Even though his appearances on the golf course are limited to a handful of tournaments these days, Tiger Woods still wields the scepter.
The fifteen-time major champion was this week elected to the board of the PGA Series’ policy and advisory board.
This follows after Woods and a group of forty players confronted the CEO of the PGA Series, Jay Monahan, with a series of demands.
Woods and the other players are bitterly upset about the so-called peace agreement that Monahan and two other board members of the PGA Series concluded with the controversial LIV Series.
It has been agreed that both series will drop their lawsuits against the other and will manage golf together with the European DP World Series under one umbrella going forward.
The possible return of the LIV Rebels to the PGA Series was not well received at all by the players who turned their back on the PGA Series and defected to the Saudi Arabian-financed LIV Series for big money.
Woods has not said a word about the developments since the shock announcement two months ago that the two series will be working together going forward.
But on Tuesday, the golfing phenomenon made his appearance for the first time.
“The players thank Commissioner Monahan for heeding the players’ demands.
“We look forward to being at the table where the right decisions will be made to ensure the future of the game.
“I am honored to represent the players at a critical time in which everything must be done to protect all role players and supporters of the game, as well as the players’ interests.
“Commissioner Monahan has my support going forward,” Woods said in a statement after becoming part of the PGA board.
It is clear that any peace and cooperation between the PGA and LIV series is still very far in the future.
Woods turned down billions of rand to turn his back on the PGA Series and branded the players who did so as traitors.
With Woods now on the board where the players enjoy the majority vote, it can be assumed that no LIV Rebel will have a free pass to play on the PGA Series again.
And on the other hand, LIV’s highest-paid player, Phil Mickelson, said just over a week ago that no LIV member is interested in returning to the PGA Series and that they don’t want a merger.
The feeling one gets at the moment is that there will be dates from a merger and that both series will do their thing separately going forward.
What will happen is that the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) will become a major sponsor of the PGA Series and various tournaments.
And that’s exactly what the rulers of Saudi Arabia want: A place on world golf’s biggest stage where they can polish their image with an inexhaustible amount of money that no one can say no to.
Additional source: Golf Magazine.
