26 December 2023 , 19:01
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Tiger Woods will have a say on LIV Golf rebels participating in PGA Tour events if the breakaway league and the tour can reach a commercial agreement before the end of this year.
Woods, 47, was named as a player director on the tour's policy board earlier this summer in response to the surprise announcement of the Framework Agreement. The PGA Tour described the move as making the organisation more "player-driven" at the time.
He joined Charley Hoffman, Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, Jordan Spieth and Webb Simpson, making it so player-directors now outnumber independent directors on the board. Those six have the access and the authority to pass any potential changes as part of the merger discussions.
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Such amendments could include clauses allowing LIV players to compete in PGA Tour events. However, time is against them, as their self-imposed New Year's Eve deadline is looming, with a meeting allegedly set on the day itself.
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PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan recently described that date as a "firm target" for a merger to happen by. Woods has since reiterated that stance. "As of right now, (December 31) is our time frame and our deadline. That hasn't changed," he said last week.
"We're trying to get a deal done with all of the different entities that we have going on here." He then mentioned the involvement of Strategic Sports Group, whom the PGA Tour are in talks with over potentially becoming a co-investor.
Woods has become increasingly vocal about the merger process over recent weeks and months"SSG has come into the mix now," Woods added. "They obviously have a lot of equity and a lot of name investors that have the same alignment that we have, and we are all heading in the right direction," Woods added.
However, in late November, he had sounded less sure that something would transpire this year. “I'm pleased to add the process and frustrated in some of the slowness and governance change that we want to happen.
"December 31 is coming up quickly. There is a timetable there that we would like to implement some of these changes that haven't taken place. All the parties are talking and aggressively trying to get a deal done. We're trying to make sure the process is better. Implementation of governance.
"Getting the deal done, but getting it done the right way. We have multiple options, we would like a deal done December 31. All parties understand that. There are other options out there.
"As long as a player has input and has faster decisions, as long as the board recognises that. That's one of the key things the player directors have focused on. The entire board has been accepting of that.”
Should a deal be done, it remains unclear what way Woods would lean on the prospect of LIV players participating in PGA Tour events in the New Year. The 2024 schedule starts with the Sentry Tournament of Champions on January 4, which Jon Rahm won last year.