By Jay Coffin
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have spent a lot of time together over the years, and even more so lately. That’s no huge secret.

Aside from both living in South Florida, they were paired for the first two rounds of the PGA Championship in May. Both were having a grand time together at the Celebration of Champions prior to the Open Championship this year at St Andrews. And several days later it was McIlroy who tipped his hat to Woods as the American was walking up the 18th hole at the Old Course to complete his second round, knowing it may have been Woods’ last competitive round on the historic grounds.

Both men also have been two of the loudest, most influential voices who have spoken on behalf of the PGA Tour in its fight against LIV Golf.

Now, it appears, Woods and McIlroy will be business associates.

According to a report from Golfweek, the star-studded duo is in the final stages of creating a new business venture that will see some of top players in the world compete against each other in what the report called, “a non-green grass, stadium environment”.

The events have the blessing of the PGA Tour and commissioner Jay Monahan, and will be held in partnership with the tour, according to the report. More details are expected to be announced this week at the Tour Championship at East Lake, but the report said the events are on track to be launched in 2024 and are designed to complement the PGA Tour schedule and potentially run from January through March. They’re also expected to be staged in front of a live audience.

The report said that when information is finally released it’ll likely will include specifics about format, participants and potential locations.

Details about the Woods-McIlroy series were given to those who attended the players-only meeting last Tuesday during the BMW Championship, which was designed to discuss ways for the tour to improve its product. The plan was said to have been received positively. Woods and Rickie Fowler flew up from Florida just to attend the meeting.

“I think the one thing that came out of it, which I think was the purpose, is all the top players on this tour are in agreement and alignment of where we should go going forward, and that was awesome,” McIlroy said last week at the BMW Championship, speaking in generalities and with no specifics of what was discussed during the session. “We need to get the top guys together more often than we do.”

MORE: PGA Tour players keep code of silence over meeting with Tiger

McIlroy went on to speak about what it meant to the group of top PGA Tour players to have Woods make the effort to fly Wilmington, Delaware.

“He is the hero that we’ve all looked up to,” McIlroy said. “His voice carries further than anyone else’s in the game of golf. His role is navigating us to a place where we all think we should be.

“I think it’s pretty apparent that whenever we all get in the room there’s an alpha in there, and it’s not me.”

You may also like:
Fantastic Max claims first DP World title
Cantlay and Schauffele are FedEx Cup foes
A tale of two sisters at Aramco Team Series
The biggest and strangest rule blunders in history
Chiara Noja named Golf Saudi ambassador
WATCH: Highlights from Day 1 of Aramco Team Series — Sotogrande
Jessica Korda smashes course record at ATS — Sotogrande
Chiara Noja set for Aramco Team Series — Sotogrande
Gavin Green in hunt for maiden DP World Tour title
Adam Scott shows fight at BMW Championship
Bio and Ok make Korea move at Asian Tour International Series 
BMW Championship takeaways from Day 1
Dubai-based Arnaus backs Aramco Team Series
Kim and Koepka cook up a plan ahead of Asian Tour International Series Korea
Korda sisters ready for Aramco Team Series challenge
De Jager leads way at Czech Masters as Dubai’s MG Keyser shoots 68
Nordqvist, Davies and Martens named European Solheim Cup Vice-Captains
Cameron Smith buys a new phone for fan he hit with golf ball
Josh Hill goes down fighting at US Amateur Championship
LOOK: The top 10 LIV Golf earners so far
Pavit has nose in front at International Series as Harding lurks
How Will Zalatoris’ new caddie helped him to the top of FedEx Cup standings
PGA Tour players keep code of silence over meeting with Tiger
LIV Golf aims to awaken sleeping giant Asian Tour
Patrick Reed brings defamation lawsuit against Golf Chanel, Brandel Chamblee
WATCH: Tiger flies in to Philadelphia to meet PGA Tour players
All your BMW International tee times
Tiger Woods to meet PGA Tour players at FedEx Cup event
How the new OWGR affects LIV Golf players