PGA Tour pros strike down the possibility of settling LIV Golf split at St. Andrews

What is the best place to conduct business and negotiate agreements?

Eleven times out of 10, it’s the golf course, where bonds are formed and relationships are strengthened. A round of golf lasts more than four hours, giving you plenty of time to strike up a conversation and perhaps reach a compromise. But it’s also a place that puts people at ease and makes them feel relaxed, perhaps not by their game but by those who accompany them. Laughs are shared, and stories are told, thus leading to a more robust connection. Hence, a golf course pales in comparison to a Manhattan conference room, where PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) Governor Yasir al-Rumayyan last met.

This week, Monahan will tee it up alongside Billy Horschel at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews, a pro-am not dissimilar to the one held in Pebble Beach each February. Al-Rumayyan, meanwhile, will play with LIV Golf’s Dean Burmester, who tied for 12th at the PGA Championship this past May.

Coincidentally, or perhaps not, the DP World Tour paired Horschel, Monahan, al-Rumayyan, and Burmester together on Day One at Carnoustie, as this powerful group will start on the 10th tee at 4 a.m. ET. That led many to suspect a deal between the PGA Tour and the PIF, LIV Golf’s beneficiary, would be made—something the two sides have been working towards since June 2023.

But Horschel shot down that notion on Wednesday.

“One, I don’t think they are going to have any conversation on the golf course about the deal,” Horschel said.

“And two, I believe there’s been goodwill on both sides to make a deal happen over the last 18 months since the [framework] agreement. It may not move as quickly as people want. There are a lot of complicated things to figure out, and there are a lot of things behind the scenes that the public just doesn’t understand and that they can’t comment on.”

Defending champion Matthew Fitzpatrick echoed this sentiment.

“I don’t think they are going to decide the future of golf in five hours around Carnoustie,” Fitzpatrick said.

“I know Carnoustie is pretty bloody hard. Not much time for talking.”

The DP World Tour is not dense, though. After opening with al-Rumayyan and Burmester, Horschel and Monahan will play with Rory McIlroy and his father, Gerry, at Kingsbarns, one of the most underrated courses in Scotland, let alone the world. McIlroy, of course, has advocated for the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to unite, creating a global tour that includes the best players.

McIlroy and Monahan have also had an interesting relationship over the past few years. Before Monahan struck an agreement with the PIF, McIlroy served as the talking head for the PGA Tour, championing its cause while disparaging LIV Golf and everything it stood for. But after Monahan discretely struck a deal with al-Rumayyan and his Saudi contingent, McIlroy admitted to feeling like a “sacrificial lamb.” He has since softened his stance on LIV, and has longed for this schism, which has plagued professional golf since 2022, to come to an end. It’s also worth noting that McIlroy resigned from the PGA Tour Policy Board in November 2023, but then joined the Transactional Subcommittee, which is in place to help get this deal across the finish line, this past spring.

Then, on Day Three, at St. Andrews, Horschel and Monahan will join Louis Oosthuizen and South African Billionaire Johann Rupert. Rupert is a significant reason why the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews is so well attended and received each year. He also supports numerous DP World Tour events in South Africa, typically held in December each year.

Nevertheless, some of the most influential people in the sport will descend upon the home of golf this week. A deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf will not come out of thin air as these powerbrokers navigate the Barry Burn. But maybe a further incentive to strike an agreement will arise. That would help the prospects of ending this divide, at the very least.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.