Tiger Woods insists the ultimate goal remains to have the Saudi Public Investment Fund – which finances LIV Golf – as “part of our tour.”
But the 15-time major winner believes the PGA Tour does not need to make a deal with the Saudis following its recent investment deal with Strategic Sports Group.
Speaking before this week’s Genesis Invitational, where he will make his first start in an official PGA Tour event since last year’s Masters, tournament host Woods broke his silence on the SSG deal, which was announced just over two weeks ago.
The deal, which could pump more than $3 billion into the profitable PGA Tour Enterprises, has thrown into doubt the future of the framework deal struck last summer with Saudi-backed PIF.
“At the end of the day, we’re trying to provide the best entertainment, and to do that you have to have the best players playing,” Woods said.
Tiger Woods says the goal remains to have the Public Investment Fund as “part of our tour.”
“Ultimately, we would like PIF to be part of our tour and part of our product.”
But Woods, who serves as a director on the board, added: “Financially, we’re not doing that at this point, and the monies that they brought to the table and that we initially agreed to in the framework agreement, those are all the same Numbers.
‘Anything beyond that will be clearly ‘above and beyond’. We’re in a position now, hopefully we can make our product better in the short and long term.”
Woods said discussions with PIF are ongoing and remain “fluid.” There are also daily emails and conversations about opportunities to rejoin the PGA Tour for those who have signed with LIV Golf.
It was a fierce debate among the players, whose opinions range from allowing LIV players to play without consequences to those who believe there should be some sort of punishment involved.
Woods played alongside NFL quarterback Josh Allen at the Genesis Invitational Pro-Am
The pair also played with Los Angeles Angels midfielder Aaron Hicks (center)
“We’re looking at all the different models for pathways back,” Woods said. “What that looks like, what the impact is for the players who stayed and those who didn’t leave and how we can make our product better in the future, there is no answer at the moment.
‘We are looking at different degrees of ideas and we don’t know what that will look like in the short term. We don’t even know what that looks like in the longer term. Believe me, there are daily, weekly emails and conversations about this and what this looks like for our future tour.”
One of the many disruptive aspects that LIV has introduced to the professional game is the aspect of team golf. Once reserved for biennial events like the Ryder and Presidents Cups, LIV is the first tour to embrace team golf at its core.
Woods believes the PGA Tour will also add an element of team golf in the future. That could come in the form of one-off events like the TMRW golf league he founded and Rory McIlroy debuting in 2025, with the possible addition of official tournaments.
What form that ultimately takes will be part of what SSG brings to the table, as the group is a consortium of US sports team owners and investors.
“Ultimately, we would like PIF to be part of our tour and part of our product,” Woods said
“(Team golf is) one of the reasons we have SSG to be part of what that could potentially look like or what that might even look like or what that might even look like with our PIF negotiations,” Woods said.
“They are incredible leaders. At a time when we need great leadership in the future, I think this brings that to light. The great brain of ideas that can make this tour even better and we’re looking forward to that.’
With the professional golf landscape still fragmented and no clear end in sight, Woods was asked why fans should be excited about what lies ahead.
“We want to have the history, the history and the traditions of the history of our tour and have the trails, accessibility, all the intangibles that have made the PGA Tour what it is today and what it has been, and hopefully what will it will get even better.
‘And how do we do that? That’s the whole idea of why we have a group like SSG to provide us with information and help and try to create the best tour we can possibly have.”