Patrick Reed hopes the PGA Tour’s decision to allow its players to compete in December’s LIV Golf Promotions event marks a sign that the two parties are putting their differences behind them.
Reed, who plays for 4 Aces GC on the circuit, was speaking to the media before playing in the Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour’s International Series, and said he thinks the move is a positive sign. He explained: “Allowing guys to come over and play the Promotions event, you would think that’s a step in the right direction.”
Considering the animosity there has been between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf since the newer circuit’s inception, the PGA Tour’s decision over the Abu Dhabi event, which will offer three players the chance to join LIV Golf, came as a surprise to many.
Reed avoided suspension from the PGA Tour when he signed for LIV Golf by resigning his membership. However, many of his fellow LIV Golf players did suffer the fate when they teed it up on the circuit, and he questioned whether any PGA Tour player who finishes in the top three of the tournament will face a similar penalty.
He continued: “It really all depends on what happens after that. So if one of the guys come over and they get onto LIV because they finished inside of the top three, do they get suspended right away, immediately, or do they want to play on both?
"So we’ll just wait and see because we don’t know how it’s all going to turn out. We will have to wait and see what they decide to do at that point.”
Despite the uncertainty, Reed reiterated that the move should be seen as a good thing. He said: “I’m going to be optimistic and hope that it means that everyone’s going to be getting along, and we’re going to be able to figure this all out. But I don’t really know much about it; it’s all hypothetical and a guessing game.”
Whether it is an indication of more harmonious times between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf could depend on the outcome of discussions between the Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) behind LIV Golf, led by Yasir Al-Rumayyan, over a framework agreement.
However, that appears far from cut and dried, and Tom Werner, the chairman of Fenway Sports, one of the organisations said to be interested in investing in the PGA Tour as an alternative to the PIF, has confirmed there have been talks amid reports of a “monster offer”.
Earlier in the week, PGA Tour player Rory McIlroy said he ‘sincerely’ hoped for a PGA Tour/PIF deal to ‘bring the game of golf back together.’
Before news of that agreement - or otherwise - there's the traditional Black Friday shopping extravaganza, and the Black Friday golf deals have already begun appearing.
