By Neil McLeman
Tiger Woods has claimed last month’s peace talks with PIF boss Yassir Al-Rumayyan were “positive” for the future of golf. The 15-time Major winner said: “We're headed in the right direction”.
Saudi-backed LIV Golf split golf in 2022 by signing top stars like Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson. But a shock “framework agreement” was announced on June 6 last year to try and bring the warring sides together.
That saw Woods join other members of the PGA Tour Policy Board - with Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati and Webb Simpson - met Newcastle chairman Al-Rumayyan in the Bahamas.
And speaking about the meeting for the first time after his final round at the Masters, the American superstar said: “I don't know if we're closer (to a deal), but certainly we're headed in the right direction. That was a very positive meeting, and I think both sides came away from the meeting feeling positive.”
Obstacles to any deal are the role of the LIV Golf team format in any new golf calendar - and how to compensate PGA Tour loyalists who declined to sign for the Saudi-backed breakaway league.
LIV boss Greg Norman, who was in Augusta this week, claimed in 2022 that Woods was offered “mind-blowingly enormous” money to join the Saudi breakaway league. And at the 2022 Open in St Andrews, Woods stated his opposition to LIV Golf’s closed shop.
“I disagree with it,” he said. “I think that what they've done is they've turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position. The world No.959 shot a closing 77 in his 100th round at the Masters to finish on 16-over par and bottom of the players who played the weekend.
Woods, 48, made the cut for a record 24th consecutive time but ran out of steam in the final two rounds in only his second event of the year. He was outscored today by US Amateur runner-up Neal Shipley who shot a 73 to finish on 12-over par.
But the five-time winner here, who was restricted to only five questions, claimed: “It was a good week. It was a good week all around. I think that coming in here, not having played a full tournament in a very long time, it was a good fight on Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately yesterday it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted it to.”
And Woods now plans to play the next three Majors this season. “This is a golf course I knew going into it, so I'm going to do my homework going forward at Pinehurst, Valhalla and Troon, but that's kind of the game plan,” Woods said. “It's always nice coming back here because I know the golf course, I know how to play it. I can kind of simulate shots. Granted, it's never quite the same as getting out here and doing it. Same thing, I heard there's some changes at the next couple sites. So got to get up there early and check them out.”
