[Photo: Getty images]
Two of the greatest golfers in history have sounded off on drawn-out attempts to unify the PGA Tour and LIV Golf as something they can’t see going ahead.
Jack Nicklaus, a record six-time Masters winner, and Tom Watson, twice a winner at Augusta National, were asked by reporters to gaze into a crystal ball regarding golf’s framework agreement, originally crafted on June 6, 2023. That was when PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan announced the two rival parties would attempt to unify professional golf.
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As a quick refresher, the PIF expressed interest in becoming an investor in the newly-created PGA Tour Enterprises to the tune of a reported $US1.5 billion. But it’s been almost two years since the agreement and nothing has materialised. Recently, that apparent impasse was made obvious when The Guardian UK reported the PGA Tour recently responded to a letter from the PIF that sought reassurances from Ponte Vedra headquarters that Al-Rumayyan would take a co-chairman role and that LIV Golf would be allowed to continue in its current, 14-event structure. Al-Rumayyan is a lover of team golf and wants LIV Golf to continue exploring new or underutilised markets around the world.
Superstars and major winners such as Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson are among those who play on LIV Golf. While the league has struggled to gain traction in the US, it has created a highly-successful event in Australia with LIV Adelaide and several popular events globally such as LIV Golf UK and in Spain at Valderrama. This year, more than 100,000 fans came through the gates for the three-day Adelaide tournament at The Grange Golf Club.
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At Augusta National, Watson, an eight-time major champion, joined Nicklaus and Gary Player at a press conference for the Masters honorary first tee shot participants moments before the 89th Masters began Thursday morning (late Thursday night AEST).
“They [LIV golfers] made their choice to play their own tour, and that’s where they are right now,” Watson said. “I don’t see a real working mechanism for the two tours to get back together. I think that’s one of the reasons you haven’t seen an agreement. The one thing I do know is that Scottie Scheffler in his speech at the past champions dinner on Tuesday night said, I’m glad we’re all together again. So the players would like to get together.”
Nicklaus, Watson and Player at Augusta National on day one of the 2025 Masters. Picture: Masters Tournament
There was speculation LIV golfers may be able to participate in some PGA Tour events in addition to their 14-tournament LIV schedule.
“But it’s really up to the powers that be to see if there’s a framework in which the two tours can cooperate,” Watson said. “I don’t see that framework happening. Maybe they’re smarter people than I am, but the key element of the PGA Tour, the one thing that is required of you is to get permission to play in a conflicting event rule. That’s there to protect the [corporate] sponsors of our PGA Tour so that the fields are not depleted of all the good players as they go and play other tournaments. Over the years, I got special exemptions, maybe twice a year, once a year, got permission of the Tour to be able to compete in a tournament that’s opposite the PGA Tour, and that’s the reason. I don’t see that the two tours can get together.”
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Nicklaus, an 18-time major champion, said he would “love” to see the best players come together more often than just the four majors but believed the PGA Tour would remain “healthy” with or without an agreement.
“Well, I think the LIV pushed the PGA Tour into doing some things that were a little premature for the PGA Tour,” Nicklaus said. “But the PGA Tour is doing fine. I think they’ve changed their structure. The players now own a piece of what’s going on. I think their plan of bringing along with their elevated events and their plan of bringing young players along in the other tournaments has been very successful. We’re making new stars for the game.
“Would I love to see them all come together? Sure, I think we all would. But I think the PGA TOUR is the Tour, and that’s where most of your good players are, and I think it’s very healthy no matter which way it goes, but obviously we’d all like to see everybody together.”
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