Golf

Adam Scott says ‘there are still lots of questions to be answered’ on PGA Tour-LIV merger

‘Some emotions are stirred up and you can’t help but feel left in the dark’

Adam Scott during a press conference ahead of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. Photograph: Rob Carr/Getty Images
Adam Scott during a press conference ahead of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. Photograph: Rob Carr/Getty Images
Wed Jun 21 2023 - 17:24

Former world number one Adam Scott admits numerous questions remain to be answered about golf’s shock peace deal, especially for those “emotionally” invested in the outcome.

Scott said Tuesday’s player meeting in advance of the Travelers Championship was calmer than the one which followed news of the “framework agreement” between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls the LIV Golf League.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan faced calls to resign at the initial meeting and the following week stepped away from day-to-day operations to recuperate from a “medical situation”.

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf officially motioned to drop their respective lawsuits against each other last Friday, but how the deal will actually work in practice remains unclear.

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“I think the player meeting went well last night from where the player meeting was two weeks ago. I think some of the emotions have cooled,” Scott said.

“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, I think the deal sounds quite complex and this could take a long time. I think hopefully everyone is cooling down and, as things go along, there is transparency to the players and those questions get answered.

“And then I think it will be evaluated whether it’s a good deal for the PGA Tour and its players and the game of golf moving forward.”

Asked how he personally felt about the deal, Scott said: “I think as far as the deal goes, I’m happy to wait and see how the deal points are worked out and see whether that really suits as a whole.

[ Give Me a Crash Course in ... the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger ]

“Of course I have some emotional ... 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 is going to be pathways back.

“I’m not sure that I ever felt angry about it. Last week (the US Open) felt like a break from it. Even though we were all there and the same players are there, it wasn’t a PGA Tour event. It was run by the USGA and felt like a break.

“We’re straight back into it with player meetings here this week.

“I think that’s like what I said before, just when you’re very surprised, some emotions are stirred up and 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. Guys still have tons of questions. Hopefully they’re answered in time.”

Scott will partner Garrick Higgo and former British Open champion Stewart Cink in the first two rounds at TPC River Highlands, while new US Open champion Wyndham Clark is alongside Justin Thomas and Max Homa.