PGA Tour board urges unity as rumors swirl over more LIV acquisitions

The PGA Tour Policy Board sent out a two-page memo to the tour's members late Friday night encouraging unity and a willingness to negotiate with potential investors amid a flurry of rumors that suggest that LIV Golf is looking to add to its player pool.

Following the second round of the Hero World Challenge in Albany, Bahamas, Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Charley Hoffman, Patrick Cantlay, Webb Simpson and Peter Malnati — the board's player directors — distributed the memo, addressing "speculation in our game" while providing updates on talks with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

Adam Scott also signed off on the letter. Scott is set to replace Hoffman at the beginning of 2024.

"With the 2024 season just around the corner and with so much speculation in our game, we wanted to speak to you directly," the memo said. "Since Tiger joined the policy board on Aug 1, the player directors have been doing everything we can to ensure the PGA Tour is best positioned to thrive for decades to come.

"We have learned a lot, and we are encouraged by progress on multiple fronts."

As outlined in a framework agreement, Saudi Arabia's PIF is supposed to complete an investment agreement with the PGA Tour by the end of 2023. The Saudi PIF finances LIV Golf, which has attracted stars like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson to jump ship and make the move from the PGA Tour.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has a meeting scheduled this week with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia's PIF.

"I'll be with Yasir, and we continue to advance our conversations," said Monahan.

"And I think it's pretty well known that there's a large number of other interested parties that we're also pushing to think about."

Those other interested parties included Fenway Sports Group and investment firm KKR and Co.

Bloomberg News reported last week that those two groups won't be investing.

Rory backs the ball

With the United States Golf Association (USGA) and Royal & Ancient (R&A) reportedly set to announce a universal rollback of the standard golf ball, Rory McIlroy is among those who are defending the governing bodies.

The four-time major champion voiced his opinions of the rollback in a social media post on Sunday.

"I don't understand the anger "about the rollback, McIlroy wrote in part. "It will make no difference whatsoever to the average golfer and puts golf back on a path of sustainability. It will also help bring back certain skills in the pro game that have been eradicated over the past two decades."

The rollback of the golf ball to reduce distances for professional and amateur players alike — a topic of discussion in the sport for months on end — will be formalized in an announcement from the USGA and R&A next week, Golf Digest reported on Friday.

Golf balls will be tested at a new swing speed of 125 mph (201 kph), rather than the old 120 mph standard. The balls must not surpass the distance limit of 317 yards (290 meters) despite this change, as Golf Digest explained. Therefore, manufacturers of golf balls will be expected to change their design to conform with the new testing standard.

McIlroy feels those who don't like the new rules should not be upset with the USGA and R&A, but rather the "elite pros and club/ball manufacturers because they didn't want bifurcation". He claimed the governing bodies presented bifurcation as an option — one set of rules for pros, another for the average weekend amateur.

"Elite pros and ball manufacturers think bifurcation would negatively affect their bottom lines, when in reality, the game is already bifurcated," he said. "You think we play the same stuff you do? They put pressure on the governing bodies to roll it back to a lesser degree for everyone. Bifurcation was the logical answer for everyone, but yet again in this game, money talks."

Reuters