“Don’t think the game is big enough for 2 tours” - PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh calls for urgent unification of PGA Tour and LIV Golf

PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh has called for the urgent merger of the PGA Tour and PIF-backed LIV Golf. He added that he believed the deal was the best move for the game.

On Wednesday, May 15, Waugh and other PGA officials were present at the Valhalla Golf Club for a press conference ahead of the 106th PGA Championship. The PGA Championship 2024 will commence on Thursday, May 16.

During the press conference, Seth Waugh mentioned that regarding the LIV-PGA deal, things were becoming messier each week. However, he expressed optimism and hoped it was just the darkness before dawn. Waugh emphasized that the deal was in the game's best interest, and the PGA of America had maintained this since the beginning.

"What has been an unsustainable business model has put pressure on other places like the Tour that creates some financial dynamics as well as other dynamics that are very hard, and quite frankly it puts some financial pressure on us, as well," he said.

"I don't think the game is big enough for two tours like that, and I think we are diluting the game in a way that is not healthy. We've said that, really, from the beginning," he added.

Seth Waugh felt both parties wanted a deal, adding that when that happened, the chances of the deal happening increased. However, he also mentioned that he neither knew the timing nor had any insider information but was hopeful that a deal would happen soon.

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"I do think it's doing damage to the tour." PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh urges PGA Tour and LIV Golf to show urgency towards the deal

The PGA of America CEO, Seth Waugh, added that he hoped to see urgency toward the LIV Golf-PGA Tour deal.

"I do think it's doing damage to the Tour, to the game," he continued. " As I said earlier, I hope it's short-term damage, as opposed to permanent damage, and so I hope there's some urgency in the timing around it because I just don't think it's a healthy situation right now"

Speaking of the PGA Championship 2024, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Martin Kaymer, Phil Mickelson, Andy Ogletree, Dean Burmester, Talor Gooch, Lucas Herbert, Adrian Meronk, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, David Puig, and Patrick Reed are the sixteen players from the Saudi-backed circuit on the playing field at Valhalla.

While nine had qualified for the tournament earlier, seven more players received special invites last week. Among the seven invited players, Talor Gooch was the only one who didn't play outside of LIV Golf events. He has also said that he will not compete at the US Open qualifiers, unlike his LIV colleagues.