PGA to merge with LIV

[Don Mahaffey]

A lot of players made a lot of money and the Saudis gained a lot of power by leveraging the simple fact that the best entertainment is when the best entertainers are present.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I don't understand how this partnership works, but it does seem that the PGA TOUR caved and that LIV is the big winner.  I'd love to know what happened behind the scenes, but that is unlikely.

[Cliff Hamm]

This is more than a golf story…more than a sports story…Only hope is that the PGA advisory board over rules this abominable decision that is all about money and ignores human decency.  From Politico PM…

[/size]9/11 Families United is urging the Justice Department to investigate alleged FARA violations related to LIV Golf. | Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo[/size][/color][/size][/font][/font][/color]

[/size][/color]In a story that shocked the sports and political worlds alike, this morning, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf league announced a merger deal, ending a bitter and controversial feud between the competing organizations. The headline news: “PGA Tour agrees to merge with Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf,” by CNBC’s Lillian Rizzo The relevant details: “LIV Golf is backed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, an entity controlled by the Saudi crown prince and has been embroiled in antitrust lawsuits with the PGA Tour in the last year. The deal announced Tuesday would end all pending litigation. … Critics of LIV have also accused PIF of ‘sportswashing’ by using the league to distract from the kingdom’s history of human rights violations.” But even before this morning’s blockbuster news dropped, some of the LIV tour’s opponents were already planning to ratchet up the scrutiny of the organization and its ties to the Saudi government … FIRST IN PLAYBOOK —[/font] This morning, 9/11 Families United National Chair TERRY STRADA sent a letter to the Justice Department requesting an investigation into Saudi Arabian foreign agents for alleged violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The group urges DOJ to look into “numerous disturbing violations,” accusing a number of U.S. consultants paid by the Saudi government of failing to register under FARA, [/color]citing reporting by our colleagues Caitlin Oprysko and Hailey Fuchs. (Read more coverage from Caitlin in POLITICO Influence) “We do not view this issue as one of ‘technical violations’ of a statute,” the letter reads. “We are Americans who have suffered at the hands of foreign terrorists and have spent more than two decades trying to hold those terrorists’ funders and supporters to account. Throughout this time, we have seen foreign agents work against us — some of them disclosed, some of them not.” Read the full letter Strada’s husband, Tom, was killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center’s North Tower. She has been an outspoken opponent of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league, including when DONALD TRUMP — who has been a vocal supporter of the LIV offshoot — recently hosted the organization at his Virginia golf course. In a statement released this afternoon, Strada blasted the reported deal: “PGA Commissioner JAY MONAHAN co-opted the 9/11 community last year in the PGA’s unequivocal agreement that the Saudi LIV project was nothing more than sportswashing of Saudi Arabia’s reputation. But now the PGA and Monahan appear to have become just more paid Saudi shills, taking billions of dollars to cleanse the Saudi reputation so that Americans and the world will forget how the Kingdom spent their billions of dollars before 9/11 to fund terrorism, spread their vitriolic hatred, and finance al Qaeda and the murder of our loved ones. Make no mistake — we will never forget.” The LIV league did not respond to a request for comment. Trump the fortune teller: In a post on Truth Social from July 2022, Trump predicted today’s news. “All of those golfers that remain ‘loyal’ to the very disloyal PGA, in all of its different forms, will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and you get nothing but a big ‘thank you’ from PGA officials who are making Millions of Dollars a year. If you don’t take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place,” he posted. Here’s Trump’s take today: “GREAT NEWS FROM LIV GOLF. A BIG, BEAUTIFUL, AND GLAMOROUS DEAL FOR THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF GOLF. CONGRATS TO ALL!!!”

[Charlie Goerges]

The nice thing is that the script for Horrible Bosses III just writes itself.


It must look weird that a tour with about 13 viewers has merged as an equal partner with a couple of tours in the millions of viewers.

[Kalen Braley]

Not to mention all the LIV defectors who will have their PGATour cards and playing rights fully restored next year.

LIV guys must be laughing thier asses off right now, guess you can have your cake and eat it too...

[John Handley]

I don't see how Jay Monahan would be able to keep his job.  The PGA TOUR guys are pissed and probably rightly so.  Not just about the merger but the way it was communicated.  The PGA Tour was using strong-armed tactics on the players and then they are the ones who looks like total hypocrites.  Should be an interesting few weeks in the world of golf.

[Rob Marshall]

I guess it still has to get passed by the policy board. They should vote to throw his ass out.

[Thomas Dai]

History suggests a tendency for the peace to be more complicated and vitriolic than the war.

Atb

[George Pazin]

I guess all those Golf Channel pundits who ripped LIV as immoral human rights violators will be resigning their jobs now..........

[Pat Burke]

Is this merger a result of the performance of Brooks Koepka in the last two majors?  Was the PGA Tour afraid he's going to continue to win majors, thus validating the LIV Tour?

I disagree.  The thing that the needed to validate LIV golf was anyone giving a damn about the LIV golf tournaments.  And that wasn't happening with a few exceptions, like in Australia.  No one really cared about what happened on the course and you would need that to validate the sports-washing objective of the Saudi PIF.


But it sounds like they decided to throw in another Billion or two and buy the PGA Tour and European Tour.


Is there any posbbility that the PGA tour policy board says no?  There are 11 members - five business execs, five tour players, and a direct from the PGA of America.


You have to think that a lot of PGA tour members are very pissed off right now.  I would love to be at the meeting in Toronto this afternoon.

Maybe for some.
For players, many believed playing LIV might hurt their games going forward. Having guys playing well in the Majors and Koepka really performing opened some eyes I’m sure.  Playing on what has been the pga  tour proposed schedule was already getting “some” players talking about the schedule being too much.


There are so many moving parts to this
No lawsuits means no Saudi depositions.
No lawsuits keeps the pga tour from having the govt looking even deeper into anti-trust issues.


And there has been a lot of talk of where the money for all this sudden “elevated” events schedule was coming from and how sustainable it was.


Early this year, I thought LIV would be fading away by next year, it looks like the Saudis let it be known they could keep going and things had to come to a head.


Sounds like there are a lot of players not happy about the suddenness and being blindsided.


But as I’ve mentioned, if you dealt with the tour in any kind of dispute, the whole “players are the tour” does NOT mean when it comes to business decisions (IMO)

[Pat Burke]

I guess all those Golf Channel pundits who ripped LIV as immoral human rights violators will be resigning their jobs now..........

Honestly, I haven’t been a fan of how Brandel has covered some things. But I like Brandel himself.


I hope he comes in today a rips this, standing by his guns.  He’d probably lose his job, but it would say a lot about him

[Anthony Butler]

I guess all those Golf Channel pundits who ripped LIV as immoral human rights violators will be resigning their jobs now..........

On what basis would a pundit have to resign? They are paid for their opinion… and their opinion about the Saudis is still correct.


Maybe you should direct your ire towards the rampant hypocrisy of Tour Leadership in allowing the Saudis to truly realize their goal of ‘sport washing’ using the PGA Tour’s Legacy and Reputation.


If Brandel Chamblee comes in and mumbles some kind words about LIV/PIF you can call him a hypocrite. The fact Golf Channel has not put him on since the announcement says something.

[Rob Marshall]

I guess all those Golf Channel pundits who ripped LIV as immoral human rights violators will be resigning their jobs now..........

Honestly, I haven’t been a fan of how Brandel has covered some things. But I like Brandel himself.


I hope he comes in today a rips this, standing by his guns.  He’d probably lose his job, but it would say a lot about him

You know Pat, I was thinking the same thing. I don't think he stands down and it wouldn't surprise me if he retired. He's been pretty passionate about his feelings for LIV. I don't see how he keeps the job even if the Saudi's are minority owners of the tour.

[Rob Marshall]

I guess all those Golf Channel pundits who ripped LIV as immoral human rights violators will be resigning their jobs now..........

On what basis would a pundit have to resign? They are paid for their opinion… and their opinion about the Saudis is still correct.


Maybe you should direct your ire towards the rampant hypocrisy of Tour Leadership in allowing the Saudis to truly realize their goal of ‘sport washing’ using the PGA Tour’s Legacy and Reputation.


If Brandel Chamblee comes in and mumbles some kind words about LIV/PIF you can call him a hypocrite. The fact Golf Channel has not put him on since the announcement says something.

Your right Anthony, The tour leadership should be shown the door.

[George Pazin]

I guess all those Golf Channel pundits who ripped LIV as immoral human rights violators will be resigning their jobs now..........

Honestly, I haven’t been a fan of how Brandel has covered some things. But I like Brandel himself.


I hope he comes in today a rips this, standing by his guns.  He’d probably lose his job, but it would say a lot about him

I don't know Brandel at all, only through occasional viewings of GC, but to say I haven't been of fan of how he's covered some things would be quite an understatement for me. To call him sanctimonious would be an insult to sanctimonious people. To call him a pretentious know-it-all would be an insult to pretentious know-it-alls.


To call him....


Well, you get the picture. I don't know how he doesn't resign immediately, assuming he has any sort of conscience. I do know I wouldn't walk into any Saudi embassies, if I were him.

[Anthony Butler]

I guess all those Golf Channel pundits who ripped LIV as immoral human rights violators will be resigning their jobs now..........

Honestly, I haven’t been a fan of how Brandel has covered some things. But I like Brandel himself.


I hope he comes in today a rips this, standing by his guns.  He’d probably lose his job, but it would say a lot about him

You know Pat, I was thinking the same thing. I don't think he stands down and it wouldn't surprise me if he retired. He's been pretty passionate about his feelings for LIV. I don't see how he keeps the job even if the Saudi's are minority owners of the tour.

Chamblee is on Golf Channel now… he’s being quite calm and analytical about the situation, but he’s not pulling any punches…

[Charlie Goerges]

No lawsuits keeps the pga tour from having the govt looking even deeper into anti-trust issues.

I understand what you're saying Pat, but if the PGA Tour was bordering on a monopoly before, how could a merged version be anything other than a monopoly?

[Carl Rogers]

Suggestion ..... Appoint an absolute dictator over all pro golf and give that person the power to sort it all out.


Probably never happen

[Pat Burke]

No lawsuits keeps the pga tour from having the govt looking even deeper into anti-trust issues.

I understand what you're saying Pat, but if the PGA Tour was bordering on a monopoly before, how could a merged version be anything other than a monopoly?

Well Charlie,  I unfortunately have a lot of faith on our government taking a nothing to see here when properly incentivized

[Mark Arata]

I have to believe Jay Monahan is on his way out the door, albeit with a extremely large bag of Saudi cash to cushion the blow...



I just hope they were at least able to toss Norman overboard in the deal...

[Mark Arata]

I have to believe Jay Monahan is on his way out the door, albeit with a extremely large bag of Saudi cash to cushion the blow...



I just hope they were at least able to toss Norman overboard in the deal...

[Bernie Bell]

Forget about Chamblee and hypocrisy, will all those who boycotted LIV over human rights issues now boycott all of professional golf?  The Saudis are paying for your eyeballs and the tour purses now.  Pretty easy to cut the sleeves off one's vest in moral outrage ... what now though? 

[Carl Johnson]

My initial reaction: I'm done with the "tours," all of them.  Time will tell. Right now the details aren't there, but just mixing with the House of Saud is enough to turn me off.

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

I guess all those Golf Channel pundits who ripped LIV as immoral human rights violators will be resigning their jobs now..........

We can only hope, but I won't hold my breath. 


Their "high-brow" and "learned" attitudes and "holier than thou" positions usually only go about as far as their paycheck.

[Sean_A]

My initial reaction: I'm done with the "tours," all of them.  Time will tell. Right now the details aren't there, but just mixing with the House of Saud is enough to turn me off.

We are all mixed with the House of Saud. That much was painfully obvious a loooooong time ago.

Ciao