In a pivotal meeting at the White House, former President Trump orchestrated a clandestine gathering to bridge the tumultuous chasm dividing the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit. Five sources privy to the encounter revealed that Trump played host to Yasir al-Rumayyan, the enigmatic sovereign wealth fund supremo and LIV Golf’s chairman, alongside PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and the legendary Tiger Woods.
Trump’s enigmatic intentions for this high-stakes summit remained a closely guarded secret. However, his recent public expressions of unease at the gaping fissure within professional golf hinted at his desire to mend the fractured landscape.
In a hastily conceived alliance forged in June 2023, the PGA Tour and the sovereign wealth fund had floated tentative plans for a merger. Yet, regulatory hurdles, player grievances, and the uncertain fate of LIV Golf itself cast a long shadow over these ill-fated endeavors.
A White House spokesperson declined to comment on the meeting, shrouding it in an aura of intrigue. Just weeks prior, on February 4th, Trump had extended an invitation to Monahan in the hallowed halls of the Oval Office. During that clandestine encounter, he also dialed in al-Rumayyan, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Trump’s own business had played host to several LIV tournaments, and the circuit was slated to grace his Doral, Florida, course once again in April.
Insiders within the golf world whispered that the February 4th meeting had propelled the warring factions towards a glimmer of resolution. Al-Rumayyan, a confidant of the Saudi Arabian crown prince, had forsaken a day at his own high-profile investment conference in Miami to attend the pivotal meeting in Washington.
As the conference commenced on Thursday, an organizer regretfully announced that al-Rumayyan’s scheduled opening remarks would not materialize due to an urgent meeting in the nation’s capital. The princess ambassadress from Saudi Arabia, Reema Bandar al-Saud, stepped into the void left by the absent sovereign wealth fund chief.
By
