Paul McGinley: Golf's civil war generating public apathy and hitting viewing figures

Despite talk of thawing relations and a reportedly "constructive" meeting in the Bahamas, Paul McGinley believes that a deal between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-funded LIV tour could be years away.

And the former Ryder Cup winning captain fears the protracted civil war in golf is doing enormous harm to the sport in the eyes of the public. A verdict which he notes is supported by declining viewing figures, down 20% on last year.

Almost nine months after the world's best players last congregated together at Hoylake, they'll finally compete against each other again at Augusta National in early April.

This month's Players Championship, long celebrated as the 'fifth major', proceeded without Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, et al.

The shock defection of Rahm to the LIV stable last December was supposed to have prompted a renewed push for an agreement between the factions, particularly from the PGA side.

However, in the wake of the PGA Tour securing $3 billion from a private equity consortium of US sports owners (including Fenway Sports Group) in January, McGinley reckons the appetite for compromise is not there among the Tour membership.

Speaking to RTÉ Sport's Greg Allen on Radio 1's Saturday Sport, McGinley says there's still a wide gulf between the two sides and golf will continue to suffer.

"Don't hold your breath," he replies, when asked if a deal is on the horizon. "I think both parties are still wide away from each other in terms of where the common ground is.

"It's (the Masters) the first time since the Open that we're going to see all the best players in the world back together again in terms of playing an event.

"Obviously, it's a divided and diluted product at the moment.

"When Jon Rahm went, everybody said 'oh,