Are We, Can We Be Closer To An Agreement?

There have been a few updates over the last few days regarding the PGA Tour and LIV.  The President is involved in both of the stories.

We’ll start with the story that broke last week about the trip Commissioner Jay Monahan, Adam Scott and apparently Tiger Woods made to Washington to lobby the President for his help in getting the agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV over the finish line.  During the campaign, the President, an avid golfer said he could get this cleared up in fifteen minutes.  I don’t know if the Commissioner, Scott and Woods left the Oval with answers, but they did leave feeling better about the situation.

Then, over the weekend, Brandel Chamblee from the Golf Channel, one of the most vocal opponents of LIV seemed to change his tune at bit.  Brandel said that he played golf with the President last year at some point, and on many occasions during the round, Trump used the time to lobby Chamblee on the long term benefits of a deal, saying that Trump was sincere and very convincing when trying to explain to Chamblee that Yassir  Al-Rumayyan, the Governor of the Public Investment Funds of Saudi Arabia is genuine when it comes to his love of the game.  He also explained to Chamblee that the Saudi’s are serious when it comes to wanting to divest their portfolio into a wide and various options.  He seemed to score points with Chamblee.

Adding to that, the USGA, one of the two governing bodies in the game announced that they were creating pathways for LIV players to play in, and qualify for upcoming US Opens, beginning with this year’s Open at Oakmont.

All that being said, whether it’s the financial or moral issues, the men’s professional game needs to get this settled and put this issue behind it.  The noise is distracting.  There are players on LIV, not many, but enough that are missed out on the PGA Tour.  Their return would be welcomed.  It will happen.  It’s too important to the game, not too. Parameters have been reported; we seem to be right there.  Support and input from the President might be just the thing to get us there.