LPGA commish open to LIV Golf talks

The commissioner of the LPGA has revealed that she would be open to the possibility of working with LIV Golf to create a women’s version of the Saudi-funded series.

In an interview with The Times, Mollie Marcoux Samaan admitted that she would be prepared to take a phone call from LIV CEO Greg Norman.

That’s something that her male counterparts – PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley – have been reluctant to do, preferring instead to ostracise the new start-up and players who defect to it.

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As a result, the men’s game is more fractured than it has been at any other point in its history. That is something that Marcoux Samaan appears to be keen to involved when the women’s realm of the sport is inevitably targeted by Norman and CO.

“It’s my responsibility to evaluate every opportunity,” she said. “I would engage in a conversation if it would achieve our aim of promoting women’s golf, but there needs to be input from players and sponsors. There’s a lot of factors to consider before we do business with LIV Golf.”

She added: “Working together is always better than a fractured organisation. The LPGA has been breaking down barriers for years and hopes to continue to do so.”

This will, no doubt, be music to the ears of Norman.

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Appearing on The bunkered Podcast in March, the two-time Open champion admitted that he hoped, in time, to expand LIV Golf to the women’s game.

“We are going to keep our minds wide open,” he said. “I’ve spoken to the Lexi Thompsons of the world and had conversations with them about ‘what would you think if…’

“It’s great to have these conversations. It’s empowering for them and empowering for us.”