By Phil Casey
Jordan Spieth has confirmed {that a} group of PGA Tour gamers are near assembly officers from Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund as efforts proceed to make a deal to finish golf’s civil battle.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan revealed on Tuesday that he had met with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan in January and Golfweek reported on Friday that the Tour’s player-directors had been set to comply with swimsuit imminently.
Spieth, who’s one in every of six player-directors, was requested if that report was correct following his second spherical within the Gamers Championship at Sawgrass.
“We’re being inspired to doubtlessly meet with them in some unspecified time in the future, yeah,” Spieth stated.
Requested when that was going to occur, the previous world primary added: “I’m unsure that I can say far more aside from we’re being inspired to doubtlessly meet with them, however on the identical time we most likely really feel like our membership ought to know timings and what may occur and simply usually possibly it’s only a meet.
“I feel there’s not an entire lot extra I can say about that, however we’re being inspired clearly which I feel might be factor that your complete board ought to [meet] if there’s going to be any potential for a negotiation.”
Spieth was additionally requested to handle his half within the drop controversy throughout Thursday’s first spherical at Sawgrass, when he and Viktor Hovland appeared to query the place taking part in accomplice Rory McIlroy was taking a penalty drop after hitting his tee shot into the water on the seventh.
“I assumed it ended up in a great spot,” Spieth stated. “I solely walked over there as a result of I assumed he had dropped it after which he was questioning the place he was dropping it.
“So I used to be simply making an attempt to ensure he didn’t play it and everybody was good. I used to be good with the spot he was selecting.
“I get it’s me and Rory, however that form of dialog most likely occurred a dozen occasions yesterday in teams.
“Once more, it was like Viktor was having the dialog, and I solely walked over as a result of it appeared like, ‘hey, let’s simply ensure all the things is all proper’, which I wasn’t even planning on getting concerned and possibly shouldn’t have, but it surely appeared like they had been possibly at a sticking level.
“So I assumed possibly I may assist.”