Donald Trump has been elected the 47th President of the United States, and one area where he could help is with the stalled PGA Tour and PIF merger. Over a year has passed since the merger was announced, yet there’s no clear resolution. Trump had previously claimed he could resolve it in 15 minutes. During the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Rory McIlroy, once a vocal critic of LIV, was asked about Trump’s assertion. 

Surprisingly, McIlroy expressed confidence, not because of Trump, but because of Elon Musk. “He’s got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world,” McIlroy said. Well, despite the comment, there was still no update on the merger. But just a few hours ago, it seems, that the agreement might finally be taking a positive turn after almost a year of its deadline.

NUCLR Golf recently took to their official X account and shared a picture from one of Donald Trump’s recent appearances. He was spotted at the UFC Championship fight in New York, taking a break from Cabinet picks. Well, as it turns out, he was accompanied by UFC President Dana White and Elon Musk, but he was seen sitting next to Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

Taking to this picture by Flushing It Golf, they reported the news and wrote, “JUST IN: Saudi PlF Chairman and LIV Golf’s Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is sitting next to President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk at UFC”.

While it may not top the President’s list of priorities, the PGA Tour-PIF merger is undoubtedly a key concern for golf enthusiasts. Over the past year, all we’ve heard is that it will be finalized “soon.” Now, with the 2024 season coming to a close, the question remains: what is the latest update on the merger?

Rory McIlroy hints about the merger for the first time

Jay Monahan and Yasir-Al Rumayyan shook hands on June 6 last year for the first time and the deadline for the merger was to be December 30. However, nothing was updated, and neither did anyone speak anything about it, calling it confidential. After a few months of the DP World’s Group Chief Communications Officer Daniel Van Otterdijk stated that the merger would be signed in six months. 

But well, as it turns out, Rory McIlroy assumed it to be finalized not before 2026. But at the HSBC Abu Dhabi press conference, he stated that he, along with Tiger Woods’s help, made the deal between the PIF and the PGA Tour. He confessed It’s the first I’ve heard of it.” However, he also revealed that Jay Monahan was in Saudi Arabia, and said, “I know Jay was in Saudi Arabia last week at the FII and was having some meetings. “He’s briefing the transaction committee tonight. Maybe some news comes out of that.”

This gives the golf world positive hope about the news of the merger. Yet, there’s doubt! But all we can do is hope for the best.