PGA Tour hit hard: “Still, partnership negotiations with Saudi A
Rahm (left), who suddenly moved to LIV Golf, and LIV Golf Commissioner Greg Norman.
Jon Lam"s (Spain) transfer to LIV Golf was a surprise to the PGA Tour.
This is because the PGA Tour lowered its guard against LIV Golf after deciding to partner with Saudi Arabia"s sovereign wealth fund (PIF), which effectively owns LIV Golf.
Since Rahm is a member of the PGA Tour"s "big three" along with Scotty Scheffler (USA) and Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), the shock and blow of his transfer to LIV Golf is serious.
Moreover, Ram"s transfer is raising concerns about chain transfers.
Immediately there were rumors of Tony Finau (USA) transferring to LIV.
When reporters asked if Finau was moving to LIV Golf, Finau avoided giving a definitive answer, which seems to have further amplified the transfer rumors.
However, the PGA Tour, which tried to take a calm stance and said, "We cannot argue with the choices of individual players," announced on the 11th (Korean time), "The policy board unanimously selected an external investment group to conduct additional negotiations with the PIF." .
The Policy Board is the highest-level decision-making body on the PGA Tour, and 6 of the 12 members are players.
Tiger Woods (USA) is the central figure of the player committee.
This announcement from the policy board can be read as a sign that negotiations with PIF will proceed even with the loss of players from LIV Golf, such as Lam"s transfer and Finau"s additional transfer.
“We are confident that this will result in a positive outcome for both the players and the PGA Tour,” the policy board added in a memo to players.