With rumors swirling about the state of a possible deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi Public Investment Fund, Rory McIlroy said Wednesday that the Tour doesn’t necessarily need to come to an agreement — but it still remains the “ideal scenario.”
Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said that the circuit is not expected to announce a deal at next week’s Players Championship and that there is not yet another scheduled meeting between the Tour, Saudis and President Trump, who has been active in the negotiations over the past month.
Monahan said Tuesday that he views the Feb. 20 meeting in the White House as a “huge step,” though they appear no closer to a formal agreement.
McIlroy, who was not part of the meeting with Trump and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, said that the “landscape might have looked a little different” a few weeks ago when he spoke about the need to put aside any hard feelings and move forward with reunification in mind.
“I think the narrative around golf would welcome a deal in terms of just having all the best players together again. But I don’t think the PGA Tour needs a deal,” he said, citing improving TV ratings and TGL’s addition to the golf ecosystem, before adding: “I think it would still be the ideal scenario for golf as a whole. But from a pure PGA Tour perspective, I don’t think it necessarily needs it.”
Asked about the apparent shift in tone over the past few weeks, McIlroy said: “Look, I think it takes two to tango. So if one party is willing and ready, and the other isn’t, it sort of makes it tough.”
Al-Rumayyan has not spoken publicly about a possible deal, other than to remark last month in Miami that talks between the two warring sides and Trump have been positive.
When asked if the deal now feels further away, McIlroy said with a chuckle: “I don’t think it’s ever felt that close, but it doesn’t feel like it’s any closer.”
