Report: Players discuss idea for 18-event TOUR series

The PGA TOUR's top stars held a players-only meeting earlier this week, and an idea emerged to host 18 tournaments with 60 of its best players and $20 million purses, according to Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig.

Both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are backing the plan, and it's reportedly just one of multiple that the group will propose to TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan, according to Harig.

Earlier this week, reports surfaced about a meeting among elite golfers - including Woods - to support the TOUR amid the threat of LIV Golf. However, in the days following, little information initially came out about what the group discussed at the meeting.

On Saturday, however, one of the other reported ideas was for the TOUR to renounce its nonprofit status - becoming private - which would allow investors to bring in more money, according to the Fire Pit Collective's Alan Shipnuck.

Many star TOUR players have already left for Greg Norman's Saudi-backed series, and seven more are expected to announce their switch to LIV Golf after the TOUR Championship ends next week, according to Shipnuck.

Cameron Smith is among those players, according to Harig, after apparently signing a LIV contract earlier in August.