Tiger Woods has reportedly played golf with US President Donald Trump as a deal between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) behind LIV Golf appears to be edging closer.
According to multiple reports, Woods played golf with Trump hours before the President was due to attend the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Later, footage posted by rob__schmitt on Instagram emerged, which appears to show Trump alongside Tiger and son Charlie on the course.
🚨🇺🇸👀 #WATCH: President Donald Trump alongside Tiger Woods and his son Charlie - on the range at Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach this morning ahead of a round together. (Via IG / rob__schmitt) @TWlegion pic.twitter.com/rmQdH7RQhCFebruary 9, 2025
It's not the first time Woods has played golf with Trump. In 2017, the President, who was in his first term in office at the time, announced on Twitter (now X) that he was set to play a round with Woods and Dustin Johnson in Florida. Two years later, Trump awarded Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Woods' round with Trump comes days after the PGA Tour confirmed in a statement signed by the 15-time Major winner that commissioner Jay Monahan and player director Adam Scott had met with Trump on 4 February - the day Woods' mother Kultida passed away - in an effort to conclude a deal.
Woods has been a pivotal figure in the discussions between the PGA Tour and PIF for much of the time since it was announced negotiations had begun in June 2023.
Less than two months after that news broke, Woods joined the PGA Tour Policy Board as a player director. The following March, fellow player director Webb Simpson described him as “very engaged” when members of the PGA Tour policy board sat down with PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan along with Jay Monahan and members of the Strategic Sports Group. More recently, in September last year, Woods was reportedly involved in further talks in New York.
Despite sporadic updates from key figures in the talks, including Woods and Monahan, a deal has remained frustratingly out of reach, although the most recent statement released by the PGA Tour certainly suggested a positive outcome could be closer than ever.
It read: “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."
While there still isn’t a timescale on when an agreement might be reached, the involvement of Woods directly with Trump will add more optimism that some positive news could come sooner rather than later.
Woods is also in the field for this week’s Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines.
