REPORT: Jordan Spieth provides bold LIV Golf merger CLAIMS after Rory McIlroy rejection
Doubt had been cast over the PGA Tour’s ongoing discussions with their Saudi Arabian rivals, but player director Jordan Spieth has provided a positive update on negotiations
Jordan Spieth believes a peace deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf will allow the sport to become ‘the best it has ever been’, after providing an update on the circuit’s negotiations with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF).
The world of golf was left in shock last June, after the PGA Tour announced it had reached a framework agreement with PIF to bring an end to the ugly split within professional golf. Almost one year on though the two sides are still yet to finalise a deal, with doubt recently growing over the prospect of a peace agreement.
One man central to the negotiations was Jimmy Dunne, however he opted to resign from the PGA Tour’s policy board earlier this month, due to a lack of ‘meaningful progress toward the transaction’ being made.
Tour star Spieth has had some involvement in the off-course politics having become a player director. And on Wednesday, the American played down Dunne’s recent claims, shedding a positive light on the proposed deal. “I think, and I said it last week, I think the narrative that things are in a bad place and are moving slowly and, you know, some of the things that are asked to me or said are untrue,” he said ahead of the Charles Schwab Challenge.
“I think that I — I know that it’s false, actually. Things are actually moving positively from both sides. I think ultimately we’ll end up in a place where professional golf is maybe the best that it’s ever been. I think both sides believe that. I think although there’s always frustrations I think in deal making.
“I’m not a part of the deal making. From what I do know, it’s cordial, there’s open dialog, and it’s moving along at the pace that it’s moving along. Anything else that’s said about it is just, I just know to be false. So I’m very optimistic I think is what I would say out of all of it.
“I think that’s starting to resonate amongst players as they’re able to get more and more information on the matter and it will continue to get more and more information over the coming months.” One man who offered his services to the Tour’s policy board in order to aid the deal along was Rory McIlroy.
The Northern Irishman had initially resigned as a player director last November, but had shown interest to make a return in recent weeks. This however was rejected by his fellow players, with reports suggesting Spieth was one of those opposing McIlroy’s comeback, as well as Tiger Woods and Patrick Cantlay.
McIlroy addressed the rejection on the way to winning the Wells Fargo Championship for a fourth time earlier this month. “I think it [conversations] got pretty complicated and pretty messy,” McIlroy said at Quail Hollow. “I think with the way it happened, I think it opened up some old wounds and scar tissue from things that have happened before.”
