The story was first reported by the Fire Pit Collective, and sources later confirmed the plans to ESPN. The meeting is to take place at the venue of the BMW Championship, which starts on Tuesday in Delaware. “It’s a meeting to get the top 20 players in the world on the same page about how we can continue to make the PGA Tour the best product in professional golf,” a player invited to the meeting told ESPN on Monday. Several former majors, including Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Sergio Garcia, have joined the LIV Series, which offers guaranteed contracts worth more than $100 million in some cases. Reports in recent weeks have linked reigning Open champion Cameron Smith with a move to the new series. Last week, an American judge barred three LIV rebels from participating in the PGA Tour’s season-ending playoff series. LIV commissioner Greg Norman said earlier this month that Woods had turned down an offer in the region of $800 million to join the series. Woods himself has expressed his objection to the inclusion of players in the LIV series. “I disagree with that,” Woods said in July. “I think what they’ve done is they’ve turned their backs on what allowed them to get to this position.” Tiger Woods Blasts LIV Rebels Who Turn Their Backs On Makers – Video The LIV Series is not yet recognized by the official World Golf Ranking, which helps determine the fields for the majors. “Who knows what’s going to happen in the near future with world ranking points, the criteria to get into major leagues,” Woods said. “The governing body should understand this. “Some of these players may never get a chance to play in the big leagues. This is a possibility. We don’t know for sure yet. It is up to all the major league bodies to make that decision. But that’s a possibility, that some players will never, ever have the opportunity to play in a major championship, never have the opportunity to experience this here, to walk the fairways of Augusta National. That, for me, I just don’t understand.” Woods isn’t the only prominent golfer speaking out against the LIV series. Rory McIlroy has regularly expressed his displeasure with LIV players trying to compete on the PGA Tour. “I’m not complaining about anybody who went to play LIV or got guaranteed money,” McIlroy said last week. “If that’s your prerogative and what you want to do, fine. “I think where the resentment comes from, being on this tour, is the fact that they want to try to come back here without consequence. Anyone who has read the PGA Tour handbook or abides by the rules and regulations would feel very unfair to him. It was a good day for the tour and for the majority of the members yesterday.”
