Jack Nicklaus says PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger 'good for the game of golf'

Jack Nicklaus is thankful the infighting is coming to a close.

Nicklaus, who said he was offered but turned down $100 million to be the CEO of the LIV Golf series and said LIV Golf "wasn't for me," reacted to the stunning news Tuesday that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf will merge.

“The last three years have been difficult for the game and the players," said Nicklaus, who lives in North Palm Beach. "I spoke with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan this morning. He seemed pleased with the arrangement that will once again bring together the best players in the world. I agree that this is good for the game of golf.

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"I also appreciate the commissioner’s comments about continuing the tradition of the Tour and the mission to support important charitable causes. I am certainly interested in seeing the details. Jay indicated that this all will happen in 2024, so very soon the proof will be in the pudding. Whatever is best for the game of golf enjoys my full support.”

Nicklaus spoke about the breakaway tour a week ago before the Memorial Tournament in Ohio. He was asked by Golfweek if he was disappointed not to have winners of two of the last four majors — Jupiter's Brooks Koepka, who won the PGA Championship; and LIV's Cam Smith, last year's British Open champion — in the field.

“I don’t even consider those guys part of the game anymore," he said. "I don’t mean that in a nasty way. This is a PGA Tour event, and we have the best field we can possibly have for a PGA Tour event for those who are eligible to be here. The other guys made a choice of what they did and where they’ve gone and we don’t even talk about it.

“There were certain players that it was probably the right thing for,” Nicklaus said of those who joined LIV. “It probably spurred the PGA Tour, I don’t think there’s any question about that, either, to move it to greater heights. But it wasn’t for me, it wasn’t for what my legacy was. Obviously, I pretty much started what the tour is out here."

Nicklaus told the Fire Pit Collective he met with representatives of LIV Golf at the Bear's Club in Jupiter in the early stages of LIV's planning. That meeting, Nicklaus said, was out of courtesy because he has been involved with the group in a golf course deal for a more than a couple years.

"I've got zero interest in wanting to do something like that," Nicklaus said last year. "I don't care what kind of money they would have thrown at me. My allegiance has been to the PGA Tour. I grew up on the PGA Tour. I helped found the PGA Tour as it is today."

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Tom D'Angelo is senior sports columnist for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.