The chief executives of the main golf tours and the leaders of the majors "will meet at ‘The Match’ to discuss the ever-rising threat of LIV Golf in Florida next week," according to James Corrigan of the London TELEGRAPH. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley, R&A CEO Martin Slumbers, PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh and USGA CEO Mike Whan will attend the event, which features Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth at Pelican Golf Club on Dec. 10. It is "as yet unclear" if Augusta National Golf Club Chair Fred Ridley "will also be" at the meeting, but with the other three majors "all sending their top brass, the Masters may not want to miss out." The execs are expected to "draw up plans on how to respond to the Saudi-funded circuit." LIV is "due to announce its 2023 schedule in the forthcoming days, with the 14-event league due to tee off in Mexico in February." Slumbers has vowed "not to ban any LIV players from the Open, but has been vague concerning how difficult it will be for the defectors to qualify for Hoylake next July." The same "largely applies" to the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, while the Masters is also "tight lipped if it will impose any sanctions." As they all "want the highest quality fields possible, it must be doubted if they will erect any notable barriers and it could well emerge that they want the Tours to broker some sort of negotiation with LIV" (London TELEGRAPH, 11/28).
