LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan has fuelled further speculation about a golf merger after being spotted with Donald Trump at UFC 309.
The Saudi PIF, which owns LIV Golf – as well as Premier League club Newcastle United – has business connections with the president-elect Trump.
Now, Trump, Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Trump’s associate Elon Musk have all been spotted sitting together.
UFC 309 – owned by Trump supporter Dana White – was held at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
The famous New York venue isn’t far from Trump’s own business venture, Trump Tower.
And his love for golf is far from a secret.
He famously rowed with former Democrat candidate and President Joe Biden on the campaign trail about who was the superior player.
And of course, the Republican owns his own golf courses, too.
He also played golf with LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau recently.
The 2024 US Open winner was in attendance as Trump gave his acceptance speech earlier this month.
He even received a call up to the stage from Trump.
PGA Tour golfer Rory McIlroy recently tipped Trump’s return to the White House to bring peace talks between traditional golf tours and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
He also hailed X and Tesla owner Elon Musk as ‘the smartest man in the world’ as he tipped him to also become part of the golf tournament merger.
All these links to golf, along with the snap of the LIV chief sat with Trump and Musk, will leave golf fans hoping the long-running talks between the PGA, DP World Tour and LIV Golf speed up.
The framework agreement was first signed in 2023.
Trump himself recently revealed he would help get the deal done.
In a podcast appearance ahead of the election, he suggested it ‘would take me the better part of 15 minutes’ to secure a deal between LIV and the established tours.
Speaking about the possible deal, McIlroy said: “[Trump has] got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world beside him, so he might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved too.
“But from the outside looking in I think it’s probably a little bit less complicated than it actually is.
“But obviously Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia, he’s got a great relationship with golf, he’s a lover of golf, so maybe. Who knows?
“But as the president of the United States again he’s probably got bigger things to focus on than golf.”
