As the PGA Tour leadership prioritizes reunification with LIV Golf, Adam Scott is offering a reality check from inside the ropes. The Australian star, who recently joined the PGA Tour board, said he will understand if there are still “negative emotions” among members if LIV defectors are welcomed back.
“I wouldn’t be surprised — or I wouldn’t judge anyone, the members — if reunification happened and they weren’t happy with how it happened,” Scott acknowledged. “I hope they’re not spending as much time talking about it as I have.”
Rory McIlroy Calls for Moving Forward Together
Scott’s comments come on the heels of Rory McIlroy saying that reunifying with LIV Golf is what’s best for the PGA Tour in the long run. The Northern Irishman believes “everyone’s just got to get over it” and move forward together.
“I wouldn’t hold it against anybody if there were negative emotions attached to it, the thought of players coming back.”
– Adam Scott on potential resentment over LIV golfers returning
PGA Tour Prioritizes Reunification in Negotiations
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has made it clear that reunification is a top priority as the tour negotiates with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which bankrolls LIV Golf. But Scott cautioned that it’s “not solely the tour’s decision.”
“There’s two people in this discussion, more to be honest — the DP World Tour, a lot of other stakeholders in the pro game,” he said. “The tour and its representatives talk a lot about it. But we’re not in control of the entire situation. There’s another side to the story.”
Scott Steps Up in Leadership Role
At age 42, Scott agreed to serve on the Player Advisory Council for the first time, which led to him becoming a player director amid the ongoing controversy. He admitted it took a couple months to “wrap my head around stuff” after getting thrust into a leadership position.
- Joined PGA Tour board at start of 2024
- Faced major decisions on investment, reunification
- Stands behind player directors trying to do what’s best
“Within the first few weeks of me coming on the board, we’re voting for a minority shareholder to take equity in the tour. There aren’t easy answers to any of this stuff.”
– Adam Scott on the challenges he faced as a new player director
No Easy Answers in Golf’s New World Order
Scott emphasized that there are “no easy answers” when it comes to LIV Golf and the future of men’s professional golf. He believes the PGA Tour won’t be able to please everyone with whatever decisions are ultimately made.
However, the 2013 Masters champion wants his fellow players to know that the player directors are “trying to do the best thing” for the entire membership, even if some of the choices are unpopular. “They’ve been faced with some tough decisions the last two years — tough calls, big consequences — for whatever we vote on,” he said.
As golf’s civil war potentially enters a new phase of détente, Scott is offering a voice of reason from inside the PGA Tour’s leadership ranks. He recognizes the lingering bitterness that LIV Golf created and the challenges of putting the pieces back together in a way that the membership accepts.
Time will tell if reunification becomes a reality and how the PGA Tour navigates its new world order. But if it does happen, Scott wants it known that not everyone will be thrilled with LIV golfers returning to the fold. In his view, those hard feelings, while understandable, are just part of the equation as golf tries to find a unified path forward after its most acrimonious chapter.
