R&A CEO Martin Slumbers gives his stance on women's golf amid the LIV Golf and PGA Tour money rivalry - "Important to avoid all that noise" 

R&A CEO Martin Slumbers opened up about the situation in women's golf amidst an ongoing rivalry between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. A few years ago, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund made a significant investment in men's golf by creating the LIV Golf series.

The inception of this new series gave birth to a civil war among players, with some joining LIV and others remaining on the PGA Tour. While the PGA Tour has since announced a “framework agreement” with LIV, the deal is yet to be finalized.

Despite the PIF’s investment in men’s golf, they have stayed away from women’s events. As women golfers gear up for this week’s AIG Women's Open, organized by the R&A, Martin Slumbers was asked about the LIV's involvement in the women’s game.

"Is the women's golf in an easier place than the men's in that the LIV money isn't descending right, left and center on them?" a reporter asked Slumbers.

Replying to the reporter, Slumbers clearly stated that R&A's current focus is on putting on a great championship. He said (via ASAP Sports):

"I mean, the way I'm thinking about it, I think the men's game and the women's game are in two completely different places. Completely agree. But for the women's game, the issues that we're trying to really think about and focus on is how do we push it forward and elevate its profile?," he said.

"How do we take it to the great courses? How do we give them the opportunities to show how good they are and not really get caught up in all the difficulties that have been going on in the game. I think it's important that the R&A tries to avoid all of that noise and just focus on putting on a great championship," Slumbers added.

Notably, the AIG Women's Open is the final women's major of the year. The tournament will begin with its first round on Thursday, August 22, and conclude on August 25.

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"We’d love to see a LIV ladies series"- When Greg Norman spoke about Saudi-backed Women's series

LIV Golf Commissioner Greg Norman discussed the possibility of a Saudi-backed women’s golf series in an interview in 2023. He revealed that he had spoken with some of the top golfers on the LPGA and LET Tours, stating that they were interested in the LIV Golf women’s series.

Norman said (via AP News):

“I have personally had discussions with individual LPGA Tour players, Ladies European Tour. They love what our product is showcasing. They ask all the time, ‘How can we get involved?’ We’d love to see a LIV ladies series.”

Meanwhile, the PIF is in continuous talks with the PGA Tour regarding their potential merger. Negotiations have been ongoing since June 2023, but the deal has yet to be finalized.

LIV Golf is currently in its third season, with only two events remaining—the Chicago event and the Team Championship—before the season concludes. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour is hosting the FedEx Cup playoffs, with the second leg, the BMW Championship, scheduled to take place this week from August 22 to 25.