Deal done before the Masters? Paul McGinley drops major hint in PGA Tour-LIV Golf negotiation

If what Paul McGinley has heard on the grapevine is right, then the end is nearer than we anticipated. But, the former Ryder Cup captain concedes, ‘no one is winning’…

Paul McGinley is the latest high-profile golf personality to weigh in on a potential resolution to golf’s so-called civil war.  

And if he’s right, then it’s good news for those who are desperate to see an end to what has been one of the most frustrating and tiresome periods in the sport’s history.

Negotiations in the framework agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund have been moving at a glacial pace, but Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods both claim a deal is close now that president Donald Trump is involved.

And while the former Ryder Cup captain believes it will continue to take time for everything to get back to anything near what we consider normal, he does say “it sounds like we’re closer now than we’ve ever been”.

Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland, he explained: “The best thing for the game is to come together somehow.

“It’s not going to be easy as we’ve seen, it’s taken a long time to get to where we are. It’s not going to start with everybody back as friends. It will be a slow process in that regard.

“But the main thing is to find some kind of umbrella that both tours can work under, as well as the DP World Tour, and then try to get some kind of schedule out of that.”

As for when this new world might emerge, McGinley believes it could be a matter of weeks rather than months.

He added: “From what I hear, it’s going to be announced relatively soon, maybe even before the Masters.”   

The sceptics among you will note that the original framework agreement deadline was December 2023, and when that passed we were told it would be done in time for the Masters. A year later, we’re being told the same thing.

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But McGinley’s main concern for the current state of golf is financial. LIV Golf, it was revealed, has so far cost the Saudis $5 billion, which in turn has forced the PGA Tour to increase prize funds in a bid to keep its biggest stars.

“It’s not sustainable at the moment,” McGinley said. “The prize money is ridiculous. The business model is not producing the money the players are playing for.

“The Saudis have spent $5 billion so far with LIV and they’ve got limited traction. The PGA Tour is spending more than they’re bringing in and they’re going to run out of runway there.

“So the game has got to come back. Nobody’s winning at the moment, except for the players with the huge prize money they’re playing for.

“The sponsors are not winning and the public is not winning because we’re not getting to see these players play together more regularly and TV is not winning.”