Count Tom Watson among those who don’t envision the PGA Tour and LIV Golf being able to come together as a means to unify the professional game.
Watson, 75, said Thursday that there are too many issues to overcome for the PGA Tour to come to terms with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has financed the upstart circuit since its inception in 2022.
“They made their choice to play their own tour, and that’s where they are right now,” the eight-time major champion said during a news conference at Augusta National Golf Club. “I don’t see a real working mechanism for the two tours to get back together. I think that’s one of the reasons you haven’t seen an agreement since June two years ago.”
As it stands, 12 LIV Golf members will compete at the Masters. More than half of that number have lifetime exemptions due to past wins at Augusta National, while Joaquin Niemann received a special exemption to earn his place in the field.
Watson, however, referenced Scottie Scheffler’s speech at the champions dinner as reason for optimism.
“The one thing I do know is that Scottie Scheffler in his speech at the past champions dinner on Tuesday night said, ‘I’m glad we’re all together again.’ So the players would like to get together,” said Watson, a two-time Masters champion.
“But it’s really up to the powers that be to see if there’s a framework in which the two tours can cooperate. I don’t see that framework happening.
“Maybe they’re smarter people than I am, but the key element of the PGA Tour, the one thing that is required of you is to get permission to play in a competing tournament, conflicting event rule. That’s there to protect the sponsors of our PGA Tour so that the fields are not depleted of all the good players as they go and play other tournaments. That’s the main requirement.”
-Field Level Media