Rory McIlroy has been one of the loudest voices against LIV Golf since the breakaway league's inception - but his stance seems to have softened as of late as a merger deal with the PGA Tour nears

The PGA Tour said on Thursday that after a meeting this week with U.S. President Donald Trump it was closer to reaching a deal with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf that would help end the years-long divide in professional golf.

After a lengthy impasse following the shock announcement of a "framework agreement" over the merger of LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, U.S. President Donald Trump has been drafted into talks

Donald Trump met with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and player director Adam Scott last week as the organisation looks to strike a deal with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf project

Scott O'Neil, LIV Golf's new chief executive officer, discusses negotiations with the organizers of the PGA Championship about granting exemptions to LIV players after similar moves by the US Open and the UK's Open Championship.

Players from the Saudi-backed breakaway LIV Golf Series will be able to qualify for the Open Championship for the first time after a historic agreement was reached