It’s been well over ten hours since I learned the news that PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan sat in a room with three other people and worked out and finalized (after seven weeks of work as he lied to everyone else) a disgraceful deal. One that betrays so many people including the players he was representing, human rights and now those who fought and died on one of the most significant days in our history. Last year, as the fledgling Saudi blood money backed LIV was struggling through its inaugural season losing money in unimaginable amounts Monahan was making promises. To his players, PGA Tour players who remained loyal to pro golfs flagship tour he pledged that those who had defected (or might do so in the future) would get a lifetime ban from the PGA Tour. He also spoke eloquently about personally knowing a couple of families who lost loved ones in the 911 attacks.
He pledged their loss would be remembered and honored.
He lied.
Today’s announcement that he’d buried the hatchet with Greg Norman and the Saudi backed LIV was a betrayal. From reporting about a meeting he had with players gathered in Canada for this weeks tournament and reactions from those not in the field it’s clear the bulk of players aren’t happy at all with what was announced today. He was vague with them to say the least, but some of what they learned really ticked them off. Like no lifetime ban after all, and that after this year there would be a “process” for tour players to return to the PGA or the overseas version known as the DP World Tour. Words like hypocrite were directed at him. There’s even speculation on whether players will call for his ouster. There are other details they don’t like too.
However, there is another group feeling even more used and betrayed tonight. The families of 9/11 victims who appear unanimous in their condemnation of Monahan and pro golf’s alliance with the Saudis. To accept that blood money. At some point I’m sure Jamal Kashoggi’s fiancee will weigh in and she won’t be kind in her remarks to Monahan. He shamelessly used them to puff himself up in self-righteous indignation about the Saudis and the players who took all that money to join their tour. The line everyone is citing is him telling Jim Nantz his message to the defectors was “Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?”
In the end, Monahan did what he was sooooo critical of those who defected to LIV did – he took the blood soaked money. He’ll shrug off being accurately branded as a hypocrite. Hell, he’ll wind up in charge of the new venture. Oh, this should get your motor running. The announced framework says the new (yet to be named) entity combining the PGA, DP and LIV tours will be a for-profit LLC. Yet a bullet point down the page says it will retain the PGA’s 501(c)3 status? WTF?
But getting back to where I started. 9/11 is a date that will forever be remembered. And the fact that 15 of the 19 who carried out the attacks were Saudis, that they were financed out of Saudi Arabia and that the Bush administration ran some cover for the Saudis (the ruling class) starting that very night will be taught.  Just as what was at stake on June 6, 1944 and the massive invasion of the European continent by the Allies. So much sacrifice that day and in the succeeding days. But the defeat of a murderous regime was worth the price paid. Make no mistake, MBS ruthlessly seized power in the Kingdom by imprisoning hundreds of family members. Oh, most of them are in home confinement but they don’t go anywhere without his permission and they keep their mouths shut. After what he had done to Kashoggi can you blame them?
But money, money money, the love of which is the root of all evil carried the day with Monahan. He sold out and announced it on a date which SHOULD be reserved for remembering and talking about those who fought, and died on June 6 all those decades ago. He betrayed the victims and families of 9/11 on June 6.
Nice move Jay. I hope, I really do that as you’re rolling around laughing in a big pool of bloody Saudi money you swallow a wad of it and choke to death on it. Same for Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson who since I’m a lefty myself was my favorite golfer for decades and all the others, especially the big name players who defected to LIV. Who by the way are adding insult to injury by whining (it’s true) that by golly THEY deserve and apology! To which I say screw all y’all. Sideways with your own golf bags! While sitting with your buddy Trump (who is also crowing about this development) at his sh!tty Doral golf course having a circle jerk.
“pretty people, eatin, drinking, thinking they’ve got it made”, Like A Rolling Stone
“someday you’ll be in the ditch, blood on your saddle, flies buzzing around your eyes” Idiot Wind
Bob Dylan
Golf…no union. No say.
About Greg Norman, from another article I read, it appears that he was taken by surprise just like everyone else. Doesn’t mitigate his overall culpability in taking the blood money in the first place but his villainy is now moved back to Kiteman-level rather than Joker-level.
If you’re not familiar with golf and its history & also Norman’s time on tour (or for others who aren’t) here’s a rundown on Norma. He was a great pro golfer in his heyday. In fact was #1 for a one of the longer stretches of time. However he was snakebit in major championships, or so it seemed including the one he wanted most – the Masters. Desptie awesome courses and several top golfers produced from his native Australia, and the fact his country had produced major champions in the other majors no Australian had ever won the Masters. In fact it wouldn’t eventually happen until after the turn of the century. Once he lost in a sudden death playoff thanks to Larry Mize’s incredible and improbable chip in on the treacherous 11th (playoffs start on the 10th, and if that doesn’t settle it then the things move to the famous “Amen Corner” of which the long par 4 11th is the first hole) and there was that epic collapse to Nick Faldo in the final round another year. Norman had gone to sleep on a five shot lead and wound up losing on Sunday. With those and other bitter disappointments he handled them with class and grace and was admired for his sportsmanship. And he still won – a lot back then. He’d wind up with a couple of majors and the golf world rejoiced when he got his first – the (British) Open Championship. However, despite all the wins and time as the world’s #1 he was never high on the list of the games best ever and his ego was such it rankled him. Being as popular as he’d gotten however he decided he was “bigger than the game” and came up with the ideal for a new World Tour, nicknamed “The Shark Tour” (his nickname was The Shark) with himself being the premier player and shot caller. And biggest financial beneficiary. And that PGA (and European Tour) players would be able to duck their regular tour events and play on his “special” tour when they wanted. Go back and forth as they wanted. The idea was controversial and lots of golf fans didn’t like it and thought he’d gotten too big for his britches. If people who won more including and especially so many more majors, people like Nicklaus, Palmer and Player never acted “bigger than the game” who was Norman to start doing so? Well, the PGA Tour (backed by Europe) slapped him down and the feud was born.
Norman felt jilted and he by god vowed that somehow, someday he’d f**k the PGA but good. And the game too for not giving him what he felt was HIS due. He’s nurtured his grudge for three decades and with the Saudi dictator wanting to do some sportswashing and having money to burn Norman saw and seized his chance. A handful of top players took some criticism for traveling over to the region for a tournament, mainly because they got guaranteed “appearance fees” and Norman realized the door was cracked open. He was delighted, even eager at the prospect of fronting the new and quirky LIV (as it became named – LIV is Roman Numberals for 54 – the number of holes played instead of the traditional 72) and he assured the Saudis that it would only take one big name player to make the jump to get others to follow. As I noted, money was no problem and Norma proved correct when Phil Mickelson, the most popular (with fans at least) pro-golfer took his 200 million despite his comments about how brutal MBS and the Saudis were and made the jump. More of the world’s top golfers followed including several top ten golfers. The bulk of the 48 LIV members were far lesser talents and some pretty much unknown, even to average golf fans. But LIV had a collection of true star power who suddenly became ineligible to play in regular, even high profile but non-major tour events. Norman dreamed of f**king over the two major Tours but especially the PGA and even though LIV lost upwards of a hundred million (much higher actually) in its first year and when it finally did get a TV contract (I think it was on CW) ratings were abysmal. And, despite the party atmosphere at its tournaments attendance wasn’t that great either.
Those last two things beg the question that got a lot of speculation among golf journalists yesterday – with the upper hand why did Monahan decide a couple of months ago to enter into that secret negotiation with a few (literally) others to bring about this shattering change? I for one will never be convinced that he didn’t get a nice, HUGE payoff of his own. One above a hundred million. Given he’s dealing with s secretive regime that owns and controls such a huge investment fund it’s quite possible that money will remain hidden but make no mistake. Monahan got bought off. In the meantime he’s got a LOT of angry people looking for his head on a platter. There were grumblings yesterday about tour players calling for his ouster. But that will be up to the PGA Tour’s Board and again, THEY will get their own payoffs. Their filthy lucre. The players know it, the sponsors know it and the game itself, not just the pro tour is now forever tarnished. Bloodstained in fact.
Some of the golf world is already attempting to justify all this, talking about players including some who remained loyal to the PGA tour having played in say the Dubai Classic and sponsors that have done business with the Saudis. One (can’t remember who) however pointed out something that hit me – there’s a difference between doing business IN a country and doing business WITH one. With all that money they will pump in MBS and his investment fund will own golf’s tours. Again I’ll note that you might enjoy sports but not golf. And say “who cares?” If that’s your attitude you are whistling past the Saudi graveyard, both the human rights one and the literal one where all the people that have died horribly (Yemen for example, countless people who have criticized the Kingdom’s rulers even before MBS and died horribly and of course kashoggi who’s brutal execution was intended as an object lesson) because MBS and his fund won’t stop with golf. Mark my words, in the years ahead they will start forcing their way into other pro-sports. Probably take over the Olympics and World Championships too. And the World Cup since soccer is actually the most popular sport worlwide.
Hmm. And some folks… mostly old white men… would take askance/umbrage/scorn that the uppities… the blah people, or as Rick perry would happily do some happy yells at that unknown n;):$ rock… and other communistic bewildered and insane ones would dare cast asparagus’s on their genteel and honorable association and exclusive nature. Ffs. They have been, still are and always be a bunch of entitled aholes. Mostly. But I forgot the holy words (used primarily for their usage… of course)-allegedly. Allegedly they have some qualms about dirty bloody oil money. Ask any descendants of the Prescotts… and Saudi bizness. $$ washes away any shame (haha hahahaha… sorry, that was just for the rubes and marks… 😅😅). Silk sheets make for lovingly good sleep. Ps: hope they choke on the bloody lucre. Ps2: sis and I played golf in backyard… abc wide world of sports. And I like put put. So I can do without golf.
Anyone offended by this deal with the saudis ought to be screaming from the rooftops over it. The campaigns against companies that are anti or insufficiently pro LGBTQ+ should be the example for what needs to happen to companies advertising during golf tourneys. Emphasis really needs to be put on the 9/11 saudi connection since sooo many people give lip service to anger over it.
Ummm…let’s see…LIV merges with PGA, and immediately the Saudi’s say they’re cutting oil production to raise prices so that they can pay for their country’s budget——anybody besides me smell a huge Arab rat?