PGA Tour and PIF talks accelerating but issues remain, says Monahan

The PGA Tour's negotiations with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) are accelerating but it is prepared to go it alone with new partners Strategic Sports Group (SSG) if a deal cannot be done, commissioner Jay Monahan said on Tuesday.

Monahan, speaking at TPC Sawgrass where the PGA Tour's flagship event, the 50th Players Championship, gets underway on Thursday, stressed he is focusing all his energy on finalising a deal with the LIV Golf backers, bringing unity to a sport that has been split since the arrival of the rebel circuit and opening up new global growth opportunities.

"I do believe that negotiating a deal with PIF is the best outcome," Monahan told reporters. "Obviously it has to be the right deal for both sides, like any situation or negotiation.

"As I've said on a number of occasions, you can't negotiate a deal like this in public, so I will be brief.

"I recently met with the governor of the PIF, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, and our negotiations are accelerating as we spend time together.

"We have a shared vision to quiet the noise and unlock golf's worldwide potential."

There have been reports a deal could be finalised before the start of the season's first major, the Masters in April, but several key issues still need to be worked through.

Monahan struck an optimistic tone throughout his nearly hour long press conference but remained tight-lipped about negotiations while conceding several hurdles remain, including an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department to determine if the deal would violate antitrust law.

There is also the tricky issue of players who signed on with LIV Golf for monster paydays returning to the PGA Tour and how the team component LIV has pushed might work.

"Balancing the interests of a