9/11 families tear into ‘weak’ PGA for ‘caving’ to Saudi Arabia in LIV merger

Families whose loved-ones died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks are sounding off on the PGA for merging with the Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf.

Brett Eagleson, who at the age of 15 lost his father in the September 11, 2001 attack, told DailyMail.com that he has 50 messages on his phone from other families asking ‘what the f*** happened.’

‘I am lost for words,’ the 9/11 Justice president added.

Professional Golfers’ Association Commissioner Jay Monahan said less than a year ago that a merger with his organization and LIV was ‘off the table.’ LIV has received a slew of criticism for its links to Saudi Arabia.

But news broke Tuesday that the PGA agreed to merge with LIV despite its ties to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which is controlled by the Saudi crown prince. 

The merger comes less than a year after PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said such an arrangement was ‘off the table’

Former President Donald Trump just recently faced backlash for hosting a LIV tournament at his golf club in Sterling, Virginia over Memorial Day week.

‘The PGA caved so quickly,’ Eagleson, 37, said. ‘It is shameful that they spent all that time bashing LIV over the human rights [violations] and links to 9/11, and then they sign this deal.’

‘We thought a traditional American organization would stand up for the families of 9/11,’ he added.

Eagleson, president of 9/11 Justice, has been critical of Trump hosting LIV tournaments and promised to ‘fight back’ regarding the PGA/LIV merger

When President Joe Biden was asked about the merger, he made a small swinging motion and said: ‘I’m planning on playing in the PGA.’ 

Eagleson promised to ‘fight back’ and said that this move has only ’emboldened’ families seeking justice and trying to get to the bottom of Saudi Arabia’s alleged involvement in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

‘We have been let down yet again. It is just another example of the families being cast aside,’ he said. ‘But we won’t back down. This has emboldened us. We are going to fight back.’

Eagleson was also highly critical of Trump when he hosted LIV right outside of Washington, D.C. – next to where a plane crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11 – over the Memorial Day holiday.

Meanwhile, Eagleson and seven other families of 9/11 victims were meeting with 2024 candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at a BBQ at the Governor’s Mansion for Memorial Day.

The PGA Tour merged with LIV Golf, which is funded by Saudi Arabia.

Donald Trump, whose golf courses have hosted several LIV events, trumpeted the news on his social media site Truth Social: GREAT NEWS FROM LIV GOLF. A BIG BEAUTIFUL , AND GLAMOROUS DEAL FOR THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF GOLF. GONGRATS TO ALL!!!’

Former President Donald Trump has faced backlash for hosting several LIV tournaments over the years. Pictured: Trump with LIV Commissioner Greg Norman

In a shocking move that was unknown to PGA stars and LIV commissioner Greg Norman until Tuesday morning, the PGA and European Tours have signed an agreement with the Saudi-backed circuit to combine their businesses into a new, yet-to-be-named company.

The merger ends the ongoing litigation between the rival gold organizations. Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.

The move represents a major victory for LIV Golf, which has been shunned by many of the sport’s icons, including PGA Tour legends Jack Nicklaus, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, who reportedly turned down a $1 billion deal to defect in 2022.

But LIV Golf has succeeded in buying some of the world’s top players, spending hundreds of millions on the likes of Brooks Koepka , Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.

The problem now for the PGA Tour is reintegrating the defectors who took Saudi money with the players who remained loyal by refusing lucrative LIV contracts.

LIV Golf has been slammed for its ties to Saudi Arabia’s controversial Public Investment Fund (PIF), with critics accusing the kingdom of ‘sportswashing’ its human rights record.

LIV defectors, meanwhile, have been pilloried over allegations of greed.

The PGA-LIV merger came as a complete surprise, both outside and inside the sport.

It was only a year ago at the Canadian Open that Monahan attacked LIV Golf by asking his players, rhetorically: ‘Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?’

But now, Monahan is somehow ignoring that rhetoric by partnering with Saudi Arabia.

‘There’s been a lot of tension in our sport over the last couple years,’ the Tour commissioner told CNBC on Tuesday. ‘What we’re talking about today is coming together to unify the game of golf, and to do so under one umbrella.

‘We’ve recognized that together, we can have a far greater impact on this game than we can working apart,’ he added.

‘The game of golf is better for what we’ve done here today.’ 

Trump’s involvement in the deal is unclear, but he did predict a merger 11 months ago and praised the deal on his social media site on Tuesday

Even PGA players, who had loyally stood by the Tour rather than taking the Saudi’s millions, were caught off guard by the news.

‘Shocked and confused,’ one unidentified golfer told Barstool’s Dan Rapaport .

‘Disgusted,’ another said. ‘They didn’t tell us anything.’

‘Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with,’ read a tweet from golfer Mackenzie Hughes.

And when asked if Norman knew about the deal, PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan told CNBC: ‘I made the call just before this [interview].’

Tuesday’s merger comes one year after LIV Golf’s first event, and ends its legal battle with the PGA.

While the PGA was accused of violating antitrust laws by banning LIV players from its Tour, golf’s preeminent circuit countersued its Saudi-backed rivals, accusing the outfit of interfering with its deals.

Players who defected to LIV Golf were banned at PGA events, but have continued playing at the majors. For instance, LIV Golf’s Koepka won last month’s PGA Championship.