Tiger Woods sends out mixed message over PIF importance for PGA Tour

15-time major winner opens up on situation following $3bn investment from US-based consortium

Tiger Woods pictured during a practice round for this week's Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. Picture: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.

He’s still talking about trying to land what he calls the “W” and admitted that would be “nice” in this week’s Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles, but, even though it was somewhat of a mixed message, what Tiger Woods had to say about other matters in his pre-event press conference for the PGA Tour event was a lot more interesting.

Specifically when he was asked about Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and ongoing talks with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour over a framework agreement because, in the eyes of some, the waters appear to have been muddied following the recent announcement that the PGA Tour had secured a $3 billion investment with the Strategic Sports Group (SSG).

Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth had already said he believed that a deal with PIF “is not needed” due to the money involved in that new partnership and now Woods, who, like his compatriot, sits on the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council, has echoed that view.

“Ultimately, we would like to have PIF to be part of our tour and part of our product,” said the 15-time major winner. “Financially, we don’t [need that] right now. The monies that they have come to the table with and what we initially had agreed to in the framework agreement, those are all the same numbers. Anything beyond this is going to be obviously over and above. We’re in a great position right now [where] hopefully we can make our product better in the short term and long term.”

Coming out of the blue after a civil war had broken out in the game following the launch of LIV Golf through Saudi backing in 2022, that framework agreement was signed last June but a 31 December deadline wasn’t met and people are now waiting to see what exactly is going to unfold from it.

“The PIF deal obviously is ongoing,” insisted Woods, who revealed that he’d never personally met or had any discussions with Yasir Al-Rimayyan, the PIF governor and LIV Golf chairman. “We have solidified our agreement with SSG. PIF is ongoing and we are still negotiating.”

The Strategic Sports Group is a consortium led by the Fenway Sports Group, owners of Liverpool FC. Through its investment, PGA Tour players will be granted more than $1.5 billion in equity in a new company called PGA Tour Enterprises, with Woods set to be one of the main beneficiaries.

“The consortium that they have at SSG, the partners that have come together to be a part of the group, is quite remarkable, to be honest with you, in the sports industry,” said Woods, who, with 82 title triumphs, shares the record for most PGA Tour wins with Sam Snead. “They are unbelievable ­leaders and at a time when we need great leaders going forward, I think this elicits that. The amazing brains, the ideas that can make this tour better… we are looking forward to that.”

Rory McIlroy, once LIV Golf’s most vocal critic but now adopting a softer stance, recently said he believes the likes of Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau should be granted a way back to playing on the PGA Tour with any form of punishment but Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler both disagree. "We're looking into all the different models for pathways back," said Woods in reply to being asked what a possible route back to the PGA Tour could look like for LIV players.