“Let’s all be patient” - Phil Mickelson urges fans to be maintain composure amid LIV Golf-PGA Tour negotiations
With the self-imposed PGA Tour and LIV Golf deadline drawing near, Phil Mickelson asked the golf world to have patience. Joe Pompliano, the host of The Joe Pomp Show, recently tweeted about the framework agreement, stating that the fans were tired of hearing about the series and the extended merger date.
Mickelson immediately voiced his thoughts on the deadline in the tweet's comments area. He claimed that casual viewers desired to watch the world's top players go up against one another in any series. He asked the crowd to have patience, acknowledging that the sponsors knew what they wanted.
Mickelson commented:
"Joe, I understand what you are saying. However, when it is all said and done, the average fan will see all the best players compete against each other way more often than before AND throughout the world. Sponsors will know what it is they are buying and everyone will end up ahead. Let’s all be patient."
In response to the golfer, Pampliano stated that the golf community had seen significant changes over the previous two years, which upset many fans. He questioned Mickelson about the merger and wrote:
"I agree that would be better, but the last 2+ years have upset many fans and it’s TBD if they return if/when a deal is done. Question @PhilMickelson: What do you think is holding up the merger? And if it doesn’t happen, can LIV be a financially viable product in the long run?"
Mickelson hadn't addressed the aforementioned comment on X (formerly Twitter) at the time of writing.
Report: Expected extension of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger
Tour commissioner Jay Monahan made a shocking revelation in June 2023 regarding a potential merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The topic has dominated headlines since then. However, no definitive agreement has been reached between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf thus far.
The deadline for a deal was reportedly set for New Year's Eve, but according to The Telegraph, talks could run until the end of March 2024.
“There’s no chance a deal can be announced by the end of this week. But, maybe by the end of March," said a source to the aforementioned media outlet.
According to earlier reports, Monahan was supposed to meet with Yasir-Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, before Christmas. But there hasn't been any news on the same as of yet.
However, Tiger Woods, the Player Director of the PGA Tour Policy Board, stated last month that the Tour intended to hold a meeting to finalize the agreement by December 31. He said, via CBS Sports (h/t NY Post):
“I am confident a deal will get done in some way. Whether that comes Dec. 31 or is pushed back, we’re all—all sides understand we’re working together. There are no lawsuits."
However, there has been no definitive update on the finalization of the merger thus far, suggesting that the deadline date may get postponed. In the midst of all of this, the PGA Tour is set to start the new season with the Sentry Tournament of Champions tournament (4-7 January), and LIV Golf will start its third season in February 2024.