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The announcement was made during the Assembly meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the sidelines of the Pan Arab Championship, with the attendance of representatives from Arab golf federations and members of the Executive Committee.

H.E. Al-Rumayyan opened the meeting by welcoming participating delegations, expressing his pride in Saudi Arabia’s hosting of these important gatherings. He stated:

“I warmly welcome you to your second home, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and wish you a pleasant stay during the Pan Arab Golf Championship.

“Over the past year, Arab golf has witnessed significant growth in tournaments, organisation, and competitive performance—thanks to our collective efforts and the developmental initiatives introduced by the Federation, particularly the Arab Golf Series, which represents a major turning point for Arab players on their path to global professionalism, alongside the Elite Scholarship Program that supports promising Arab talents.”

Noah Alireza Secretary General of the Arab Golf Federation and CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation

Mr. Noah Alireza, Secretary General of the Arab Golf Federation and CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation, delivered a welcoming speech in which he expressed his delight in meeting representatives of the Arab federations once again. He emphasised that the General Assembly serves as an important platform to evaluate the previous phase and outline future directions for Arab golf. He said:

“I am pleased to welcome you once again to the General Assembly meetings. We value your presence here in Riyadh among your brothers. Today’s meeting continues a long journey of cooperation and presents an important opportunity to align our vision and strengthen the future of Arab golf.”

The General Assembly also conducted elections for the new Executive Committee. Results confirmed the continuation of H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan as President of the Arab Golf Federation until 2029, renewing the confidence placed in him in recognition of his significant efforts in advancing Arab golf in recent years.

The elections also resulted in the following appointments:

• Mustafa Al-Zain (Royal Moroccan Golf Federation) – First Vice President (unopposed)

• Adel Al-Fayadh (Bahrain Golf Association) – Second Vice President

Executive Committee Members:

• Mohammed Al-Fatni – Tunisian Golf Federation

• Karim Salam – Lebanese Golf Federation

• Fahad Al-Nuaimi – Qatar Golf Association

• Omar Al-Husseini – Palestinian Golf Federation

• Omar Hesham Talaat – Egyptian Golf Federation

• Ghassan Qabani – Representative of the African Federation

• Abdullah Al-Hashimi – Representative of the Asian Federation

• Noah Alireza – Secretary General of the Arab Golf Federation

• Farihan Bouchemoui – Women’s Representative

This diverse and experienced lineup represents a strong foundation for the Federation’s next phase of development.

Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Anzi, Secretary General of the Union of Arab Sports Federations, provided a detailed explanation of the election mechanisms and procedures in accordance with the governing regulations.

Members of the General Assembly unanimously agreed that renewing confidence in H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan reflects the tangible impact of his initiatives, which have elevated Arab golf to new horizons—whether through launching the unified-ranking Arab Golf Series, the Elite Scholarship Program, or the historical documentation exhibition held alongside this year’s championship, which marked an important step toward establishing an integrated system for preserving the Federation’s five-decade legacy.

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation by all Arab federations of their commitment to working as one team, strengthening development initiatives across the Arab world, supporting the Federation’s vision to produce world-class Arab champions, expanding the sport’s reach, and enhancing its regional and global presence.

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Unfortunately, negotiations seemingly hit their latest snag, despite Trump stating that the group had some “interesting discussions.” From the fan perspective, it feels like we’re right back where we started. The politics of it all are not something Scott is all that interested in, though he still was in awe of the experience.

“It is a surprise that it’s taken this turn,” Scott said Tuesday at the Players Championship. “It was an incredible experience to be at the White House and be in the Oval Office and see the goings-on of what’s happening in Washington D.C., but it’s not something that I really feel like I need to or want to spend more time on. I want to play better golf, to be perfectly honest with you. That would be nice. I probably should spend that time practicing.”

Asked to share if there were any cool moments he recalls from the meeting, Scott’s brain immediately went to the exact moment he realized just how unimportant this whole saga was in the grand scheme of things.

“It was obvious to me very quickly when they were setting up for the Israeli delegation right after our meeting and putting like the Israeli flag and the U.S. flag and getting that room ready that our conversation was pretty low in the importance of what was happening that day,” said Scott. “And really, the President had far more important things to focus on, and I encouraged him to go and do that well for everyone’s sake after our meeting.”

Given Trump’s love of golf, and his eagerness to bring all parties to the table, we’re guessing it was one of the meetings he was looking forward to that particular day. To Scott’s point, though, golf’s ongoing “game of chicken” could not be lower on the current event totem pole.

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Speaking Tuesday at the TPC Sawgrass ahead of this week’s Players Championship, Monahan opened his annual state of the tour address by giving an update on the discussions with LIV Golf’s financial back, stating reunification with those who defected to Saudi-backed circuit remains his priority. However, as Golf Digest detailed last week, both sides have hit a roadblock in trying to finalise a detail, a sentiment Monahan nodded to by mentioning “when you may be near a breakthrough, there are ebbs and flows in the discussion.” While Monahan was quick to say both sides are operating from a place of respect, the commissioner was adamant he would not accept anything that would harm the existing tour product.

“We will not do so in a way that diminishes the strength of our platform or the very real momentum we have with our fans and our partners,” Monahan said. “So while we’ve removed some hurdles, others remain. But like our fans, we still share the same sense of urgency to get to a resolution.”

Monahan has met with President Donald Trump twice in the past month regarding a deal, including at a White House summit with PIF governor and LIV Golf boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan. There was some belief in golf circles that the D.C. meeting would deliver a formal announcement of a deal. Earlier in February at Torrey Pines, Monahan had conveyed optimism about professional golf unifying under one tour, while Tiger Woods (who is part of the discussions) went so far as to signal a deal was imminent. However, as Golf Digest reported, the sides are currently at an impasse, with most of the hold-up centered around the role (if any) LIV Golf will play in the future of the tour. Multiple sources told Golf Digest that Al-Rumayyan left the meeting both disappointed at the talks and frustrated with what he perceived as a disrespectful offer.

Publicly and privately, Monahan continues to push for a deal. He is wary of the fatigue from fans about the schism, and has also preached the danger of continuing to war with PIF. The tour’s private equity partners, the Strategic Sports Group, are in favor of a deal. Conversely, though PIF has vast resources at its disposal, PIF also is under a mandate to curtail some of its expenses. LIV has already burned upwards of $5 billion on the fledgling venture; to those that view LIV Golf as an exercise in sportswashing and soft-power, LIV has succeeded, giving the kingdom direct access to the White House. With that mission accomplished, LIV Golf’s success as its own vehicle warrants further scrutiny. Now in its fourth year of existence, LIV continues to struggle to gain traction with the golf populace. Though the league signed an American broadcast deal with FOX Sports, ratings have been soft, and for the second time in three years LIV failed to extract a marquee player from the PGA or DP World Tours. In short, there’s the question of what leverage LIV has at the moment. In his opening remarks, Monahan spoke about assimilating some aspects of LIV Golf into the PGA Tour product. However, in Golf Digest’s reporting, LIV’s team element remains a sticking point. When pressed by Digest and other reporters on exactly what exactly the tour is interested in, Monahan repeatedly declined to get into specifics.

“I think I’ve shared our position today,” Monahan said. “I’ve shared it in the past. I think at this point I don’t have any additional information to share beyond. What I’m optimistic about, what I’m energized by specifically is the momentum that we have with our fans, and I would go back to three elements of the remarks that I made. I’d say from point one, we’re committed to these negotiations and to doing everything that we can to drive to reunification for our fans. That said, we’re not going to do anything that diminishes the strength of our platform or that momentum that we have with our fans and partners. And then importantly, we’re going to continue to take aggressive action with everything that we control to make certain that we’re doing everything in our power to present and evolve the best version of our tour. So that’s how we’re looking at the future and that’s really my focus.”

As Golf Digest reported last week, on the wish list for the tour brass is the reassimilation of three players: Jon Rahm (coveted for competitive integrity), Bryson DeChambeau (valued for commercial magnetism) and Brooks Koepka (a nod to his dominance at major championships). Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann are also a priority, albeit to lesser degrees. What other implementations from LIV the tour could implement are unclear.

After a half-dozen reiterations of not getting into specifics, Monahan was asked what would theoretically damage the tour product.

“Listen, all I can speak to is, you know, if you look at the PGA Tour today and the strength of our organization, the momentum that we have as an organization and what we stand for, I mean ultimately if you’re a player anywhere in the world, this is the platform that you want to get to. These tournaments are 72-hole stroke play tournaments at historic, iconic venues, with moments like we had last Sunday with Russell Henley and his family. That’s who we are as an organization, and that’s who we’ll always be as an organisation.”

Monahan said there are no further plans for an in-person meeting with Trump or Al-Rumayyan at the moment, and that there is no deadline for a deal to be in place.

“I think it’s just not that simple,” Monahan said. “When you’re in the middle of these negotiations and they’re as complex as they are, you know, the reason I say ‘urgency’ is that that’s what we’re operating with, but there isn’t a concrete deadline that’s been established.”

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Following the afternoon session, the tour released a joint statement from Monahan, Woods and Scott:

“We have just concluded a constructive working session at the White House with President Trump and H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan. Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, we have initiated a discussion about the reunification of golf. We are committed to moving as quickly as possible and will share additional details as appropriate. We share a passion for the game and the importance of reunification. Most importantly, we all want the best players in the world playing together more often and are committed to doing all we can to deliver that outcome for our fans.”

After the meeting, Woods also made an appearance with Trump at a White House reception for Black History Month. Trump asked Woods to speak and acknowledged Scott and Monahan being at the White House, telling the crowd: “We had some interesting discussions.”

Last week, Monahan met with the media at the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines and expressed optimism that a deal with PIF—originally announced as a framework agreement on June 6, 2023—was close to coming to fruition. Monahan, along with player representative Scott, met with Trump two weeks prior, which Monahan called a “productive visit” and asserted the goal was for “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 last week of a singular, unified tour could not be ignored.

“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.”

While Woods did not attend the previous meeting due to the passing of his mother, Woods also expressed conviction about a possible deal when appearing on CBS Sports’ final round coverage of the Genesis Invitational.

“Jay and Adam did great during the meeting. And we have another subsequent meeting coming up,” Woods said. “So I think that things are going to heal quickly. We’re going to get this game going in the right direction. We’ve been heading in the wrong direction for a number of years. The fans want all of us, all the top players playing together. And we’re going to make it happen.”

Trump was brought into the negotiations earlier this month at the tour’s insistence. 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 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.

When asked if the tour may incorporate Trump properties into the tour’s plans going forward, Monahan replied, “We’ve played at Trump venues in the past. While we haven’t talked about that with the president, I certainly see a day where we’re adding Trump venues to our schedule.”

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In his first press conference since the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where he played alongside H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Jay Monahan, McIlroy spoke to the media on the eve of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the DP World Tour.

“It’s the first I’ve heard of it,” said the World Number Three. “I know Jay (Monahan) was in Saudi Arabia last week at the FII and was having some meetings.

“But I know he (Jay) is briefing the transaction committee tonight, so maybe some news comes out of that.”

 

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As Rory suggested, it is known that H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund & Chairman of FII Institute, did meet with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan last week at the Aramco Team Series Riyadh event on the Ladies European Tour, a Golf Saudi run tournament.

If a deal has been brokered and Rory didn’t know about it, he did say he would be surprised if it was secured having there being so many extra parts to tidy up, especially with the current Donald Trump v Kamala Harris 2024 Presidential election going on stateside being one moving part.

“But then given obviously today’s news in America, I think that clears the way a little bit. So, we will see.”

Then when questioned further on the newly re-elected U.S. President Donald Trump, having quoted himself, in saying that he would be able to fix the LIV / PGA TOUR deal in 15 minutes, McIlroy responded.

“He might be able to,” McIlroy said. “He’s got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too.

“I think from the outside looking in, it’s probably a little less complicated than it actually is.

“But obviously Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia. He’s got a great relationship with golf. He’s a lover of golf. So, maybe. Who knows?

“But I think as the President of the United States again, he’s probably got bigger things to focus on than golf.”

McIlroy will tee off tomorrow morning in the $9 million tournament at Yas Links Abu Dhabi at 09:23 local time, alongside South African Thriston Lawrence and Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard as he goes in search of his sixth Harry Vardon Trophy, hoping to equal Seve Ballesteros.

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In the same vein, news that Monahan has been in Saudi Arabia this week at a summit run by Al-Rumayyan would appear to be another indicator talks are, potentially, continuing. Golf Digest has confirmed what was first reported by Bunkered.co.uk, that Monahan, along with a few other PGA Tour “team members,” has been in attendance at the Future Investment Initiative (FII), an annual conference run by the PIF in Riyadh. Presumably, Monahan and Al-Rumayyan have been able to meet at some point.

Additionally, Bunkered is reporting that the two will be together at a night-time pro-am outing in conjunction with the Aramco Ladies Team Series Event that’s also taking place this week in Saudi Arabia as well. According to Bunkered, Monahan and Al-Rumayyan are expected to play together in the outing, with LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman also in attendance.

At the opening of the FII conference, Al-Rumayyan made news by announcing that the PIF would be reducing the amount spent on international investments to focus more resources on the domestic economy. What that means for the PIF’s involvement with LIV Golf or in the future with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour if it were to become a partner in PGA Tour Enterprises, is unclear. The Financial Times has reported that Al-Rumayyan’s pledge is in regards to future spending and that ongoing investments would not be impacted.

Exactly where things stand regarding a possible PGA Tour/PIF deal remain very much unclear. Monahan would not comment on the state of the negotiations when meeting with the media after playing at the Dunhill Links; he’s said previously he does not want to negotiate in the media.

Both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are moving ahead with their own separate schedules for 2025. LIV has announced the first four events it will be holding next year with the remainder of its 14-tournament schedule expected to be announced by year’s end.

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At every edition of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, biographies of the star-studded amateur lineup are distributed. Most of the summaries are but a paragraph in length, briefly highlighting the various achievements of those prominent in the worlds of sport and business. Johann Rupert’s is the shortest of all, though. The driving force behind this now-23-year-old event, the South African is identified only as “Chairman of Richemont, the Swiss luxury goods group.”

That, of course, only serves as the briefest of introductions to a man who has made an almost incalculable contribution to the DP World Tour (where he is an honorary vice president), his homeland (where he has multiple times been named business leader of the year and is chairman of the South African PGA Tour), and golf, in general.

Developer of the highly rated Leopard Creek Golf Club in Mpumalanga, South Africa, Rupert is reportedly worth around $12 billion. The 74-year-old is also the ultimate golf nut, one whose beneficence commendably knows few bounds.

He is not to be messed with either. In 2005, when a magazine described Afrikaans as an “ugly language,” Rupert withdrew all advertising for his various company brands, including Alfred Dunhill.

This week, however, Rupert’s role as tournament host at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns has taken on a unique significance. He is one of the few men in the world who could have convinced PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and the man in charge of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, to play golf together at a time when the state of the professional game has perhaps never been under more threat. Throw in the presence of DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings and the last few days have surely moved things forward in that regard.

“Johann is so well-connected,” Kinnings said. “This is a man who speaks regularly to presidents. He and Nelson Mandela were close. He was a great friend of [the late former R&A secretary] Sir Michael Bonallack. He was also close to the founder of IMG, Mark McCormack and [Australian entrepreneur] Kerry Packer. Yet he is loved by the caddies on tour. He knows people at every level of the game. He understands business as well as anyone. He understands politics. And, while he is a proud South African, he is a citizen of the globe. He knows people the world over.”

To that end and perhaps most importantly, Rupert is known to be in favour of a coming together for the PGA Tour, the PIF and LIV Golf League and, more peripherally, the DP World Tour. Not for him the notion of conflicting and competing major tours playing alongside each other, parallel but never intersecting.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, shakes hands with Johann Rupert at the Dunhill Links – Warren Little

“Since I grew up near Leopard Creek, I have long been aware of just how much Johann does for South African golf and the game in general,” said Thriston Lawrence, the third man alongside Rory McIlroy and Billy Horschel in the recent playoff for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. “After I turned pro, I met him through his involvement with Golf RSA. He’s everywhere. He creates so many opportunities for the young up-and-coming kids. Kids of color. Kids who struggle. He helps everyone and tries to give them all advance to go after their dreams. I can only say I appreciate enormously all that he does.

“He definitely had a plan this week. I smiled when I saw who he had playing together. I have to think he has a finger in the bigger pie too. He has a plan for all the tours to get together and sort out their problems. He clearly wants to see a global result.”

Lawrence, as you might expect, isn’t the only one who has picked up on Rupert’s hardly covert strategy. His wishes for the future are clear to see

“Look at the field this week,” continued Kinnings. “It is a mixture of DP World Tour players, PGA Tour members and those from LIV and an example of the sort of thing we could have going forward. You can see what Johann is doing. And he is doing it at the Home of Golf. He is bringing everyone together. He wants to help the process and take the game global. He can see the opportunities that we have right now, but he can also see the threats. He wants us to take advantage of the opportunities and leave golf in a better place.”

Noble stuff. And Kinnings is not above bragging about how great things have been on the DP World circuit these last few weeks. But he is justified in doing so. The Irish Open, BMW PGA, Spanish Open and now this week have provided a glimpse into an exciting future that could and should encompass the very best from all the current tours.

“This is a reminder of what the fans want to see,” confirmed Kinnings. “Johann knows that and sees that. He has great insight. This week he is making a statement. In fact, I’d want Johann in the chair during the current negotiations. He has the stature and commands the respect of everyone. And he’s neutral. He doesn’t have a foot in any camp. And he has a great record of bringing people together.”

Indeed, Rupert has many admirers beyond those running tours. Longtime Sky Sports commentator and former European Tour player Ewen Murray is another long-term admirer.

“Johann is not the sort of guy who tells you what he has done behind the scenes, he just does it,” says the Scot. “The kids in South Africa have a winter tour and a summer tour. So many of them are good players who have a chance to develop because of Johann. It’s all very well him saying to youngsters he can get them starts in pro events. That’s the easy part. For him anyway. But developing them properly is difficult. He looks at the talent. He looks at the character of the person. And he is colour-blind in that respect.

“He keeps an eye on them all until he thinks they are ready to get a chance. And he’s been doing that for 30 years. Ernie Els’ development tour and the foundations of just about every South African player— Johann is involved in them all. He’s one of the most exceptional men I’ve ever met in golf. When you see so many players at the Dunhill every year, you know it is part of their way of saying ‘thank you’ to him. They know how much he has done. Yet he never talks about his achievements.”

Still, amidst the sea of players Rupert has helped over the years, perhaps no one is as much in his debt as McIlroy. Back in 2007 as a newly turned pro, the teenage Northern Irishman received an invitation to the Dunhill Links. By finishing third, he won €211,321, avoided the roulette table that was the upcoming qualifying school and immediately earned his card for 2008 on what was then the European Tour.

“The tournaments Johann has put on here in St. Andrews are one thing,” said the four-time major champion. “He has been a great advocate for the game of golf. The support he has given to the South Africans is another thing, of course. So many great players owe a lot to him. I do too. He gave me an invite 17 years ago when he didn’t have to. That was a week that changed my life. I’ll always be grateful.”

And so say so many.

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Both can play a bit—Monahan more so, even if he needs to work on shouting “fore” having almost taken out a marshal right of the seventh fairway—and both had their moments in the sunshine that put a metaphorical smile on the face of the normally bleak, barren and desolate Carnoustie links. (The Old Course at St. Andrews and Kingsbarns also feature in the pro-am event.) And both seemed to be enjoying the company of the other. It takes a while to complete 18-holes in the Dunhill Links—rounds tend to take almost five-and-a-half hours—so there is time to chat. Which is what Monahan and Al-Rumayyan did at length while waiting for the three-group pile-up on the par-5 sixth tee to dissipate.

Indeed, something of a huddle developed, one joined at various times by Horschel, Rory McIlroy and various others eager to say hello.

“We didn’t talk about what’s going on in the game,” shrugged McIlroy, who opened with a three-under 69. “We talked about Newcastle United [the Saudi-owned English Premier League soccer club]. We talked about some of the other stuff Yasir owns. It was all very cordial. Other than that, I obviously didn’t see much of what was going on in the group ahead, but it’s not as if we don’t all know each other. We’ve been doing this dance for a couple of years now. I’m not sure we can take much from today. They were behaving like golfers, which is what we are here to do. Who knows? I keep saying time will tell. And there’s only so many ways I can answer the same question.”

Ross Parker – SNS Group

So what exactly was being said between the two main protagonists in their many private moments must remain something of a mystery. Neither had anything to say publicly at the conclusion of their rounds. Monahan turned down a request from the waiting media. And Yasir? One look at the grim-faced henchmen in the golf cart following H.E (His Excellency) was enough to discourage even the bravest journalist.

Still, Johann Rupert, the billionaire businessman whose “toy” this tournament is, did offer some background as to how Monahan and H.E. conveniently found their way into the 9 a.m. group on Carnoustie’s 10th tee. Long a proponent of a Neville Chamberlain like “peace for our time” accord, the South African owned up to being half of the duo behind the pairing.

“[DP World Tour chief executive] Guy Kinnings asked the one party if he wouldn’t mind playing with the other party and I asked the other party,” said Rupert. “They both said ‘absolutely.’ I think there has been a lot of misunderstandings about who did what and when. But I have known Jay for a very long time and I have got to know His Excellency as well and they both only have the best interests of golf at heart. I think if we keep on having days like today. Golf is supposed to be a maker of friends.”

Rupert also asked for some perspective amidst the current clamouring for a solution to what is, after all, just a sport, albeit also a business worth millions.

“We have a war going on in Ukraine and a terrible situation in the Middle East and another war going on in Sudan that most non-Africans don’t even know about,” he said. “And we argue about golf. I think we should have two strong tours working together and all parties working together. Surely all we want to do is see the best players in the world playing together and the majority of them would like it.”

Richard Heathcote

On that front, Rupert has done an excellent job. As well as most of the DP World Tour’s biggest names, the field this week boasts 14 players from the LIV Golf League, headed by Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm. Rahm’s 65 at Carnoustie was the best of the LIV contingent but four shots more than it took South African Darren Fichardt to negotiate Kingsbarns, typically the course where the lowest scores occur.

Not surprisingly, his fine play—especially on the greens—had Rahm in fine fettle, to the point where he was even making mildly optimistic noises about the subject no one else wanted to touch.

“I won’t let myself believe anything until it is actually true. I hope so. But having commissioner Monahan here, Guy Kinnings as well and having His Excellency here and, by the looks of it, all spending some time together should be something that makes us all feel hopeful for the future,” said the former U.S. Open and Masters champion. “But, at this point, I don’t want to create an expectation and then not meet it. But I’m hopeful.”

Then he smiled. Which is a good thing in any language.

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The deal was locked in until 2035, in a way to stand up to the threat brought on by LIV Golf and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which now seems to be moving in another direction.

It was clear to see that some players were to benefit more than most. From the start of the 2023 DP World Tour season, the top 10 finishers on the Race to Dubai Rankings, not otherwise exempt, would earn a PGA Tour card for the following season.

This led to fears that the DP World Tour would essentially be acting as a feeder circuit and giving away its best players to the PGA Tour. A thought that still gives Matt Fitzpatrick a sour taste in his mouth, four years down the line.

“I don’t think the (DP World) Tour should have gone with the PGA Tour,” he told reporters on the eve of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.

“I was pretty livid, to be honest, at Wentworth when I found out that there was a handful of PGA Tour players coming to play [the BMW PGA Championship], and at that point in time, not every person who kept their card last year got in the field, which I think is a disgrace. That’s the flagship event.

“There’s no invites given to European Tour players at THE PLAYERS Championship. So why are we dishing them out for Wentworth?

“I thought that was absolutely absurd that that even went through.”

Keith Pelley and Jay Monahan. Ross Kinnaird

The agreement Fitzpatrick is mentioning was completed when the former DP World Tour Chief Executive Officer, Keith Pelley, was in office. A deal was struck alongside the Commissioner of the PGA Tour Jay Monahan to elevate tournaments and create more playing opportunities for both sides.

Pelley has since departed the DP World Tour, to lead powerhouse Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment as their President & Chief Executive Officer back in his home country of Canada.

The move by Pelley came at a critical time in golf. The DP World Tour was part of the then June 6 agreement with the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s PIF to form a commercial company that could reshape how golf is run and how a global golf tour might look in the future.

“You have basically like a Premier League, Championship and League One of golf,” the 2022 U.S. Open  Champion went on to say. “You can bring everyone together and there’s more of a relegation promotion, there’s a few more stories there, you can work your way up. If everyone was together, I feel like that would be more beneficial, anyway.

“I can’t sit here and say that I know the viewing figures for LIV or PGA TOUR are going up or down. I just don’t know. But as a big football fan, there’s got to be more stories in the relegation-promotion rather than what I think there is now.

“Obviously I know LIV is a closed shop and they have a team aspect. As a football fan, I love team stuff. The Ryder Cup is amazing. All that stuff is great.

“So, I’m not fully against the team aspect but if it’s a closed shop, there’s not too many storylines in there.

“But at the same time, the PGA Tour is becoming a little bit more like that. What formats are they going to do? Is there a 70-man field? I don’t know.

Matt will be pleased to know that hopefully a deal is getting closer, as H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan the Governor of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and Jay Monahan are both in the field this week on the DP World Tour to play in the pro-am portion in Scotland. A bonus being they’re playing together in Round One at Carnoustie, which gets underway in less than an hour!

“There’s people that are smarter than me are involved. They know how to run businesses and know what to do and they are smart people. Smarter than me, and I would say smarter than the majority of the PGA TOUR players and golfers.”

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So it is that, Thursday at Carnoustie, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and his professional partner, Billy Horschel, will tee-up alongside Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the man who runs Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and his partner, LIV Golf League player Dean Burmester.

“There’s no better place than the Home of Golf to get everyone together and talking,” said McIlroy, who, with his father Gerry, will compete alongside Al- Rumayyan/Burmester on the Old Course in Saturday’s third round. “I think it’s a great thing and a good sign that Jay and Yasir are playing together. Obviously, we have quite a big contingent here from LIV playing in the event [14 total]. What [tournament chairman] Johann Rupert is trying to do is bring the world of golf back together a bit, or force us all together. Whatever, he’s trying to do that.”

What this all actually means in real terms remains to be seen, of course. But McIlroy’s enthusiasm, as so often is the case, is infectious.

“It’ll be good,” he continued. “It’s certainly a step in the right direction. Time will tell if things go the way I want them to, or if they go the way a lot of people want them to go. But there have been a few good steps along the way and this is one of them. It’s a matter of trying to get all the different constituents involved. The sponsors want the same thing. Everyone just wants to see the game come back together and have all the top players playing together. All to make it a bit more global as well. A lot of people are on board with that.”

Also in that camp is Horschel. The newly-minted two-time BMW PGA champion has long been a proponent of a worldwide circuit, and he wasn’t slow to underline that message while visiting the Home of Golf.

“I do believe that there’s been goodwill on both sides to try to make a deal happen over the last 18 months or so,” he said. “It may not move as quickly as people want. There’s a lot of complicated things to figure out, and there’s a lot of things behind the scenes that the public just don’t understand, that they can’t comment on. But I figured about a month ago when I heard Yasir may be playing in this, there’s a good chance that Jay and I would be paired up one day with them.

“For the betterment of the game of golf, I do believe the majority of players on the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and on LIV, I think we want to figure out some way that we can all make this work,” Horschel continued. “We need to get back to really focusing on golf and not the politics side of everything. If this all works out, I hope that the DP World Tour will be looked after. We need to create a pyramid. Let’s call it the World Tour. Then you have the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and underneath it. Then you have the Challenge Tour and Korn Ferry Tour underneath those. All with a filter system that works up and a filter system that works down.”

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan will play with Billy Horschel in the pro-am portion of the Dunhill Links Championship this week in Scotland. They will be paired with PIF director Yasir Al-Rumayyan during the first round Thursday at Carnoustie – David Cannon

McIlroy didn’t go into so much detail, but his sentiments are clearly similar. Like Horschel, he underlined the need for patience. Although he wasn’t above putting a deadline on a solution.

“It’s just a matter of working through the various complicated issues that there are,” said the four-time major champion. “I think we all understand it’s not easy. Change for the most part is resisted because it is such a tradition sport. But at this time, I think change is needed to drive the game forward. Hopefully we can get to that point.

“I hope we can get there soon, definitely before year’s end,” he continued. “It’s going too slow for the people who follow golf. But in the business world deals of this size take time. We’re talking about billions of dollars changing hands and different jurisdictions like the U.S., the Middle East and Europe. It’s a pretty complicated deal. I think we’ll know a lot more by year’s end. So that’s three months to get it done. Then we can start 2025 with enthusiasm and all move forward together.”

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