead of this week’s relocated Genesis Invitational, spoke days after the tour announced that Monahan (along with player representative Adam Scott) met with President Donald Trump regarding negotiations between the tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Monahan told the media his meeting with Trump was a “productive visit” while asserting the goal is “the game of golf operating under one tour with all the top players playing on that one tour.” When asked if that meant the end of LIV Golf, Monahan referred to the “reunification of the game.”
“Candidly, that’s what fans want,” Monahan explained. “So when you talk about reunification, that’s all the best players in the world competing with each other and against each other.”
The commissioner’s comments were noteworthy, as there has been belief in golf circles that—should the tour and LIV’s financial backer ultimately finalize a peace treaty—the entities would remain separate in some capacity in order to appease United States government anti-trust regulations. While that may still come to pass, Monahan’s repeated insistence on Wednesday of a singular, unified tour could not be ignored.
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“Listen, if you think about what the fans want, the fans want reunification. That’s what we’re focused on. We’ve operated in a world where there’s more than one and the PGA Tour has performed very well,” Monahan said. “But in the long run, is that the best thing for fans? Is that the best thing for the game? We’re trying to solve it so everybody benefits.”
In that same breath, when Monahan was asked point blank if that meant LIV members would be returning to the PGA Tour, Monahan replied, “I think if you solve things — if we — if we respond to what our fans are telling us, we put together the best, the strongest possible schedule and product, to me all that will resolve itself.”
Monahan was also asked about why President Trump needed to be brought into the negotiations. There has been belief that the Department of Justice under Trump would be more willing to greenlight a potential PGA Tour-PIF deal. Shortly after the 2024 election, Trump played a round of golf with Monahan in Florida. Helping matters as well is President Trump’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and LIV Golf. Trump has had business ties with the Saudi league since its emergence in 2022, with LIV hosting events at Trump venues in New Jersey, Florida and outside of Washington, D.C.
“You look at his passion for the game, his knowledge and understanding of the game, he’s very familiar with the PGA Tour, he’s very familiar with the team at the Public Investment Fund. Like us, he has a very clear picture of what should happen and he wants to help,” Monahan said. “The game means that much to him. And he’s the ultimate dealmaker, so having him in the mix is a great thing for the game.”
As for how close a deal is to coming to fruition, Monahan replied, “I don’t think you’re ever close until you’re finalised. I would say this: Everything is moving forward with pace and I think there’s a general—when you look at all the parties involved, there’s a general enthusiasm for getting this done.”
Main Image: Jared C Tilton
