Paul McGinley believes golf’s civil war could end before the Masters as the game’s major Tours struggle to sustain massive prize fund increases brought about by competition from the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League.
Former World No.1 Tiger Woods said during the CBS broadcast of his Genesis Invitational tournament on Sunday that a deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund was near following recent talks between Commissioner Jay Monahan and Player Director Adam Scott with US President Donald Trump.
“I think we’re in a very positive place right now,” Woods said in San Diego in his first public appearance since the death of his mother.
“We had a meeting with the President. Unfortunately, I had some other circumstances that came up, but Jay and Adam, they did great during the meeting and we have a subsequent meeting coming up.
“I think things are going to heal quickly. We’re going to get this game going in the right direction. It has been headed in the wrong direction for a number of years.
“The fans want all the top players playing together and we’re going to make that happen.”
Speaking at the unveiling of McGinley Golf Design’s plans to create a new course for Balmoral Golf Club at the New Grove Estate, McGinley said a deal with the PIF could be announced before the Masters.
“The best thing for the game is to come together somehow – it’s not going to be easy as we’ve seen. It’s taken a long time to get to where we are, but it sounds like we’re closer now than we ever have been,” McGinley told BBC Sport Northern Ireland.
“It’s not going to start with everybody back as friends – it’ll be a slow process in that regard.
“But the main thing is to find some kind of umbrella that both Tours can work under as well as the DP World Tour and then try to get some kind of schedule out of that.
“There’s going to be something announced, and from what I hear, it’s going to be announced relatively soon, maybe even before the Masters.”
Rory McIlroy, who has been critical of LIV Golf, said at Torrey Pines that players had to move past their objections to welcoming back LIV Golf rebels for the good of the game.
“I think everyone’s just got to get over it, and we all have to say, okay, this is the starting point, and we move forward,” McIlroy said. “We don’t look behind us; we don’t look to the past.
“Whatever’s happened has happened and it’s been unfortunate, but reunification, how we all come back together and move forward, that’s the best thing for everyone.
“If people are butthurt or have their feelings hurt because guys went or whatever, like, who cares?
“Let’s move forward together and let’s just try to get this thing going again and do what’s best for the game.”
McGinley believes the massive increase in purses on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour following the emergence of LIV Golf makes a deal inevitable if the Tours are to remain financially viable.
“The game has got to come together; it’s not sustainable at the moment,” McGinley said. “The prize money is ridiculous. The business model is not producing the money the players are playing for.
“The Saudis have spent $5bn so far with LIV and they’ve got limited traction. The PGA Tour is spending more than they’re bringing in and they’re going to run out of runway there.
“So, the game has got to come back. Nobody’s winning at the moment, except for the players with the huge prize money they’re playing for.
“The sponsors are not winning and the public is not winning because we’re not getting to see these players play together more regularly and TV is not winning.”
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