But negotiators have struggled to design a deal that would satisfy regulators along with players, investors and executives.
Mr. In general, regulators would see any transaction that led to the dissolution of one of the leagues as anticompetitive; under Mr. Trump, though, antitrust regulators could take a more relaxed view.
The two sides are looking beyond a simple cash transaction, though it is unclear how exactly the deal would be structured. Regulators sat for months poring over reams of documents, but talks were at an effective standstill.
The chance now to explore potentially cozier terms is a remarkable turnabout and underscores how the legal and political realities of deal-making can quickly change under Mr. Trump, especially when he acts as mediator.
The Saudi-backed LIV league roared into the golf world in 2022 with huge contracts for established stars and a shorter, livelier tournament format that challenged the PGA Tour. The Saudi wealth fund is valued at about $925 billion, but its golf operation has bled money for years, even as LIV sought to cut a swaggering public profile.
In an Oval Office meeting two weeks ago, Mr. Trump met with Mr. Monahan and spoke by telephone with Yasir al-Rumayyan, the Saudi wealth fund’s governor.
Mr. Trump’s lifelong love of the sport and his family’s ownership in more than a dozen golf properties around the world suggest his involvement could raise conflicts of interest.
The PGA Tour has not held a tournament for its flagship circuit at a Trump property since 2016, and Mr. Trump has been especially close to LIV and its power brokers. His company’s courses have hosted LIV tournaments, and another is planned for Trump National Doral, near Miami, in April.
