Report: Vengeful and punitive PGA Tour committed to slow-playing PIF deal

The PGA Tour remains committed to 'slow-playing' a deal with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, according to a report. 

The claim was made by Tron Carter in the latest episode of the No Laying Up podcast. 

They discussed last week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where two men centrally involved in talks aimed at ending the split in the men's game were present. 

Related:

• Which players earned 2025 PGA Tour cards?

Of course, they were referring to LIV chairman and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. 

Monahan and Al-Rumayyan were pictured laughing, smiling and hugging. 

European Tour Group chief executive Guy Kinnings was also in Scotland. 

It truly was a remarkable spectacle given the events that have transpired in the game since June 2022 when LIV upset the status quo. 

Rory McIlroy, who played in the same group as LIV's mastermind at the Dunhill, suggested a deal could be agreed by the end of the year. 

"There's no better place than the home of golf to try and get everyone together and talking," McIlroy said. 

Despite signs on the surface that tensions are continually thawing, Carter claimed that the Tour want to slow-play the peace agreement. 

Monahan and Al-Rumayyan were architects of the 6 June 2023 framework agreement which ended the expensive litigation between the parties. 

There is a punitive and vengeful aspect to negotiations, he said. 

He said: "I think the other thing just with the... it seems like the Tour is trying to slow play this until the start of 2025.

"Like, they do not want anything to happen until the start of 2025, which is so tough to square with all of the grandstanding or the [claims] that all of this is so complicated.

"I don't think they [the PGA Tour], want to even start the process of bringing everybody back together until it's like for 2026, I think." 

Podcast host Chris Solomon questioned whether this was for contractual reasons. 

Several high-profile players, such as Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau's contracts are due to expire at the end of next year.

DeChambeau, in particular, has expressed his desire to play in certain Tour events in the future. 

Perhaps the PGA Tour could convince some golfers to return and hope their once bitter rival fades away. 

"I think that's part of it [and] some of it is punitive," Carter added. 

"These guys [the players who left for LIV] screwed some of their peers over. 

"You know, [they are thinking] some of them need to be kind of cast aside and rendered without a place to play."

It's likely he was referring to the 11 golfers who sued the PGA Tour over their suspensions. 

Carter explained that there also may be issues with eligibility. 

He added: "That's what I've heard from people at the Tour all along, like it's wait until 2025 [but] there is a punitive, vengeful aspect of this."

What do you make of this topic?

Do you think a deal will be agreed soon?

Get involved by sending us a comment on X or join us on Facebook.

Watched our latest YouTube video?