PGA Tour chief reveals the one thing President Donald Trump wants for involvement in the PGA Tour-LIV Golf deal

US President Donald Trump has been actively involved in the ongoing discussions regarding the potential merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Recently, PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan revealed that Trump has not explicitly asked for anything in return for his involvement.

In a recent interview with Golfweek ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Monahan was asked whether the President, known for his transactional nature, had asked anything in return from the PGA Tour like hosting future events at his golf courses. Monahan said that the President only wanted one thing (via Golfweek):

"I'd say two things on that front. His focus is on solving the opportunity, and that's reunifying the game. In terms of the PGA Tour and looking to our future, that's something we would initiate. Those are two different paths. The path he's been involved on most closely is reunifying the game."

Trump has played an important role in facilitating discussions of the PGA Tour with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of PIF and the financial backer of LIV Golf. When asked why the Tour publicly asked Donald Trump to get involved, Monahan praised Trump's passion for golf and deal-making. He said:

"Well, the President has a clear passion for the game and publicly stated that he wants golf to be reunified. He talked about the need to come under one tour with all the best players in the world playing on that one tour. Beyond being the leader of the free world, he understands deal making and he's playing a very constructive role trying to help us get there. I’m grateful for him playing the role that he's played."

For the unversed, Donald Trump owns 17 golf courses, of which a few of them have hosted LIV Golf events in the past. In the ongoing 2025 season, LIV Golf Miami will be played at Trump National Doral Miami, Florida.

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Jay Monahan says that playing on the PGA Tour is the "highest expression" in golf

In the interview with Golfweek, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan was also asked if LIV Golf's strategy of aggressive spending to lure top players from the PGA Tour has lost its effectiveness and if LIV Golf is no longer as much of a threat to the PGA Tour as it was two or three years ago. Monahan said:

"If you talk to players out here, if you look at Ludvig Aberg, at Luke Clanton, at Gordon Sargent, at Jackson Koivun, if you look at players on the Korn Ferry Tour trying to get one of those 20 cards, this is the highest expression of the game.

He added that players have always wanted to play on the PGA Tour. Monahan was also asked about the potential restructuring of the PGA Tour's leadership regarding the role of the commissioner and the diminished commissioner's authority. As per Reuters, the PGA Tour will introduce the CEO for PGA Tour Enterprises.

Monahan said that he doesn't believe that the change will lead to diminishing the commissioner's authority. He said that he'd support the new leadership structure as it is necessary for the organization’s success.