Tiger Woods a 'diplomat' on SSG, PIF in Genesis Invitational presser | Golf Central | Golf Channel

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. IT’S ONE OF THE REASONS WE ASK SSG TO BE A PART OF WHAT THAT COULD POSSIBLY LOOK LIKE. AND HOW DOES THAT LEAVE THEM UP WITH OUR PIF NEGOTIATIONS AS WELL. >> 24 MINUTES OF TIGER WOODS AT RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB. JIMMY ROBERTS BACK IN THE STUDIO WITH A COUPLE OF GUYS WHO HAVE SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME I DON’T TOUR FOLLOWING TIGER AROUND FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES. GUYS, LET’S BREAK IT DOWN INTO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SUBJECT MATTERS. LET’S START FIRST WITH THE BUSINESS ASPECT. TODD, WAS THERE A HEADLINE

OUT OF WHAT WE SAW? >> I THINK SO. I THINK WHEN HE SAID YES, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND OF SAUDI ARABIA IT IS NOT A NECESSITY NOW WITH HIS ALLIANCE WITH SSG, STRATEGIC SPORTS GROUP. YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND TIGER WENT FROM LOOKING AT PIF LIV GOLF AS THE ENEMY. NOW SINCE THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT WAS ANNOUNCED LAST SUMMER HE HAS HAD TO WRAP HIS HEAD AROUND THE FACT THAT THESE TWO BODIES MAYBE WORKING TOGETHER. HE’S KIND OF MOVE TOWARDS THAT. WITH THE ALLIANCE WITH SSG HE MIMICS WET JORDAN

SPIETH SET AT PEBBLE BEACH. THE FACT THAT YES, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THE DEAL, IT IS NOT A NECESSITY.

I THINK THAT IS THE BIGGEST HEADLINE. >> WHAT ABOUT YOU? WHAT IS YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THAT? >> I THOUGHT TIGER WAS THE DIPLOMAT. I THINK TODD IS RIGHT. HE SPEAKING OFF THE SAME CAR THAT WE HEARD FROM JORDAN SPIETH. I THINK EVERYONE IS TRYING TO SEND THE SAME MESSAGE. HE IS A SLIGHTLY SOFTWARE AND I THINK IT’S BY DESIGN. HE’S IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS AND HE KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO THE TOUR. GIVEN

THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE JUST SIGNED A MULTIBILLION- DOLLAR DEAL IT PUTS THE TOUR IN A ATER NEGOTIATING POSITION AND THAT’S THE MESSAGE THEY WANT TO THIN. >> CLEARLY THIS IS NOT HIS FAVORITE THING TO DO. HE LOVES TO COMPETE, LOVE THE CAMARADERIE. WE HEARD HIM TALK ABOUT BEING WITH JOSH ALLEN AND WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM OTHER ATHLETES AND WHAT YOU CAN SHARE, BUT DO YOU THINK THE MESSAGING FROM TODAY IN TERMS OF THE DEAL WITH SSG, THE POTENTIAL DEAL WITH PIF , DID WE LEARN ANYTHING NEW? DID WE MOVE BEYOND WHERE WE WERE? >>

FIRST OFF WHEN TIGER WOODS SPEAKS, HE WHISPERS, BUT THEY ARE WORSE. HE CARRIES A LOT OF WEIGHT. GOING BACK TO HIM SAYING WE DON’T NECESSARILY NEED THAT PIF ALLIANCE, I THINK IT IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. AT THE SAME TIME HE DIDN’T CLOSE THAT DOOR. IT WASN’T LIKE WE GOT IT ALL UNDER WRAPS. HE TALKS ABOUT NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUING. HE MENTIONED THE FACT THE TEAM GOLF, WHAT HE’S A BIG PART OF, COULD BE A CONCEPT THAT CAN HELP THESE NEGOTIATIONS. I AGREE WITH WHAT HE SAID. TIGER WAS A DIPLOMAT TODAY, BUT DID MAKE HIS POSITION KNOWN. >> ALONG

THOSE LINES I WILL SAY LET’S LOOK AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN. HOWEVER PIF WILL BE WORK INTO THE EQUATION WILL BE DECIDED GOING DOWN THE ROAD. I THINK THE CONVERSATION WE NEED TO HAVE IS WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PATHWAY BACK FOR THE PLAYERS WERE COMING BACK, THAT IS WRITTEN INTO THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT. THIS IS A BIG PART OF THAT DEAL. I THINK THAT RORY McILROY CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO RAISE THEIR EYEBROWS WHEN HE SAID THOSE LAYER SHOULD BE ALLOWED BACK WITHOUT A FINE OR PENALTY OR ANY SUSPENSION. I THINK A

LOT OF PLAYERS PUSHED BACK. WHEN TIGER WAS ASKED HE REFERRED TO DIFFERENT MODELS. CLEARLY DIFFERENT WAYS TO ALLOW THEM TO COME BACK THAT ARE GOING TO APPEASE EVERYONE. I DON’T KNOW HOW, THAT’S GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT PART. THE PART IS THAT OUT TO ME, NO ANSWER. HE KNOWS HOW COMPLICATED AND SENSITIVE THIS IS. >> OFTEN TIMES WITH TIGER WOODS OR PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO BE DIPLOMATIC, THE IDEA IS TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES. YOU MENTIONED RORY McILROY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST ARDENT OPPONENTS OF PIF AND HAVE

HAD TO READJUST HIS POSITION. TALKING ABOUT JON RAHM AND FINDING HIM — A WAY FOR HIM TO PLAY IN THE RYDER CUP. LET’S MOVE ON TO ONE OTHER BUSINESS ISSUE BEFORE WE GET TO THE PLANNING ASPECTS. WE WILL DO THAT A LITTLE LATER IN THE SHOW. HE HAS MOVED ON WITH THIS NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH TAILOR-MADE. HE’S GOT RED, AND SOMEBODY ASKED IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING NOSTALGIC ABOUT HIS ATTACHMENT TO THE OLD LOGO? IT WAS ICONIC NOT JUST IN GOLF BUT IN SPORTS CULTURALLY. I WAS IN A BAGEL STORE THE OTHER MORNING

IN ORDER MY BAGEL FROM A GUY WHO WAS WEARING A TIGER WITH TW HAT. IF I COULD JUMP MAN JORDAN LOGO. HE WAS VERY CURT WHEN IT CAME TO HIS RESPONSE TO HIS CONNECTION TO IT. >> HE WAS IN A DIPLOMAT. IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THERE IS SOME ISSUE BETWEEN HIM AND NIKE AM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE. >> TOLD OTHERWISE AND I WAS READING THROUGH. >> SOMETHING HAPPEN AND WE MAY NOTE — NEVER KNOW WHAT THAT IS. HE SEEMS THAT HE WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LOGO WITH HER PREVIOUS BRAND. HE WANTS TO

MOVE ONTO THE SNOW BRAND. SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER PLACE THESE TW GOLF SHOES. THEY MAY END UP IN THE SAME GROUP AT SOME POINT. TIGERS WANT TO BE IN HIS SUNDAY RED AND THE WORLD’S NUMBER ONE PLAYER IS GOING TO BE WEARING HIS LOGO. >> IS FUNNY YOU TALK ABOUT READING BETWEEN THE LINES. HIS BODY LANGUAGE IS SO CLEAR HE DID NOT WANT TO ADDRESS THIS. I THINK YOU MIGHT’VE BEEN THE ONE