Overview
- Tiger Woods met with President Trump, Saudi PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, and PGA Tour officials at the White House to revive merger discussions between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
- Trump has traveled to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, to advocate for a merger under PGA Tour-dictated terms, sidelining LIV Golf’s future role.
- The Saudi-backed LIV Golf league has faced significant financial losses, reportedly burning through $5 billion with limited sponsorships and low U.S. viewership.
- The PGA Tour strengthened its position in January 2024 with a $3 billion deal involving Strategic Sports Group, complicating negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s PIF.
- U.S. Department of Justice antitrust scrutiny and internal disputes have delayed progress on a merger framework since mid-2023, leaving the parties at an impasse.