Rory McIlroy to join Tiger Woods at PGA Tour, Saudi negotiations

Rory McIlroy will play somewhat of a role in the PGA Tour’s negotiations with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) after all.

Following his opening round at the Wells Fargo Championship, where he carded a 4-under 67, McIlroy revealed that he had joined the PGA Tour Enterprises Transaction Subcommittee.

“I’m not on the [PGA Tour Policy] Board, but I’m somehow involved in that transaction committee,” McIlroy explained.

“I don’t have a vote, so I don’t have a meaningful say in what happens in the future, but at least I can—I feel like I can be helpful on that committee, and that was sort of a compromise for not getting a board seat.”

Late Wednesday, a report indicated that Tiger Woods would serve as the lone player on this subcommittee, joining PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, player liaison Joe Ogilvie, Fenway Sports Chair John Henry, and PGA Tour Enterprises Chair and Valero Energy Executive Joe Gorder.

Photo by Ben Jared/PGA Tour via Getty Images

But now it appears McIlroy and Adam Scott will join this subcommittee, which will guide negotiations between the PGA Tour and the Saudi PIF—the beneficiary of LIV Golf.

“I’ve already had calls with that group,” McIlroy added.

“I had a really good hour and a half Zoom with those guys on Sunday; we went through a 150-page doc about the future product model and everything.”

Reports earlier in the week indicated that Woods, Jordan Spieth, and Patrick Cantlay did not accept McIlroy’s plea to rejoin the PGA Tour Policy Board, from which he resigned in November. A report also indicated that Woods and McIlroy’s relationship had strained, a point the four-time major winner shot down after his round at Quail Hollow Thursday.

“I think friends can have disagreements or not see eye to eye on things but have disagreements on things. I think that’s fine,” McIlroy said when asked about his relationship with Woods.

“We had a really good talk last Friday for 45 minutes just about a lot of different things. No, there’s no strain there. We might see the future of golf a little bit differently, but I don’t think that should place any strain on a relationship or on a friendship.”

McIlroy said on Wednesday that he has grown “impatient” with the delay in negotiations between the Tour and the PIF. Professional golf remains divided, with dozens of major champions playing on separate tours. Hence, the Northern Irishman expressed a desire to jump back on the board to help aid discussions and hopefully unite golf once again.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

But to do so, McIlroy would have had to replace board member Webb Simpson.

“I don’t necessarily think or believe that people didn’t want me involved. It was more just the process of how I could get involved again, right? The board has gone through this massive eight-month governance review, and what happened with Webb and I and that whole thing was outside of the scope of the governance, right? So, what’s the process for trying to bring me back in? That was really the sticking point with it all,” McIlroy further explained.

“We tried to get to a compromise where I stuck my hand up and said, ‘Look, I can be helpful if this is what Webb wants to do.’ It was really tricky to do that, so I’m involved in the transaction committee, and that’s basically to try to get this deal done with PIF. I feel like I’ve got good relationships on both sides there, and hopefully, I can bring something to the table and try to provide some insight and value and see if we can get this thing done.”

The PGA Tour and the PIF struck a framework agreement on June 6, 2023, nearly one year ago. That bombshell deal signaled a possible unification between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, but a finalized agreement remains abstract.

Perhaps McIlroy’s inclusion within the subcommittee could make this concept a reality. Or professional golf will continue as a soap opera like it has this week in Charlotte.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.