The 23 players who took part in the crunch meeting led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have been announced.
Some of the PGA Tour’s biggest stars gathered in Delaware last week to discuss fighting the Saudi-backed LIV Gulf menace.
The three-and-a-half-hour meeting, held at an off-course hotel last Tuesday before the BMW Championship, was said to have been “good,” according to ESPN.
‘Alpha’ Woods flew in with Rickie Fowler from Stuart, Fla. Tuesday afternoon before driving 30 minutes to Wilmington, Delaware.
McIlroy was already known to be present when he reportedly started a new venture with Woods, whom he commended for making his voice heard with a hands-on approach to finding “actionable steps” to shape the future of the tour to back up.
Xander Schauffele, fifth in the world rankings, had meanwhile said that “new” and “fresh” ideas came up at the meeting.
But the full list of the 23 pros in the PGA’s war room has now been leaked by No Laying Up.
The list reportedly includes 20 of the top 30 players in the world and ten major champions, including 15-time winner himself Woods.
The 23 PGA Tour players who attended the crunch meeting to fight back against the LIV Golf menace led by Tiger Woods (right) and Rory McIlroy (left) have been announced
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (L) and US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick (R) were in attendance
The likes of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, Patrick Cantlay, who defended his BMW Championship title last week, and 2021 British Open champion Collin Morikawa are all reportedly in Hotel du Pont surfaced in Wilmington, Delaware.
The list also includes Adam Scott and Joaquin Niemann, who have been heavily linked with a move to LIV Golf. Ditto for PGA Tour rookie Cameron Young, who finished second at the 150th Open in July.
23 PGA Tour loyalists
Tiger Woods
Rory McIlroy
Scottie Scheffler
Patrick Cantley
Xander Schauffele
JustinThomas
Jon Rahm
Collin Morikawa
Will Zalatoris
Victor Howland
Matt Fitzpatrick
Sam Burns
Jordan Spieth
Tony Finau
Billy Horschel
Cameron Young
Joaquin Niemann
Max Homa
Shane Lowry
Tyrell Hatton
Kevin Kisner
Ricky Fowler
Adam Scott
But their attendance at the crunch meeting could reassure the PGA Tour that they will remain loyal.
According to the report, all 23 players unanimously left the plan proposed during the invitation-only meeting.
However, a potential setback for the tour saw some notable absences from the group as rumors circulated that seven more players could jump into the Saudi-funded breakaway.
Most notable is British Open champion Cameron Smith, who has long been associated with a defection.
Reports surfaced earlier this month that the Australian had already agreed to a $100 million bid to enter the LIV Golf Series despite playing the first of the FedEx Cup events in Memphis, Tennessee.
The world No. 2 is reportedly set to be officially unveiled alongside seven other big names by Greg Norman’s LIV Golf – the announcement comes shortly after he chased a potential payday out of the playoffs after completing the Tour championship on August 28.
However, Smith had retired from the BMW Championship the day before the meeting, which was held near the Wilmington Country Club where the tournament was being held, and his absence may have been due to his no longer competing.
2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyma was also absent from the group as it was reported he was also offered a mega-money deal.
He is considered the big fish alongside Smith not only for his skills but also for the fact that he can bring the ‘golf crazy’ nation of Japan to LIV, which is still establishing itself in both viewership and sponsorships.
British Open champion Cameron Smith has reportedly already agreed a big deal to join LIV
2021 Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama is considered the big fish of the series
“Hideki is the giant domino that is about to fall. Hearing an Australian team is basically a done deal. But Hideki would bring an entire, massive, golf-loving nation under the LIV fold,” wrote high-profile golf expert Dan Rapaport on Twitter.
“They would get a TV deal, sponsorship and a team owner in Japan with no problem. That’s why they’re offering him the BAG.’
LIV Golf has already managed to poach some of the biggest names on the PGA Tour, such as Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, with lucrative offers.
Dustin Johnson (pictured right with Donald Trump) was lured to the LIV Golf Series
Proposals reportedly discussed to combat the LIV Golf threat included the possibility of 18 no-cut tournaments with 60 players and, most importantly, the scope to fight for $20 million.
It has also since emerged that Woods and McIlroy have teamed up to headline a new PGA Tour stadium competition.
The pair have proposed a series of one-day events that will take place in front of a live audience, be technologically advanced and take place in a non-green grass stadium environment, according to Golfweek.
The events will be held in partnership with the PGA Tour and will complement rather than contradict the Tour’s schedule.
Woods and McIlroy have reportedly teamed up to headline new PGA Tour “stadium” events
They will reportedly start in 2024 and run from January to March, with a finale planned for later in the season.
The idea was pitched to her peers at last Tuesday’s meeting as a long-term opportunity for players to build equity in the company, which will have private funding alongside corporate partnerships and sponsors.
The proposal was said to have been well received by the stars who attended the gathering, and the plan was escalated to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan along with other proposals discussed.
The tour executive believes he is already on board with the new events, with details on the format, potential attendees, experience elements and planned location of the events, which Monahan is expected to announce this week ahead of the Tour championship in East Lake.
More details are expected to be announced by Jay Monahan at the Tour Championship this week