The way forward for LIV Golf past 2023 can be decided by January 1 subsequent yr, with PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan declaring there may be “an depth” and urgency to work out whether or not the breakaway circuit will stay a part of the sport.
However Monahan, who can have the ultimate say as a part of a brand new framework settlement with LIV backers the Saudi Public Funding Fund, refused to present any indication which approach he was leaning amid questioning on the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Monahan additionally gave a “nonanswer” when requested concerning the potential for LIV gamers to rejoin the PGA Tour as quickly as 2024, with pathways for his or her return being explored as a part of ongoing discussions.
A number of LIV gamers, together with Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia, have declared they’ve no real interest in coming again, however the ongoing presence of the Saudi-backed tour might decide their future for them.
“These are the form of matters and discussions that we’re having proper now with PIF,” Monahan stated concerning gamers returning.
“So to have the ability to mission what’s going to occur, I don’t have a solution in the present day and once we full our discussions, we’ll have a solution for that query. In order that’s a nonanswer, however that’s my place.”
LIV Golf officers, together with chief government and commissioner Greg Norman, stay adamant their tour has a future within the new world panorama and proceed to hunt sponsors and TV broadcasters for 2024 and past.
When requested particularly if LIV existed in “two, three, 5 years time”, Monahan stated he couldn’t make that willpower.
“I believe there are numerous questions which might be particular questions which might be going to come back of what’s within the framework settlement and parts of what we‘re speaking about,” he stated.
“I’m not going to speak publicly about them till we’ve accomplished these discussions and I can reply that query particularly and immediately.”
Amid participant frustration on the lack of accessible data, Monahan is comfy with the state of affairs.
“I believe the best way that we’re coping with that’s that we’re following our governance. And we have now six participant administrators which might be on our board,” he stated.
“We’re speaking concerning the course of that we have now, the transparency that we’re going to be offering, as would at all times be the case, with our participant administrators and letting them know that that is customary.
“Like, any time you speak to a pacesetter of another organisation, when you get to this place, it‘s fairly customary that, you understand, there isn’t loads that you just’re going to have the ability to share. However we proceed to bolster the truth that the framework settlement in the end is the trail that we’re on and once we’re capable of share extra data, we are going to.”
Monahan stated he was assured the brand new framework can be finalised by January 1.
“We’re most likely proper the place I’d anticipate that we’d be,” he stated.
“However there’s an depth and there’s an urgency and there’s numerous work, good work, that’s being finished.”