"I am all for a reconciliation" - Max Homa pushes for resolution between LIV Golf and PGA Tour amid ongoing negotiation challenges
Max Homa, PGA world no. 19, recently shared his thoughts on a potential merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The deal between the two circuits has been in discussion since June 2023, but no conclusion has been reached yet.
Homa recently appeared on the No Laying Up podcast, where he discussed the merger, saying that while he knows it "isn’t happening soon," he believes in the possibility of reconciliation between the two tours. The American golfer also highlighted complications surrounding the deal.
Sharing his opinion about a PGA-LIV Golf merger, Homa said on episode 881 of the podcast :
"I don’t really know good or bad, I just know at best, this isn’t happening soon. That’s a shame...I’m incredibly biased as to who is to blame for that, for the fans, I am. But I am all for a reconciliation. I don’t know what it would look like. It’s definitely really complicated, I’ve talked to Jay a lot, I’m on the pack, we’ve talked about it a ton, what would it even look like, and it’s pretty tough to figure it all out, because they all have their own deals and there teams and stuff, so it’s tricky." (1:04:36)
Notably, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan also recently spoke on the ongoing negotiations between the Tour and LIV Golf’s financial backer, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). He said that he saw "tremendous momentum" in the PGA and conversation between the PGA and PIF officials was part of that.
What has Jay Monahan said about the PGA Tour-PIF deal?
Ahead of last week's FedEx St. Jude Championship, Jay Monahan shared details about the PGA Tour-PIF merger in a press conference. Monahan said (via ASAP Sports):
"We've seen and continue to see a lot more innovation, and certainly the conversations with the Public Investment Fund and then an important part of the journey that we're on this year and that we'll continue to be on, and as I've said before, you've heard some players comment on, we continue to be in regular dialogue. I'm encouraged by that. But I'm really not going to offer more than that and not negotiate in public."
Amidst the ongoing discussions about the PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger, the Tour has also unveiled its schedule for the next season. Meanwhile, both circuits are heading toward the conclusion of the 2024 season.
The Saudi Arabia-backed circuit's players have only one individual event left this season in Chicago before competing in the season-ending Team Championship. On the PGA Tour, the players have already started the FedEx Cup playoffs, with the first leg concluding on Sunday, August 18.
This week, PGA Tour players will compete in the BMW Championship, followed by the final playoff event next week, the Tour Championship.