PGA: Players praise Tiger Woods’ leadership after players’ meeting

The PGA Tour’s top players aren’t ready to reveal what was discussed in a meeting with Tiger Woods on Tuesday night. Many, however, insist that they are on the same page in which direction to take in the ongoing battle with LIV Golf.

Several of the world’s top 20 golfers and other influential players who are still members of the PGA Tour met with Woods for more than three hours at a hotel in Wilmington, Delaware, where the BMW Championship, the second stop of the Fed Ex Cup qualifiers.

“I think the thing that came out, and that was the point, is that all the top players on the tour are in agreement and aligned on what we should be doing going forward. It’s awesome,” Rory McIlroy said at a Wednesday press conference at the Wilmington Country Club.

McIlroy said any ideas or proposed changes discussed by the players are not intended to become public knowledge at this time. For now, the content of the discussions will remain between the players and the leaders of the PGA Tour.

Xander Schauffele, the sixth player in the world, described some of the ideas discussed at the meeting as “new” and “refreshing”.

When Schauffele was asked how he would like to see the battle between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf resolved, he replied, “Some kind of unity. [Le golf est] definitely fractured right now. We are in it. A peaceful outcome would be a good thing. »

Woods’ presence brought credibility to the discussion, the players said.

“I think it’s pretty obvious that every time we end up in a room, there’s an alpha, and it’s not me,” McIlroy said.

Woods and his friend Rickie Fowler traveled from Florida to Delaware to attend the meeting. About 25-30 players attended the meeting, including Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Scottie Scheffler.

“It was a productive meeting,” said Thomas. The players involved want the best for the circuit and want what is in everyone’s best interest. »

Several former major champions, including Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed, have been lured into the Saudi-funded LIV Golf circuit with guaranteed contracts worth $100-200 million.

Last week, London’s Telegraph reported that British Open winner Cameron Smith, the world’s No. 2 player, is set to join LIV Golf. Two other players who have been linked with the new league, Cameron Young and Joaquin Niemann, attended the players’ meeting on Tuesday night, sources confirmed to ESPN.

Woods’ voice still carries a lot of weight with players like McIlroy, Thomas and others, who idolized him as a player growing up.

“I think it shows how much he cares about the players coming in and who will be the next generation,” McIlroy said. Like it or not, they can’t really sell Tiger Woods anymore. The circuit has had easy work for 20 years. They don’t have Tiger. They have a new group of great players, but we are not Tiger Woods. We are entering a different era. »

And Thomas adds: “I think if someone like him is passionate about the subject, without wanting to offend everyone, that’s really all that matters. If he’s not behind something, then one is probably not a good idea in terms of improving the game, but two is just not going to work. He must be behind something. »

McIlroy said Woods’ role now is to make sure the PGA Tour is in good shape when his career ends. According to LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, Woods turned down an offer of between $700 million and $800 million to join the fledgling league.

“He’s the hero we all looked up to,” McIlroy said. His voice carries farther than anyone else in the golf world. Its role is to navigate us to a place where we want to be. »

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has already announced increased prize money for next season, with eight tournaments offering $15m or more in prize money.

We also plan larger grants for three international events, at the end of the year, and a calendar from January to August from 2024.

LIV Golf is offering $25M in total to each tournament. This circuit will present five other competitions this year, then 14 in 2023.