Donald Trump said Wednesday he wants to see golf's warring factions reunite on the course, offering public support for LIV defectors to rejoin the PGA Tour now that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has pulled its backing from the breakaway league.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of top players who jumped to LIV competing regularly against the PGA Tour's elite. "I do believe that all of the golfers should be playing, the great golfers should be playing against each other," he said. "I want to see Rory playing Bryson DeChambeau. I want to see big Jon Rahm play Scottie Scheffler, who is so great."
The president framed reunification as inevitable and positive. "There's something nice about all of the players playing together. Now they'll all be accepted by the tour. They'll all be back on tour and it'll be great," Trump said.
The timing of his remarks comes as LIV Golf scrambles to adjust to its Saudi funding drought. The league postponed its June tournament in New Orleans this week, hoping to reschedule later in the year. Trump noted that LIV's next event is scheduled for May 7-10 at Trump National, his course just outside Washington. "I'm not sure what's happening with LIV, but they are playing at my course in two weeks, on the Potomac," he said.
Trump's openness to welcoming back LIV players contrasts with resistance from some within the PGA Tour establishment. Brian Harman, the 2023 Open champion, said players who bolted for LIV should face real penalties if they return. Speaking at the Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral in Miami, Harman acknowledged the likelihood of a return path but insisted consequences were necessary.
"I would think that the fans want everyone to be playing together and time heals all wounds," the American said. But he cautioned that lingering anger remained, particularly over the lawsuits filed by LIV players. "Still some sentiment out here, especially with all the lawsuit stuff. That stuff's going to be tough to get past."
Harman favored a model similar to what Brooks Koepka underwent when he returned to the PGA Tour under a program that included substantial financial penalties. "I think there has to be something," Harman said, arguing such measures would help address "bad blood and resentment."
Harman also cautioned against assuming LIV's demise. While Saudi funding has dried up, he noted the league could potentially secure alternative sources. "I'm not sure that they're closing shop," he said. "The funding's drying up. They could secure funding from somewhere else and keep going. They have got a lot of big-name players over there, guys that move the needle."
The defection to LIV in 2021 and afterward created sharp divisions within professional golf. Eleven golfers, including Phil Mickelson, filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour in 2022 after being suspended for joining the Saudi-backed venture. That legal action remains a source of friction for tour veterans who stayed loyal.
Jordan Spieth, a three-time major winner, declined to weigh in on what terms returnees should face. He expressed relief at not being involved in those decisions. "There's just a lot of different things that happened over the last four years," Spieth said. "I'm kind of glad I'm not in that room."
Spieth also signaled skepticism about LIV's immediate collapse despite the funding pullback. "That doesn't necessarily mean that LIV's not going to still move on," he said.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's cheerleading for reunification is one thing, but Harman's insistence on real consequences could be the sticking point that actually determines whether this split ever truly heals."
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