Golf’s Civil War doesn’t seem any closer to a conclusion than when it started.
It has been a year and a half since the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced a framework agreement for the pair to work on creating a for-profit entity to reunite men’s professional golf.
That was June 6, 2023. As of December 2024, no agreement has been made, and even Woods didn’t anticipate negotiations to continue into a third year.
“I think all of us who have been a part of this process would have thought it would have happened quicker than this,” Woods said Tuesday at his pre-tournament news conference ahead of the 2024 Hero World Challenge. “Even if we had gotten a deal done by now, it’s still in the DOJ’s hands, but we wish we would have had something more concrete and further along than we are right now.
“But things are very fluid, we’re still working through it, it’s happening daily. From a policy board standpoint or from an enterprise standpoint, things are moving and they’re constructive. But yes, definitely moving.”
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Still, questions remain as to whether a deal is every going to come to fruition. Just last week, reports came out that the PIF is working on negotiating a deal with the DP World Tour, and LIV Golf continues to negotiate with PGA Tour players ahead of the 2025 season for both leagues.
Yet Woods, who isn’t playing this week as he continues to recover from back surgery in September, preached patience.
“This is an active negotiation and things are happening daily, weekly and it’s evolving,” Woods said. “We all want to get past this and to do what’s best for the Tour and in trying to do that, there’s going to be — some eggs are going to be knocked over and it’s going to be a little bit difficult at times, but in the end we’re going to get a product that’s better for all the fans and all the players that are involved and get some peace that the game desperately needs.”
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Sitting next to Woods for his news conference was Dr. Pawan Munjal, the executive chairman of Hero MotoCorp. Hero is a major sponsor in the world of golf. The duo announced Tuesday an extension until 2030 for Hero to sponsor the World Challenge.
In addition, Hero also sponsors events on the DP World Tour, LPGA, Indian Tour and more. That has made it difficult for numerous sponsors, including Hero.
“The game is not benefiting, the players are not benefiting,” Munjal said. “What has to happen is everyone gets back together and the game moves on, the players move on, the sponsors move on. There is confusion for the sponsors as well right now, what to do, where to go, how to look at the future. The future is uncertain, which is not a good thing.”
Although Woods says sides are progressing, it seems a deal isn’t coming before the end of the year.
However, that doesn’t mean unity isn’t approaching.
“I think something will get done. In what form or shape, I don’t know yet,” Woods said.