Patrick Cantlay: PGA-PIF talks ‘always evolving’

Sometimes no news is good news. When asked about the PGA Tour’s merger with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Patrick Cantlay agreed.

Cantlay, the player director on the PGA Tour’s policy committee, was asked Tuesday whether the PGA-PIF negotiations were nearing an end after months of relatively little new information.

“Well, it’s definitely quieted down, and I agree with you, there hasn’t been as much chatter over the last few months, which is good,” Cantlay said before the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tenn. “I think it’s quiet down. That’s the nature of it, there’s going to be ups and downs, depending on what information is released or what announcements are made.

“When you say ‘the end is in sight,’ it’s always evolving. The PGA Tour is always changing and trying to evolve and get better. Depends on what you mean — your definition of finish line. But I know We have all been working very hard to get the best results.

It’s been more than a year since the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF (LIV Golf’s sponsor) announced a merger “framework agreement” that shocked the sporting world. The parties exceeded a self-imposed deadline of December 31, 2023, to complete the transaction.

The only real news this summer came in June, when PIF president Yasir Al-Rumayyan met with PGA Tour representatives in New York on the first anniversary of the framework agreement.

Asked whether the two sides were close to the finish line, Cantlay sidestepped the question.

“Yeah, I’m not a member of the deal committee, so I’m not fully up to date on everything right now,” Cantlay said. “But whenever we do get a meaningful update, it will be fed back to the board and then I’m sure we’ll have a discussion about it.”

The PGA Tour’s trade subcommittee consists of Tiger Woods, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Australia’s Adam Scott.

–Scene-level media