Jordan Spieth CONFIRMS he and other PGA Tour directors including Tiger Woods are being 'encouraged' to meet Saudi PIF boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan as talks go on over end to golf's civil war

Jordan Spieth has confirmed he and other PGA Tour board members are being encouraged to meet with the head of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, as talks ‘accelerate’ over a possible end to golf’s civil war. 

Spieth is one of six player directors of the new PGA Tour Enterprises, alongside Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, Adam Scott and Webb Simpson.

Spieth was speaking after round two of The Players at TPC Sawgrass, a few days after PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said negotiations over a merger with the PIF were ‘accelerating’. 

‘We are being encouraged to potentially meet with them at some point,’ the three-time major champion said. ‘We probably feel like our membership should know timings, and what could happen.’

Spieth said he feels the entire board should meet with the PIF if any deal is going to be struck. 

Jordan Spieth has confirmed PGA Tour board members are being encouraged to meet with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund

Talks involving PIF boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan are ‘accelerating’ over a possible end to golf's split

‘Maybe it's just a meet,’ he added. ‘But we are being encouraged obviously which I think is probably a good thing that the entire board should if there's going to be any potential for a negotiation.’ 

Spieth also played down his apparent disagreement with Rory McIlroy during the first round of The Players on Thursday. An eight-minute delay ensued after McIlroy pulled a drive left into the water, as the Northern Irishman appeared to be in debate with Spieth, his playing partner, over the correct location for his drop.

Spieth appeared to question whether McIlroy’s drive had bounced before crossing the red hazard marker. That would have sent McIlroy 250 yards back up the course to a spot in front of the tee box for his third shot.

‘I was just listening to the conversation of Rory and Viktor (Hovland),’ Spieth insisted. ‘Rory had said, “We think it crossed up there, it could have been back there, so this seems like somewhere in between.” ‘But then that sounds like something you probably should verify with a rules official, and then he did, and it was all good.’ 

Spieth was heard suggesting that eye-witnesses had told him the ball had bounced the wrong side of the line. 

Rory McIlroy hit a drive into the water on the seventh hole, leading to a prolonged delay

‘You're not really supposed to use anyone from the outside to say it, but I was hearing from like TV members, so I told him when we walked off the tee that they had said that,’ Spieth insisted. 

‘I thought it was important to say that honestly… they said it certainly hit above, Rory and (McIlroy’s caddie) Harry (Diamond). Because of that, I was like: “Why don't you just make sure in case they caught it.”’ 

Spieth added: ‘I think all anybody wants is for you to put the ball where it should go, and in our sport, especially on a golf course like this… you get some situations where it can be really tricky on knowing for sure.’ Spieth missed the cut at TPC Sawgrass after ending round two on two over par.