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Tiger Woods cryptically broke his silence on the merger between PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
The 15-time major winner shared a Twitter message Sunday night that appeared to dispute having seen a document, unveiled as part of a public court filing in Palm Beach County, that alleged he gave a scripted PGA Tour pep talk against LIV Golf.
“In response to the talking points memo released this weekend, I have never seen this document until today, and I did not attend the players meeting for which it was prepared at the 2022 Travelers,” he wrote in the Tweet.
The document, which was unearthed by Twitter user @desertdufferLLG over the weekend, suggests Woods was selected to give a scripted speech at a players’ meeting held June 21, 2022, backing the words of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
The “speech” began with Tiger asking Monahan and his staff to leave the room, then diving into a series of flowery praises toward Monahan, calling him “our captain” and a “fighter.”
One of the rallying cries allegedly planned for Woods to share included advice on what fellow Tour members can do to help.
In response to the talking points memo released this weekend, I have never seen this document until today, and I did not attend the players meeting for which it was prepared at the 2022 Travelers.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) July 2, 2023“First, do what I did: tell the Saudis to go f–k themselves. And mean it,” the document said.
Woods reportedly turned down a deal somewhere between $700 million-$800 million from LIV Golf to stay loyal to the PGA Tour, for whom he was a staunch, vocal supporter.
Monahan, according to the document, wanted him to urge other players to do the same in the scripted speech.
The general ideas would not have been completely out of character for Woods, who has actively spoken out against LIV Golf in support of the Tour.
He questioned the players’ incentive to “go out and earn it” in his press conference before the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews last July, as the top-tier LIV players were recruited with astronomical offers to defect.
A lot has changed since then.
After the war between the rival leagues raged on for another year, it was announced in June that the PGA Tour was joining forces with the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the entity that bankrolled LIV.
It’s unknown if Woods might be done defending Monahan, who has been called a hypocrite, among other things, by golf fans for making a behind-the-scenes deal with LIV without consulting his own players.
Monahan has been away from the sport due to a health issue first reported at the U.S. Open.
Woods has not played since withdrawing from the Masters and recently underwent surgery to repair the talus bone in his ankle
ar, it was announced in June that the PGA Tour was joining forces with the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the entity that bankrolled LIV.
It’s unknown if Woods might be done defending Monahan, who has been called a hypocrite, among other things, by golf fans for making a behind-the-scenes deal with LIV without consulting his own players.
Monahan has been away from the sport due to a health issue first reported at the US Open.
Woods has not played since withdrawing from the Masters and recently underwent surgery to repair the talus bone in his ankle.
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