"We're looking for the best outcome for players” - Jordan Spieth refutes claims of Patrick Cantlay’s alleged power grab
Jordan Spieth recently denied the reports of him being in an alliance with Patrick Cantlay and Tiger Woods to fight for the interest of the top players in the world.
This came after a report from Sports Illustrated that suggested that Cantlay was planning to lead the PGA Tour - LIV Golf merger discussions on behalf of the players. However, Jordan Spieth denied the claims and revealed that the six Player Directors are looking for the best outcome for all the players.
Speaking with AP about Cantlay's alleged power grab, Jordan Spieth stated:
"There's no fact to it, It's been very collective since I've jumped on. It's not even a thing. We're looking for the best outcome for the players as a whole, and it's six persons [as Player Directors]."
The 30-year-old golfer has recently been appointed as a replacement for Rory McIlroy to finish the latter's board term. As far as the alliance is concerned, Woods’ agent has reportedly refused to speak on the matter, as has Patrick Cantlay.
Jordan Spieth also touched on Jon Rahm's recent move to LIV Golf. Jon Rahm, a member of the PGA Tour for seven years, made the shocking announcement of switching to the LIV Golf league on December 7. The 29-year-old has reportedly signed a deal worth at least $500 million with LIV Golf.
Jordan Spieth commented on the matter, stating:
“I don't think for him it was the money. I believe he saw two places that neither one was in a great situation right now, and he said, 'May as well have the money'.”
“It's a really nice play by them. I think we hold the best hand, but they know what our hand is. It's a nice leveraging tool with everything going on," Spieth added.
A brief look into the proposed framework agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf
On June 6th, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf decided to settle their ongoing rift and announced their decision to form a single entity. This announcement came on the heels of reports that the PGA Tour would receive funding from the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
According to the details of the framework agreement, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have until 31st December to finalize their proposed agreement. Nevertheless, the duo has already announced its respective season calendar for 2024.
While the PGA Tour will begin in the first week of January with The Sentry tournament, LIV Golf’s first event is set to start in the first week of February.
Just last month, the PGA Tour reportedly stated that they would be seeking investment from potential outside partners as well. However, nothing has been confirmed yet.