WHAT WAS SAID AT PGA TOUR’S BAHAMAS MEETING WITH LIV GOLF MASTERMIND

LIV Golf mastermind Yasir Al-Rumayyan reportedly doubled down on the breakaway tour being part of the future of the men’s game at the crunch Bahamas meeting, according to a report. 

Al-Rumayyan met with all six of the PGA Tour’s player directors last week.

It was the first time golfers representing the established North American circuit met with the powerful Saudi businessman responsible for luring major champions away from the PGA Tour in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars.

Unsurprisingly, Tiger Woods took a lead role in what has been described as a ‘meet-and-greet’ in Albany.

And he reportedly stayed behind after the meeting to play golf with Al-Rumayyan before jetting back home to Florida to watch his son Charlie make his AJGA debut.

Understandably, those who were present at the meeting have remained tight-lipped over what was said.

PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan claimed the talks were ‘constructive’. Webb Simpson said the meeting was ‘never tense’.

Simpson had previously stated not striking a deal with the PIF was very, very dangerous.

For the establishment, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest the circuit would like LIV to fold or be modified alongside a PIF investment into the newly-formed PGA Tour Enterprises.

The aforementioned Monahan previously claimed under the terms of the 6 June framework agreement that an ’empirical data-driven evaluation’ was to be conducted of LIV Golf to determine its future.

Such a proposition is pure fantasy, it seems.

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That’s because Al-Rumayyan has absolutely no plans for LIV to change or go anywhere.

According to the No Laying Up podcast, Al-Rumayyan was matter-of-fact in his vision for the future.

“The highlight for me was definitely the flight tracking,” said Chris Solomon of the meeting.

“Shoutout to radaratlas2, he was on the tails of the PGA Tour plane [and] both planes that were coming over from Saudi Arabia.”

“Honestly, not a lot of leaks came out of this [meeting]. We’ve heard a couple of things that aren’t really reportable but it didn’t sound like things were especially close.”

He added: “It did not sound like it was all, ‘Hey, let’s get back together’. That’s not the vibe I got.”

Tron Carter said: “It sounded like Yasir was doubling down on LIV, like, ‘Hey, LIV is going to be a part of this guys. LIV is going to continue and is going to outlive me.'”

LIV Golf is now in its third year and the protracted schism in the men’s game means we only get to see the strongest fields at the four major championships.

Jon Rahm became LIV’s biggest signing to date last December and it was thought his arrival would accelerate a peace agreement.

But it appeared some influential PGA Tour figures weren’t keen on Saudi investment.

Jordan Spieth, for example, hinted that after Strategic Sports Group invested $1.5bn into the Tour then a deal with the Saudis were no longer a necessity.

Another stumbling block is how LIV players who left the PGA Tour could be welcomed back into the fold.

It is hoped an update into the current state of affairs between the PGA Tour and PIF (which bankrolls LIV) could arrive before the 2024 Masters.