Tiger Woods is expected to be a part of a meeting with the PGA Tour Player Directors and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) at TPC Sawgrass on Monday
Tiger Woods could well be set for an awkward encounter with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) ahead of Monday’s crunch meeting.
With negotiations between the PGA Tour and the Saudi fund appearing to lack momentum in recent months, the players from the American-based circuit are set to come to the table to join discussions, with Patrick Cantlay confirming the meeting will take place at TPC Sawgrass tomorrow.
“I imagine I’ll do a lot more listening than talking. I’m excited to hear what I will learn and I’ll have a lot more information after,” Cantlay said after the Players Championship on Sunday.
“Well, I’ve got to hear out what they have to say and I will always do my best to represent the entire membership whenever I am in a meeting in that capacity… More information is always better. I doubt we’ll get into anything substantive in the first meeting, just more of a meet and greet.
“My role is always to represent the entire membership to the best of my ability. If there’s a deal that could be struck that’s in the best interest of the entire membership, I’m all for it. And, if there’s not, there’s not.”
Despite his absence from this week’s event, it is expected that Woods will attend Monday’s meeting with the Saudis. Speaking at last week’s Genesis Invitational, the 15-time major champion revealed he remained open to aligning with their LIV Golf rivals, but admitted that after striking a deal with the US-based investor Strategic Sports Group (SSG) in January, they no longer need the financial help of PIF.
Woods previously sounded off on PIF investment
“Well, the PIF deal obviously is ongoing. SSG, we have solidified our agreement with them and PIF is still ongoing and we’re still negotiating,” Woods said last month. “Ultimately we would like to have PIF be a part of our Tour and a part of our product.
“Financially, we don’t right now, and the monies that they have come to the table with and what we initially had agreed to in the framework agreement, those are all the same numbers. Anything beyond this is going to be obviously over and above. We’re in a position right now, hopefully we can make our product better in the short term and long term.”
Whether Monday’s meeting will change Woods’ mindset remains to be seen, but his opinion on the deal is no doubt an important one amid his stature in the game. With his on-course efforts now limited on the back of a number of fitness issues, Woods has since taken on more responsibility off the course after being appointed to the PGA Tour’s Policy Board last summer.