It’s confirmed that the PGA Tour-PIF merger talks will continue for the whole 2025 season. Despite that, there have been recent updates shedding light on what’s exactly happening behind the scenes, including Rory McIlroy’s thoughts on the deal. Amidst all this, Golf Saudi has provided another surprising update.

Ahead of the first round of the BMW PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy was asked about his thoughts on the difficulties in the PGA Tour-PIF merger. The golfer responded, “Different interests from the players’ side…I’d say maybe half the players on LIV want the deal to get done, half probably don’t.” As per the Irishman, it’s the same on the PGA Tour as well. Talking about it, he further added, “I’d say it is probably similar on the PGA Tour.” 

Following McIlroy’s honest confession, there’s another piece of news to shake things up. Recently, Topgolf Callaway Brands announced that they are entering into a multiyear agreement with Golf Saudi Entertainment, according to PR Newswire. Yes, you read that right. The main idea behind this partnership is to bring Topgolf Callaway Brands’ family of brands—including Topgolf, Callaway, Travis Mathew, Odyssey, and Ogio—to Saudi Arabia. According to reports, Topgolf Callaway’s market value is a staggering $1.95 billion.

As per this latest agreement, Golf Saudi is planning to build three Topgolf venues by 2028. Naturally, Golf Saudi will be the owner, however, Callaway Golf, Odyssey, TravisMathew, and Ogio will also join them. Interestingly, these three brands will become the official equipment and apparel brands for the Saudi Men’s, Women’s, and Junior National golf teams. And Golf Saudi will be the exclusive distributor of these brands’ products in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, what do you think Rory McIlroy meant by “Different interests from the players’ side?” 

What could be the varying interests that Rory McIlroy talked about?

Recently The PIF representatives met with PGA Tour officials to discuss the financial details. In the meeting, they also discussed issues that are posing significant challenges in the $3 billion merger. “issues include getting PGA Tour players to agree to tour the world to participate in LIV Golf events, the people said. PGA Tour players have traditionally been reticent to travel outside North America, with the majority of PGA Tour events taking place in the US,” as per Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, LIV golfers face the condition that they must return the money earned from the Saudi-backed league. They are not ready to comply with this request and also want others to respect their decision. This could be the player-interest disparity that Rory McIlroy mentioned. The PGA Tour hosts most of its tournaments across various locations in America, whereas LIV Golf events take place in different corners of the world. In 2024, LIV Golf held 14 events across 8 countries, starting in Mayakoba, Mexico, and reaching destinations such as Hong Kong and Australia.

What do you think about this big update from Golf Saudi? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!