Adam Scott: ‘You can’t help but feel left in the dark’
Adam Scott revealed the details of Tuesday’s players’ meeting at the Travelers Championship – the first one since that infamous week at the RBC Canadian Open.
The former Masters champion reported the attendees were calmer than when discussing the PGA Tour’s stunning merger with the Public Investment Fund.
When the players faced Jay Monahan in Toronto two weeks ago, it was an “intense” and “heated” session that included calls for the tour CEO’s resignation and a strongly-worded exchange involving Rory McIlroy.
Scott maintained “tons of questions” are still left to be answered and, as a 14-time tour winner and the chairman of the Player Advisory Council, he is emotionally invested in the circuit he stuck with – despite the riches available with the LIV Golf League.
“The player meeting went well last night from where the player meeting was two weeks ago,” he explained. “Some of the emotions have cooled. There are still lots of questions to be answered because we really only have this framework that was announced.
“So although that seems fairly simple, the deal sounds quite complex and this could take a long time. Hopefully, everyone is cooling down and as things go along, there is transparency for the players and those questions get answered.
“I’m caught up emotionally because I stayed on the PGA Tour and it was put to us that if we left we were never coming back, and it seems there are going to be pathways back.
“Eventually we’ll find out if that’s the best for the game and how we feel. So I have some emotions about that, but time often plays a big part in these things so see how it advances.
“You can’t help but feel left in the dark even though I don’t expect to run the PGA Tour and
them to run everything by me. It was just sooner than maybe anybody thought. That’s all.
“Things are calmed down and things were calmer in the meeting yesterday. Guys still have tons of questions. Hopefully, they’re answered in time.”
During the 2023 US Open, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf filed a joint motion to drop LIV’s antitrust lawsuits and to end litigation proceedings.
The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) will make a capital investment in the new entity, which is reportedly being called NewCo in these preliminary stages of the framework agreement.
The PIF’s governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan will join the PGA Tour Policy Board and become the chairman of the merger that also includes the DP World Tour.
These are some of the things Scott and his colleagues do know at this time, but pathways for players to reapply for memberships and what the new entity’s schedule could look like, not to mention a date when it can begin, are all still anyone’s guess.
NOW READ: The questions that must be answered by the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger
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Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
