Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods join PGA Tour negotiations with Saudi PIF

An AP report on Wednesday night cited Tiger Woods as the lone player on the five-person PGA Tour Transaction Subcommittee that will further the discussions with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

After shooting a 4-under 67 to sit T-2 at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship on Thursday afternoon, Rory McIlroy refuted the report and said both he and Adam Scott were also on the seven-person subcommittee that includes Woods, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, former Tour player and current liaison Joe Ogilvie, Fenway Sports Group’s John Henry and Valero CEO Joe Gorder. The latter are also part of the Strategic Sports Group that was formed to develop PGA Tour Enterprises, the for-profit entity that was initially slated to be created by the Tour and Saudi PIF as a result of last summer’s shocking framework agreement. The subcommittee will report to the Tour board.

Earlier in the day on Wednesday, McIlroy said he wouldn’t be taking Webb Simpson’s place on the Tour’s policy board because players were “uncomfortable” with his potential return. He did, however, insist that he was still interested in helping with the PIF discussions however he was able.

McIlroy is one of few players who has a relationship with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan that dates back to 2022. Woods and the other player directors on Tour met with Al-Rumayyan back in March in the Bahamas. Said Woods of the meeting at the Masters, “I don’t know if we’re closer, but certainly we’re headed in the right direction. That was a very positive meeting, and I think both sides came away from the meeting feeling positive.”

The PGA Tour’s Chief Competitions Officer Tyler Dennis told media at the Wells Fargo Championship that there were no material updates at this point on the discussions with PIF, but if we’ve learned anything this week, there’s plenty going on behind the scenes.