The feud between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf has become so widespread and has had so many ramifications that many in the golf world are feeling overwhelmed by the issue. This Tuesday, Adam Scott tried to take some of the pressure off the issue with a reasoning he came up with after his recent visit to the White House.
As Scott himself shared during the press conference prior to The PLAYERS Championship, meeting with President Donald Trump helped him see the current issues in men’s professional golf from a different perspective.
“It was obvious to me very quickly when they were setting up for the Israeli delegation right after our meeting, and putting like, the Israeli flag and the U.S. flag and getting that room ready, that our conversation was pretty low in the importance of what was happening that day [laughing].”
“And really, the President had far more important things to focus on, and I encouraged him to go and do that well for everyone’s sake after our meeting [smiling].”
Scott visited the White House in February in his role as Player Director, accompanied by PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and fellow Player Director Tiger Woods. The purpose was to meet with President Donald Trump and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of LIV Golf’s primary financial backer, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The meeting was part of a push for momentum in ongoing negotiations between the two institutions. In the aftermath, there have been mixed messages about the outcome of the meeting, with Monahan and Woods saying it had a positive impact, but Scott not so sure.
Speaking from the TPC Sawgrass, the 2013 Masters champion did not rule out the possibility that negotiations could end at a point where there is no full agreement.
“The TOUR’s being very careful and respectful of everyone and wanting to give everyone, the golf fans and the media and the players, the product that they want,” he said.
“But we’re starting from two different sides of this, so I think it’s hard to find the balance that’s acceptable for everybody. And it also may not be ultimately possible.”
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Contacts between the PGA Tour and the PIF have intensified in recent months, but the truth is that there is no end in sight to the negotiations, let alone the possibility of a final agreement.
It is clear that the negotiators have many issues to resolve, including the position of the players. Scott recently stated that not all members of the PGA Tour are comfortable with the idea of players who left for LIV Golf being welcomed back on the American circuit.
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