Trump expresses optimism for a successful merger between PGA and LIV Golf.
- Ayda Salem
- 21 minutes ago
- 2 min read
MIAMI April 5, 2025: President Donald Trump expressed optimism about a potential merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, despite a recent report indicating a deadlock in negotiations to reunite the two tours.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on his way to Florida for the LIV Golf Miami event at Trump National Doral, Trump stated that he believed a merger was inevitable. "Ultimately, hopefully the two tours are going to merge," Trump told reporters, adding that he was involved in the efforts. “That’ll be good. I think having them merge would be a great thing.”
Trump, an avid golfer, has played a role in facilitating discussions between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, including hosting two rounds of talks at the White House since LIV’s entry into the sport in 2021. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan recently acknowledged Trump’s efforts, saying they had “significantly bolstered” hopes for reunification.
However, a report from The Guardian on Thursday revealed that negotiations had reached an impasse. The PGA Tour reportedly failed to offer “serious concessions” in exchange for a $1.5 billion investment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which finances LIV. PIF had requested that the LIV circuit continue after any merger and that its governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, be appointed co-chairman of PGA Tour Enterprises, both of which the PGA Tour rejected.
The news comes just before the first major of the year, the Masters at Augusta National, where 12 LIV Golf players will compete against PGA Tour players. Brooks Koepka, a five-time major winner and one of LIV's highest-profile defectors, expressed disappointment that the Saudi-backed league had not progressed more quickly, although he acknowledged that it was moving in the right direction.