LIV golf turn to Newcastle director Amanda Staveley in bid to broker peace talks with the PGA Tour
LIV golf turns to Newcastle managing director Amanda Staveley to broker peace talks with the PGA Tour… after the financier played a vital role in the Saudi-backed takeover of the Premier League club
- Amanda Staveley is seen as a potential civil war peace broker in gulf
- The Newcastle United director attended the Masters in Augusta last month
- LIV Golf and PGA Tour have been embroiled in bitter litigation over the past year
LIV Golf has turned to Amanda Staveley in an ambitious bid to soothe relations with their sworn enemies on the PGA Tour.
Mail Sport can reveal that the Newcastle United director, who has been central to bringing Saudi Arabian fortunes to the Premier League club, is seen as a potential peacemaker for golf’s controversial civil war escape circuit.
It’s clear that Staveley attended the Masters in Augusta last month, though it’s unclear whether her efforts have made any progress so far at a time when the PGA Tour and LIV are embroiled in bitter litigation.
Staveley’s has close ties to LIV due to their support through the Saudi Kingdom Public Investment Fund, whose governor is Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the chairman of Newcastle.
Al-Rumayyan has been the driving force behind LIV’s meteoric rise in the golf scene, with the Saudis spending more than $2 billion to date to bring in some of the world’s leading talent, including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith and Brooks Koepka. playing this week at the US PGA Championship.
Newcastle managing director Amanda Staveley is seen as a potential peace broker in the Gulf civil war
The impact of their entry into the sport has been spectacular, with golf fragmented beyond recognition and the PGA Tour forced into a costly restructuring to prevent further loss of talent.
In the current climate, in which a U.S. District Court judge has upheld a motion by PGA Tour attorneys to compel Al-Rumayyan to submit to discovery in their antitrust suit, there seems little chance that the parties will reach an agreement.
However, there is a growing view in the sport that compromise will eventually be necessary for both sides to move forward and sources say Staveley is seen by the Saudis as able to bring disparate factions to the table.
LIV has been contacted for comment.