PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan (left) is paired with PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan (right) this week.
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Negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which runs LIV Golf, continue to drag on, but the hot pairings at this week’s DP World Tour event could be a hint that a final deal between the warring parties is in the offing. threshold. .
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship wraps up this week in Scotland, where star pros will compete alongside family members and celebrities in a simultaneous pro-am across historic courses: St. Andrews’ Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.
Rory McIlroy usually plays every year with his father, Gerry. But key figures on both sides of the PGA Tour-PIF feud are also playing this week.
Commissioner of the PGA Tour Jay Monahan will team him up with American professional Billy Horschel. Yasir Al-Rumayjangovernor of the PIF, is also playing the event, joining LIV Golf pro Dean Burmester.
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Whether by chance or design, Horschel and Burmester have been paired together for Thursday’s opening round, teeing off at 4 a.m. ET (9 a.m. local time). That means their pro-am partners, Monahan and Al-Rumayyan, will also play each other on day one.
For Friday’s second round, Horschel and McIlroy will be paired together, giving the four-time winner time to strategize with Monahan.
The doubles wonder continues on Saturday, when McIlroy will play alongside Burmester and Rumayyan.
Additionally, in all three of those rounds, the two groups will play back-to-back pairings, potentially giving them extra time to negotiate while waiting on the tees together.
While no details of a final deal between the Tour and the PIF have been released, talks appear to be heating up.
At the tournament championship in August, Monahan admitted as muchsaying, “We are at the table and are actively engaged with the Public Investment Fund. We remain hopeful for this result. But at the same time, we’re moving forward quickly and focused on what we can control, because that’s what we owe to our fans.”
The parties then reportedly held secret talks in New York City in September.
McIlroy, who was initially a vocal critic of LIV Golf, admitted regret for his involvement in the conflict in Mayand expressed a desire to see a final agreement finalized between the two parties.
“My whole thing is I’m disappointed in what’s been done – not the game of golf, the game of golf will be fine – but men’s professional golf and the kind of division we have at the moment,” McIlroy said ahead. of the RBC Canadian Open. “Hopefully we’re on a path to sort it out and get it back together, but, yeah, I mean, hindsight is always 20/20, but in hindsight I wish I hadn’t been so deeply involved how long have i been .
