“Is it necessary for a merger to take place?” Given the ever-increasing delay in the master agreement between the PGA Tour and the PIF, many would have been asking this question. Even Phil Mickelson asked the same question in an interview some time ago. And now, after the recent interview by Commissioner Jay Monahan, one cannot help but wonder if the deal between the PGA Tour and the PIF has already fallen through.

The 54-year-old official had announced the new schedule for the 2025 season in a recent interview before the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship, per Sports illustrated. Consequently, a reporter couldn’t help but ask if this revelation indicated that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf would operate separately next year. His answer? “I think that’s fair.”

That’s not all. He also pointed out how “complicated” the discussions are. “They have many elements,” added an expectant Jay Monahan, “When there is this level of interaction, when we continue to meet, move forward, discuss and debate, one can only be hopeful.” Well, his recent revelations, which indicate his confidence, certainly paint a disturbing picture of the merger.

On the other hand, even Phil Mickelson doubted the necessity of the merger. The “Lefty” expressed his doubts about the framework agreement in an interview with Bloomberg. “Probably not,” the golfer answered his own question. However, he had expected that the two racetracks would be friendly with each other. “It would be good if there were no hostilities,” mentioned the six-time major champion. “I have to put all the less positive experiences from the past behind me. I have to put my animosities behind me, and we all do that for the good of the game.”

Regardless of Phil Mickelson’s wishes, the merger seems to be going ahead. However, the entire process will take more time. “I have had many meetings on this topic,” Monahan revealed, “I’m not going to go into the details. That’s my clear focus, and that’s the focus of the organization. But there’s a lot of dialogue.” But then the question arises: Why is there such an agonizing delay? Max Homa has the answer!

Max Homa shares his opinion on the delay in the PGA Tour-PIF merger

“It is far away, because of the law, because of the courts, because of the cases,” said Homa in a recent podcast episode of No hanging up, “So I think that will be a hurdle.” While the announced “framework agreement” specifies how governance and control rights are to be handled, it does not address the regulatory issues in the United States that would need to be taken into account if the agreement were to be concluded.

The PGA Tour professional was therefore certain that there would be some delay in the merger. “I don’t really know if it’s good or bad,” added the golfer, “All I know is that, well, well, in the best case scenario, that’s not going to happen very soon, and that’s a shame.” In addition, the format of the two leagues is different, with several teams being represented in one league, which further complicates the deal. “It’s pretty difficult to figure that out because they all have their own deals. And. Their teams and stuff.”

While the merger is not entirely doomed, it doesn’t take much to realize that it is not going to happen anytime soon. This in itself is a worrying aspect, given that it has been a year since the PGA Tour Commissioner announced the “Master Agreement.” Still, fans can only hope for the best and watch patiently!