The PGA Tour announced that it has asked President Donald Trump to help with the tour’s ongoing negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the financial backer of the LIV Golf League. The news came as part of a statement the tour released in which it confirmed that commissioner Jay Monahan and PGA Tour pro and player director Adam Scott met with Trump about the matter on Tuesday.

When the tour and PIF announced their surprise framework agreement on June 6, 2023, the original goal was to finish a deal by the end of that year. But the spectre U.S. government antitrust regulations blocking a deal and the defection in December 2023 of Jon Rahm to LIV, which led to hurt feelings on the tour side, caused negotiations to stall and the tour to seek supplemental investment, in the form of a $1.5 billion commitment from the Strategic Sports Group in early 2024.

In turn, PIF officials looked at the tour’s solicitation with other private equity groups as a betrayal of sorts to the June 6 framework agreement and reports emerged that the PIF was also entertaining a potential separate deal with the DP World Tour.

Toward the end of 2024, however, negotiations appeared to resume, with reports that a deal between the PGA Tour and PIF was in place, and that the sides were merely waiting for the Trump administration to take office before finalizing anything; the presumption was that President Trump’s Department of Justice would be more willing to pass a deal.

Shortly after Trump won the 2024 election, he 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.

During the first round of the WM Phoenix Open on Thursday, the tour released a statement signed by Monahan, Scott and Tiger Woods (who did not meet with Trump on Tuesday), implying a deal seemed to on the horizon and acknowledging President Trump is now a part of the discussions.

“We know golf fans are eagerly anticipating a resolution to negotiations with the Public Investment Fund and want to thank President Trump for his interest and long-time support of the game of golf,” the tour said in a statement. “We asked the President to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved. We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for the reunification of men’s professional golf.”

What is unclear is whether merely the financial part of a deal between the tour and the PIF is imminent or whether specifics on how the tour and LIV Golf, which began its fourth season on Thursday in Saudi Arabia, would operate together inside the for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises. Due to antitrust regulations, it is likely LIV as a league will continue in some capacity should a peace treaty be reached.

Main Image: Drew Angerer