LPGA star shrugs off PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s ‘coming together’; Reveals committing to a mixed event
LPGA star Lilia Vu is committed to playing The Grant Thornton Invitational at the season’s end. The 27-year-old golfer will tee up at the unique co-sanctioned mixed-team tournament featuring a 32-player field comprising 16 PGA Tour and 16 LPGA Tour professionals.
It is pertinent to note that the event, which debuted in December 2023, will be played this year while the PGA and LIV Golf merger talks are being held. However, Vu doesn’t seem too keen on this side of golf politics.
The World No.2 female golfer was speaking to a reporter in a press conference ahead of the Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club when she shrugged off commenting on the ‘coming together’ of men’s golf.
The five-time LPGA winner stated that "I haven't thought too much about” the two circuits and was too focused on “growing women's golf.”
Here is Lilia Vu’s complete exchange with the reporter enquiring about her stance on the PGA Tour and LIV Golf deal, as quoted by ASAP Sports:
Q. I didn't check all the details, but are you involved in any way with the tournament at the end of the season, the men's and the women's? Are you involved in that?
Lilia Vu: Yes, I will be.
Q. That's what I thought. That's what I wanted to ask you.
Lilia Vu: Yeah.
Q. So it's nice when the Tours get together. When you play like mixed like that.
Lilia Vu: Yes.
Q. There has also been talk quite recently, and I'm almost sure you know about this, so if you want to share with us, the LIV and the PGA TOUR, they're moving towards coming together. What is your take on that?
Lilia Vu: You know, I actually haven't thought too much about PGA TOUR or LIV Golf. I feel like I've just been pretty focused on LPGA Tour and doing what we can for our fans and growing women's golf.
It is pertinent to note that The Grant Thornton Invitational is set to be played from December 13 to 15. The event will see some of the biggest names on the LPGA Tour and the PGA Tour compete in mixed teams for the $4,000,000 prize purse on offer. However, the event is yet to allow LIV Golfers on it. The players from the breakaway circuit remain banned from the American tour.
Official reveals PGA Tour - LIV Golf deal’s 6-month timeline
Lilia Vu’s comments on the PGA Tour - LIV Golf deal come amid reports of improved talks between the two sides. According to Daniel Van Otterdijk, Group Chief Communications Officer at DP World, the proposed deal is expected to resolve the sport’s current division within six months.
The official noted that all the entities involved in the negotiations ‘love golf’ and were working for the unification of the game. Meanwhile, he confirmed that DP World has no direct role in the negotiations being carried on majorly by the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s funders Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Van Otterdijk said at the DP World Tour Play-Offs launch event at Expo City this week, as quoted by Gulf News:
“If you take the sort of media nonsense and the perceived politics out of it, if you look at all three bodies, the PGA Tour, which is now very much supported by the Fenway Sports Group, LIV Golf, which is supported by the PIF, and the DP World Tour, which is supported by us, they are all entities that love golf – no doubt about it…
We’re confident that within the next six months, they’ll come up with a structure that befits world golf in a much better way than what we currently have. But, of course, there are legacy issues to sort out.”
Notably, the initial framework agreement for the unification of the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and PIF was announced in June 2023. However, the three organizations involved are still in talks and any improvement on the deal’s position is yet to be announced.