It seems the long-standing feud between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf has finally come to an end, as Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan shared a friendly moment before the start of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Monahan, who serves as the commissioner of the PGA Tour, and Al-Rumayyan, the CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), are both participating in the Pro-Am event on the DP World Tour. The duo is at the heart of discussions between the PGA Tour and PIF to resolve the ongoing conflict with LIV.
Interestingly, not only are they playing in the same tournament, but the event organizers also decided to group Monahan and Al-Rumayyan together for the first round, alongside professionals Billy Horschel and Dean Burmester at Carnoustie.
This event marks a significant moment in golf history, as it brings the two opposing sides together away from the negotiation table. Despite their past disagreements, the two leaders were seen sharing a jovial moment as they kicked off the first round on Thursday morning.
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This represents a significant change of stance for Monahan, who had previously criticized the establishment of the LIV setup and Saudi Arabia’s investment in golf. After the inaugural LIV event at Centurion in June 2022, Monahan declared that all Tour members participating in the rival circuit would be banned.
“Their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is in violation of our Tournament Regulations,” Monahan declared regarding the bans in his statement. “The same fate holds true for any other players who participate in future Saudi Golf League events in violation of our Regulations.”
Continuing his critique of the PGA Tour’s emerging competitor, the commissioner stated: “I am certain our fans and partners who are surely tired of all this talk of money, money and more money will continue to be entertained and compelled by the world-class competition you display each and every week, where there are true consequences for every shot you take and your rightful place in history whenever you reach that elusive winner’s circle..”
PGA Tour and LIV Golf bosses Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan met in Scotland (
Getty Images)
“This week, the RBC Canadian Open stands as a prime example of what you’ve built with the PGA Tour: a star-studded lineup, a dedicated sponsor, sold-out hospitality offerings, record-breaking crowds, and a global broadcast reach. These components are ingrained in the Tour’s essence, forged by legends like Jack and Arnie, advanced by Tiger and many others whose legacies are forever woven together, with each other and with the PGA Tour. This collective heritage cannot be purchased.”
However, just a year later, it seems that Monahan and his fellow Tour chiefs did have a price when it came to Saudi involvement. A little over 15 months ago, Monahan and Al-Rumayyan stunned the golfing world by sitting side by side to announce a framework agreement between the two competing sides.
Since then, PGA Tour Enterprises and PIF have been in continuous negotiations to settle their dispute, but updates on the discussions have been few and far between. However, following their first public outing at Carnoustie, it appears any previous animosity between the two leaders has now been set aside.
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