PGA Tour PIF Deal Collapses According to Trevino

Golf legend Lee Trevino thinks the PGA Tour is doing just fine without LIV Golf, and he’s not shy about saying the “other side is gone.”

The 85-year-old Hall of Famer knows a thing or two about golf splits. He was there back in 1968 when players broke away from the PGA of America to form what we now know as the PGA Tour.

Now, with the sport facing another divide between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, Trevino’s firmly backing the traditional tour.

“Golf is in a hell of a position right now. It is great,” Trevino said at the Players Championship. “Our attendance is up, our ratings are up, the people are loving it.”

He’s especially happy with how TV coverage has improved. “Instead of watching some guy leaning on his putter at the back of the green, they’re showing someone else hit a shot.”

The only thing that could make it better? “If we can just get the caddie and the player to make a decision a little bit quicker.”

The recent $400 million investment from Strategic Sports Group has Trevino feeling even more confident about the PGA Tour’s future.

“Personally, just being the gatepost coming from Mex, I think it’s dead, I think the other side is gone,” he said during an appearance on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio.

While it’s not completely clear if he’s talking about LIV Golf’s future or the proposed deal between the two tours, one thing’s certain: Trevino believes the PGA Tour is thriving with or without a merger.

This comes as talks continue about bringing the world’s best players back together, regardless of which tour they’re currently playing on. But with the PGA Tour’s strong position, there might be less urgency to strike a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which backs LIV Golf.

Trevino’s seen it all in his six decades in professional golf, including winning six major championships. When he talks about the state of the game, people tend to listen.