LIV Golf has received its first breakthrough with organizers of one of men’s golf’s four major championships.

Late Monday, it was confirmed that Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan met with R&A CEO Martin Slumbers on Sunday during the Open Championship’s final round at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England, as American Brian Harman claimed victory by six strokes.

According to The Telegraph, the meeting was “more symbolic than substantive.” Also at the meeting was Amanda Staveley — a key PIF associate and minority owner of Newcastle United who helped facilitate Al-Rumayyan’s discussions with the PGA Tour.

Ahead of the Open, Slumbers wouldn’t rule out taking money from the Saudis and acknowledged the R&A’s struggle to keep up with rising prize funds in pro golf. The Open’s $16.5 million purse was the smallest of golf’s four majors — and less than every purse on the LIV circuit and the PGA Tour’s elevated events.

Under its framework agreement with the PGA Tour, the PIF could become a premier corporate sponsor, providing more than $1 billion in cash. A similar arrangement with the Open could potentially be on the horizon.

Tipping Point?

At the U.S. Open, USGA CEO Mike Whan wouldn’t rule out accepting Saudi funding but downplayed its likelihood. 

Interest in Saudi funding also wasn’t a topic for the PGA of America or Augusta National at the PGA Championship or Masters — which both took place before the PGA Tour’s bombshell agreement was announced.

The ACC is taking a measured approach to financially compete with the Big Ten and SEC.

At the conference’s football media days in Charlotte on Tuesday, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said that rather than expect an immediate fix, trying to narrow the per-school revenue gap to $10 million to $15 million is the “right approach.” 

With new media deals kicking in for the Big Ten this year ($1.15 billion annually) and the SEC next year ($710 million annually), the ACC’s long-term $240 million annual deal with ESPN puts the conference a distant third through 2036. The Big 12 is brining in $200 million a year from Fox and ESPN through 2025.

“Third is certainly a good position,” Phillips said. “But we want to gain and gain traction financially in order to close the gap.”

Phillips acknowledged the ESPN layoffs in explaining why the ACC can’t expect an instant increase in rights fees. “They understand the volatility that there is,” he said. “But they also are looking to grow financially based on some of their recent events.”

The conference doesn’t have a specific revenue target in mind, but it’s “trying to bridge” the gap as far as it can, Phillips said. In 2024, the ACC will have a new revenue distribution model to reward teams for better postseason performance.

Phillips explained that the ACC has added the CW in an effort to “be visible in all of the regions that our schools are” across the country. It’s unclear how much the CW is paying for the rights to 13 football games and 37 basketball games each year through 2027.

Something Brewing?

And there could be more ACC news soon. “We have some other things that we’re working on I can’t address with this group right now, that are pretty exciting to try to address that revenue gap,” Phillips said.

The Kansas City Royals’ plans for a new ballpark site should be set by the end of the regular season.

In an open letter posted on Tuesday, owner John Sherman said the team plans to “share an overview of the [planned] ballpark district” in the next 30 days — including two sites under consideration — with a final site selection in the following weeks.

“This is a huge decision. We’re focused on playing the long game for the region we call home,” Sherman wrote. “In late September, we plan to announce which site will best fulfill our pledge to Kansas City.”

Slightly amending and expanding upon comments made last month, Sherman’s letter references leaving Kauffman Stadium, the Royals’ home since 1973, to build a $2 billion ballpark district somewhat similar to that of the Atlanta Braves.

The Royals’ candidate sites include a downtown location in Jackson County and another in neighboring Clay County. The decision will also have significant ramifications on the Kansas City Chiefs’ plans for Arrowhead Stadium.

On-Field Struggles

The Royals continue to struggle on the field, adding even more urgency to their stadium plans. Just one game ahead of the league-worst Oakland A’s, Kansas City’s farm system is also one of MLB’s poorest, providing even less hope for a turnaround anytime soon.

Fans have noted the lack of progress and have stayed away in droves — the Royals rank 28th in MLB attendance at 16,305 per game.

“I feel that pain alongside our team, our fans, and our community. And I get that it isn’t going to feel better until it gets better,” Sherman wrote.