Rory McIlroy's hope for PGA-LIV Golf merger could come true after Donald Trump meeting
Donald Trump was in attendance at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday night, sitting alongside his son, Elon Musk and Saudi chief Yasir Al-Rumayyan
Rory McIlroy's aspirations for Donald Trump to mediate a deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf may have edged closer to reality, following sightings of the President-elect with Saudi chief Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
McIlroy has openly expressed his hopes that with Trump's election win for a second stint in the Oval Office, an alliance might finally emerge between the clashing golf tours. In Trump's corner is billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, whom McIlroy regards as potentially instrumental in achieving a breakthrough.
"He might be able to. He's got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too," McIlroy commented last week.
"Yeah, I think from the outside looking in, it's probably a little less complicated than it actually is. But obviously, Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia. He's got a great relationship with golf. He's a lover of golf. So, maybe. Who knows? ".
In June 2023, the PGA Tour and the deep-pocketed Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which backs LIV, released details of a preliminary agreement to merge their operations, a move set to enhance competition among leading golfers.
However, despite the initial step forward, ongoing discussions between the parties have yet to materialize into a solid agreement, leaving the merger hanging in the balance.
An expected shift might be just around the corner. Heightened US Government scrutiny from the Department of Justice has overshadowed discussions, but there's a strong buzz that former President Trump's potential return to the Oval Office could pave the way for smoother deal approvals.
Trump's penchant for golf is no secret, with his courses playing host to multiple LIV events in recent years, further highlighting his strengthening bond with Saudi Arabia. This was apparent on Saturday night during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York City when Trump was in attendance alongside his son Donald Jr, Musk, Robert F. Kennedy, and Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the wealthy Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund that funds LIV Golf.
At 78, Trump weighed in on the heated divisions rocking the world of professional golf just ahead of November 5, confidently suggesting he could broker a resolution swiftly, though conceding he had higher priorities if back in power.
"I could probably get it done. I would say it would take me the better part of 15 minutes to get that deal done," Trump stated on the "Let's Go! " podcast hosted by Bill Belichick and Jim Gray. "I'm really going to work on other things, to be honest with you.
"I think we have much bigger problems than that. But I do think we should have one tour, and they should have the best players in that tour."
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