Tiger Woods takes up new PGA Tour role ahead of LIV Golf merger
Tiger Woods has been appointed to the PGA Tour 's Policy Board as a player director, following the American-based circuit's shock agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF).
The deal with PIF, which was announced in June, will see the PGA Tour work alongside former rivals LIV Golf, as well as the DP World Tour, under one entity named 'NewCo'. It appears to have brought to an end a 12-month battle between the Tour and LIV, following the latter's inception in 2022.
On the back of the announcement, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan faced a whole host of criticism from players, with some of golf's biggest names complaining about being left in the dark when it came to the deal.
A day after the PIF framework agreement was confirmed, Monahan held a player meeting where members reportedly called for his resignation. Nearly two months on, it appears the commissioner is looking to rebuild the confidence of his players, with the help of Woods.
On Tuesday, the Tour confirmed Woods had been appointed as the sixth player director to the policy board, joining Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, and Webb Simpson. It was also revealed that the circuit had formed a new agreement in a bid to, "ensure that the Tour lives up to its mission of being a player-driven organisation."
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Tiger Woods will work alongside Rory McIlroy (Getty Images)The move will see players gain more control over the PGA Tour's 'major decisions' following the framework agreement backlash. A statement read: "First, the players and Commissioner Monahan will work together to amend the Policy Board’s governing documents to make it clear that no major decision can be made in the future without the prior involvement and approval of the Player Directors."
Woods himself has remained quiet on the back of the proposed merger with LIV Golf, having been a strong critic of the Saudi-backed series. previously. On taking on his new role, the 82-time PGA Tour winner said: "I am honored to represent the players of the PGA Tour.
"This is a critical point for the Tour, and the players will do their best to make certain that any changes that are made in Tour operations are in the best interest of all Tour stakeholders, including fans, sponsors and players. The players thank commissioner Monahan for agreeing to address our concerns, and we look forward to being at the table with him to make the right decisions for the future of the game that we all love. He has my confidence moving forward with these changes.”
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