PGA Tour players pledge unity after meeting with Tiger Woods

Woods, who is not in the field this week and has played sparingly since his car crash in February 2021, has been candid about his allegiance to the PGA Tour as the upstart LIV circuit has poached several high-profile golfers, including major winners Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.

Preventing more defections has become part of the agenda for Woods, who spoke about the importance of legacy before the start of the British Open last month at the Old Course at St. Andrews. Justin Thomas, who is close friends with Woods, provided a bit of insight Wednesday morning on the significance of the 15-time major champion making the trip to Delaware to meet with some of the tour’s leading players at a Wilmington hotel.

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“If someone like him is passionate about it, no offense to all of us, but that’s really all that matters,” Thomas said. “If he’s not behind something, then one, it’s probably not a good idea in terms of the betterment of the game, but two, it’s just not going to work. He needs to be behind something.

“He’s been a great kind of leading role in a lot of ways in the game, for a lot of us.”

Thomas did not disclose specifics of what was discussed at the meeting, which took place after practice rounds Tuesday, but he said the tenor of the conversation centered on what would be best for PGA Tour players as LIV offers exorbitant amounts of money to lure away stars.

Rory McIlroy, a four-time major winner and another vocal supporter of the PGA Tour in its contentious battle with LIV, indicated that the meeting offered a respite from the sport’s conflict.

“The one thing that came out of it, which I think was the purpose, is all the top players on this tour are in agreement and alignment of where we should go going forward, and that was awesome,” McIlroy said.

Among the more notable players in line to join LIV is Cameron Smith, according to the Telegraph. The No. 2 ranked player in the world and British Open winner withdrew from the BMW Championship on Monday, two days after incurring a two-stroke penalty at the St. Jude Championship, the first of three events in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Also absent from the BMW are three of the top nine finishers from last year’s tournament at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md., where Patrick Cantlay outlasted DeChambeau on the sixth playoff hole in one of the most compelling conclusions in recent memory.

As the conflict between tours simmers, players Wednesday said that Woods, 46, continues to play an invaluable role on their tour, regardless of whether he’s competing.

“I mean, he is…