“Things are very fluid,” Tiger Woods sheds light on PGA Tour’s negotiations with PIF over $1.3 billion merger deal

Ahead of the Hero World Challenge, Tiger Woods spoke on the delay regarding the merger deal between the PGA Tour and PIF.

“Things are very fluid,” Tiger Woods sheds light on PGA Tour’s negotiations with PIF over $1.3 billion merger deal

Tiger Woods (Image via Imago)

In June 2023, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan sent shockwaves across the golfing world when he shook hands with PIF chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan. The duo would announce a merger deal between the PGA Tour and PIF, seemingly ending the civil war of golf. However, since then there has been a long delay in this deal to get finalized. Tiger Woods has now shed light on this deal.

The world of golf was left fractured when a PIF-funded tour, LIV Golf was announced. After bickering with each other for two years, the top bosses of the two tours decided to come together and unite the game of golf.

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Following that, several memos have been released saying the deal is almost done. Fast forward from June 2023 to December 2024, and there is no final agreement yet. This delay has seen the two bodies receive a lot of backlash.

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In the press conference ahead of the 2024 Hero World Challenge, Woods seemingly explained the reason behind this delay. The 15-time major champion claimed “things are very fluid,” and added that they are still in the hands of the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

I think all of us who have been a part of this process would have thought it would have happened quicker than this. Even if it did, we’re still at the regulations of the DOJ saying it’s giving us Omnium Dominus that it will go through. Even if we had gotten a deal done by now, it’s still in the DOJ’s hands… Things are very fluid we’re still working through it, it’s happening daily.

Tiger Woods said in the Hero World Challenge presser

The DOJ has remained a major obstacle to this deal. Last year, they forced the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to remove the non-solicitation clause which prevented either side from poaching players. Woods is unsure of what kind of structure this deal will take once it gets finalized in the upcoming future.

Recently, there was a report that claimed that the merger deal was finalized with Woods and his TGL partner, Rory McIlroy playing a major part. McIlroy would later dismiss this talk and expressed that he had not heard anything about it.

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Tiger Woods comments on PGA Tour policy board approving reducing field size and exemptions

The PGA Tour policy board recently approved some big decisions. The board agreed to reduce the field size in tournaments and exemptions of players. Tiger Woods would go on to comment on this matter as well.

Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods (Image via Imago)

The golfer joined the tour policy board in August 2023. Since then, he and his fellow board members have made some massive decisions. The reduction of the number of exempt members on the tour is something that has caused a huge uproar.

Each year, the top 125 players in the world rankings are allowed to keep their full status. Going forward this number will come down to 100. Reflecting on this, Woods claimed that it was a unanimous decision by the board as they try to present a better product for the fans.

Well, I think the majority of the tour felt the same way. The PAC was involved. The subcommittees on the PAC were involved. And it was unanimous across the board what we needed to do to present a better product.

Tiger Woods said in the Hero World Challenge press conference
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Woods further emphasized that player equity is now involved after these changes. This would mean that players participating in the events will get well compensated, something that was not done before.