Golf mayhem to end as Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods ‘help seal £1bn deal’

The PGA Tour is reportedly close to a £1 billion deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund that could end golf’s civil war.

LIV Golf, which is funded by the Saudis, has caused widespread disruption in recent years by luring some of the best golfers away from the PGA Tour with lucrative deals.

LIV Golf came out three years ago and made a dent in professional golfCredit: Getty

It led to a fractured professional game – with defecting stars like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau banned from PGA Tour events.

After years of bad blood, the Tour announced a shock framework agreement with PIF in June 2023, but little progress was completed following a merger of operations agreement.

Now according Sun.the two sides are on the verge of a stunning understanding.

It is claimed the Saudis will invest £1bn in PGA Tour Enterprises – a new for-profit set up last year.

This will give the PIF an 11% stake in the Tour, along with two seats on its board – including the role of chairman.

PGA Tour Enterprises is already supported by Strategic Sports Group – a consortium of American sports team owners and investors led by Fenway Sports Group – worth £2.3bn.

The PIF boasts assets of £720 billion, making them a powerful ally, although questions remain over their motives in the world of sport amid allegations of “sports laundering”.

The Saudis have already made significant inroads into football, boxing, Formula 1 and tennis – but golf has proved harder to crack due to fierce pushback from the establishment.

A deal has yet to be confirmed and must be ratified by PGA Tour players.

However, with Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods playing a significant role in the negotiations, it would probably be a formality.

McIlroy and Woods have been LIV Golf's fiercest critics, but are now working on a deal with the Saudis. — McIlroy and Woods have been LIV Golf’s fiercest critics, but are now working on a deal with the Saudis.Credit: Getty

McIlroy and Woods, golf’s two biggest stars, were part of a PGA Tour sub-committee responsible for talks with key PIF figures, including LIV Golf founder Yasir Al Rumayyan.

It remains unclear what the PGA Tour and LIV Golf programs will look like — and change — if a deal is struck.

The two circuits could compliment each other in the future, opening up the possibility for golfers to play both, while McIlroy’s dream of a “world tour” with the game’s elite could come true.

Rory McIlroy has a drinking ritual that has seen him down Jagerbombs to drown the pains of the Masters.

However, those scenarios still seem a long way off, and fans face a long road back to a truly united golf world.

The US Department of Justice is investigating legal issues related to possible antitrust violations after PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan admitted a deal would help put a direct rival out of business.

Tourism officials were also questioned by the US Senate last year about their decision to work with the Saudis.

While McIlroy and Woods sought a solution, not all players were so keen to welcome back the LIV Golf rebels, some of whom sued the Tour on their way out.

Many loyal players have stressed that they must be “whole” to reject lucrative offers from LIV Golf – if the rebels who took the money are prepared to return without consequences.

A £1.2bn fund is understood to have been set up to reward players for staying on the PGA Tour.