Negotiations for a possible merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour remain in the spotlight despite the end of the season on both circuits. One of the big names behind Strategic Sports Group (SSG), Steve Cohen, recently weighed in on the issue and expressed confidence in an upcoming resolution.
The owner of the Major League Baseball (MLB) New York Mets spoke to the press on Monday (Nov. 25). Among the topics he discussed was the merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, about which he said that "the goal" is to bring all the players together.
Here is what Steve Cohen had to say about the merger (via Bloomberg):
"It’s a lot of moving parts and I think we’ll get there...The goal is to reunite all the players — it’s fragmented right now."
Steve Cohen and his family firm, Cohen Private Ventures, have become increasingly involved in professional golf over the past year. His investment in the newly formed PGA Tour Enterprises makes him one of the leaders of the SSG.
In addition, Steve Cohen co-owns the New York Golf Club, one of the teams that will play in the TGL Golf League beginning in January 2025. Cohen shares ownership with former MLB star Derek Jeter and media personality Jimmy Fallon, among others.
The latest on the merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf
Negotiations to end the ongoing controversy in men's professional golf were made public on June 6, 2023. On that date, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan announced the signing of a framework agreement, which is effective today.
Among the many issues being negotiated is the possible merger of LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. Scenarios under consideration include the disappearance of LIV Golf and its continued existence under the umbrella of the PGA Tour.
However, there is no estimate as to how long it will take to reach a definitive agreement. LIV Golf has already announced its full schedule for next season, with full financial support from the PIF.
Bloomberg reported in September that the PGA Tour and PIF were close to reaching a final agreement during a meeting in New York earlier that month. According to the report, there were very few details holding up the final deal.
In the days that followed, contact between the two intensified. Monahan and Al-Rumayyan played together in the Pro-Am event of the DP World Tour's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, while they met again in Riyadh during an event of the Ladies European Tour's Aramco Team Series.
The PGA Tour will kick off the 2025 season in early January with The Sentry, while LIV Golf will begin in February with the Riyadh event.