PGA Tour and PIF reps meet for talks in New York

Representatives of the PGA Tour are meeting in person Friday with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, as the two sides try to move closer to finalising their affiliation, Golfweek reported.

The meeting is in New York and marks the first time the sides have met face to face since March, per the report. They announced a framework agreement last June to create a joint for-profit company.

The PIF is the money behind LIV Golf, which lured stars away from the PGA Tour with multimillion deals and the promise of lucrative tournament prizes.

Rory McIlroy told reporters in Dublin, Ohio, where he's playing in theMemorial Tournament, that he would take part in the meeting remotely. McIlroy is a member of the PGA Tour transaction sub-committee, which has been negotiating with the PIF.

Other members include players Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, commissioner Jay Monahan, and Boston Red Sox and Liverpool owner John Henry, who has invested in the PGA Tour through the Strategic Sports Group.

"There's going to be people in that room on the PGA Tour side who are going to take the lead," said McIlroy. "And it's not going to be Adam, Tiger or I. It's going to be the business guys. We're there to maybe give a perspective from a player's point of view.

"This is a negotiation about an investment in the PGA Tour Enterprises, this is big-boy stuff. And I'll certainly be doing more listening than I will be doing talking."