Adam Scott says there would be player angst should LIV stars return to PGA Tour

After meeting with the US President in a bid to end golf’s war, an Australian major champion has revealed what the player fallout could look like.

Greg Norman may have started golf’s war but fellow Australian star Adam Scott is doing his best to end it, preparing for all levels of fallout from a playing group broken apart by money.

Scott, who met with US President Donald Trump as “reunification” looms, conceded there would be angst from players who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour should those who left for nine-figure LIV contracts be allowed to return.

That’s a legitimate potential outcome of talks between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which has poured $3bn into LIV during the most tumultuous time in the game’s history.

Days after revelations Scott and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan had met with Mr Trump to hasten a coming together of all parties and possibly even forming “one tour”, Norman, the first LIV chief executive who helped lure players to his tour, was in Adelaide to announce a contract extension until 2031, with the event to played on a purpose-built new course designed by the Australian legend.

Greg Norman, South Australia'n Premier Peter Malinauskas, and LIV Golf chief executive Scott O'Neil after Adelaide secured the tournament until 2031. Picture: Brenton Edwards / AFP

It was a move that even surprised Australian LIV star Cameron Smith, who said planning for the fledgling tour beyond 2030 was “crazy” and beyond all expectations.

But what form LIV exists in going into the next decade remains unclear, and Scott, who has been thrust into the forefront of these discussions since joining the PGA Tour board at the start of 2024, said there “aren’t any easy answers”.

He said reunification was “one way forward” but might not be the final answer.

“But it’s not solely the tour’s decision, you know what I mean?” he said.

“There’s two people in this discussion, more to be honest – the DP World Tour (European tour), a lot of other stakeholders in the pro game.

“It’s not been an easy thing to solve, otherwise we’d have solved it, I believe.

“There aren’t easy answers to any of this stuff.”

Adam Scott is trying to end golf’s war. Picture: Harry How / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP

Scott also conceded that the final solution, whatever it looks like, might not “please everyone”.

After fallout from Rory McIlroy declaring LIV players should be welcomed back to the PGA Tour they walked out on, Scott said player angst could be strong and that was a fair response.

“I wouldn’t hold it against anybody if there were negative emotions attached to it, the thought of players coming back,” Scott told the Associated Press.

“I wouldn’t be surprised – or I wouldn’t judge anyone, the members – if reunification happened and they weren’t happy with how it happened.

“The one thing I do know is we’re not going to please everyone, but everyone should know that I will stand behind these player directors.”