PGA Tour and PIF have agreed to financial terms of a final deal - REPORT

While the PGA Tour x PIF merger has not taken shape yet, one golf insider is reporting that the two sides have at least agreed to the financial terms. They've been negotiating for the better part of a year and a half now.

Rex Hoggard said (22:30):

"They had to have help. What this boils down to by all accounts is that the PGA Tour and PIF have come to financial terms of what this would look like. And actually, my understanding, numerous versions of this. They've put that in front of the Department of Justice."

He went on to credit the PGA Tour and the PIF (Public Investment Fund) for coming up with multiple options for the Department of Justice to sift through to avoid the situation that came up when the merger was initially agreed to.

Hoggard also noted that the Tour did attempt to use their "political muscle" with President Trump getting involved to help smooth things over with the DOJ when they did bring something forward.

The insider said that Trump is "very much a golf guy" who owns courses, plays a lot, and wants to be involved in the sport, claiming that he's a person who absolutely can and might move this whole situation along to a resolution.

After months of negotiating, though, there seems to be some real progress finally being made, and a resolution could be much closer than ever before.

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PGA Tour believes it's close to a deal with PIF after President Trump's meeting

The PGA Tour and PIF do not yet have an agreement in place. The latest report is that they're ready with several different options for the Department of Justice to check, but they haven't done that yet and nothing is concrete.

Donald Trump may be involved with the PIF merger (Image via Imagn)

A few days ago, the PGA Tour went to visit the White House to try and get President Trump to get involved, and they reportedly feel confident that he will help them.

Players and executives went to visit Trump. A statement from Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, Adam Scott, and Tiger Woods read via BBC:

"We asked the President to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved. We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men's professional golf."

Trump famously said before his election that he could've resolved the negotiations in 15 minutes. Rory McIlroy expressed hope that his election would signal the end of the negotiations. Now, it seems that the POTUS will have the chance to make good on his prediction and prove McIlroy right as well.